The "Secret" is There's Work Involved

More than ever, I’m hearing people (who I would never think would be) dropping the phrase “Law of Attraction,” and voicing new thought principles in such a perfectly acceptable, matter-of-fact way.

It’s encouraging, but for many of them, I think it’s a matter of desperate economic times, desperate measures --- either “get religion” or get so frustrated that you reach for the far-fetched, new-agey cures when all else fails. Well, whatever opens eyes and minds, I suppose.

Mind you, the concept is simple, and not new: what you think about and put your energy behind, manifests. It’s roots go as far back as Hinduism and Judaism, and it has been the basis for countless philosophies through time: practical/applied metaphysics, power of positive thinking, new thought, science of mind, and so on.

But with anything carrying the label of “metaphysical” or “new age” slandered by many organized religious groups who see empowerment and co-creation as a threat, the bite-sized concept has had a hard road to hoe as a manifestation tool.

Regardless, never before has the phrase “Law of Attraction” burst forth into the mainstream with as much vigor as it did once the video and book “The Secret” made its debut in 2006. Mostly a word-of-mouth phenomenon, it was a “secret no more” not long after the film broke the “law” down into sound-bites and anecdotes that your average person could relate to, such as: hate your job? Hate yourself? Want more money? YOU can change all that! And, of course was helped along by being featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The idea has even permeated educational circles, and is incorporated in home-school philosophy of “radical un-schooling.”

Granted, the Law of Attraction as packaged in “The Secret” may have been gobbled up by the mainstream as directions on how to get rich and have more stuff, but it’s much more potent than that --- it can transform your perspective and life if you do the work. That’s where I think we lose a lot of folks, and the Law of Attraction loses steam --- everyone is looking for the genie in the bottle and a quick fix.

Changing a lifetime worth of conditioning that includes negative thought patterns, low self-esteem and fear isn’t something a film can do, just like you can’t transform your body by watching a documentary about body building. It takes commitment and dogged determination to stay on the path, and the nerve to sweep worn-out emotional crud out of dark corners.

What you can change in an instant is what you accept to be true for yourself and your future, and that fuels the journey down a different path with new possibilities. But remember, saying that you are ready for a new life is not enough, you have to truly feel at your core the desire to change and to be transformed. And losing parts of yourself is a scary thing...

What you have today is a product of your past beliefs and attitudes about yourself, and what you will have is purely up to you as well. How much of yourself are you willing to risk right now?