From Whence Cometh Adversity? Again?

This blog is generally about topics covered in The Secret. While the word "adversity" is not used in the book or movie, I believe that the movie is trying to tell us that we have more control over adversity in our lives than we may think. I want to investigate that thought in this posting.

So adversity (or you could call it things that we do not want), can seem to come at us from all directions; but as I have pondered this, I now believe that these directions can be cataloged.

Source Number One: Our own sins and mistakes.
This is the classic source for most all of us. When we sin, there are consequences in so doing. Those consequences can come to us in the form of adversity. Our mistakes can cause us further adversity. The good news here is that at least on the sin part, we are really in full control. We can decide not to sin. While no one of us is perfect, the tears and anguish as a result of consequences of sin can be greatly mitigated by some proactive action on our part. For instance, we can think of a situation we could find ourself in one day, and make the decision now what we would do. Having decided it, it makes it much easier to actually do that later.

Adversity as a result of mistakes can come from many sources. We can mitigate many of these as well. As an example, we can be careful and defensive drivers. We can keep a safety mindset. We can plan ahead for some things and think them through before actually doing them. The good news here is that we can greatly minimize the effects of mistakes with some small effort on our part.

What we should never do, however, is to allow a fear of mistakes to stop us from taking positive actions, such as starting a new business. WE have to make those mistakes in order to believe and learn. If we start the business as a side thing to our primary income source, we can afford to make some mistakes without causing undue financial hardship.

Source Number Two: When we forget the Lord
Am I saying that adversity can come to us because we do not remember the Lord? Consider the following words from an ancient American prophet:

Yea, and we may see at the very time when He (The Lord) doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of His people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One -- yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten His people with many afflictions, yea, except He doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember Him.

And you know that these words are true, despite the fact that we would really like to think that we are better than that. Here is the real question: Can we continue to remember the Lord in our prosperity? Above all other things that happen, this seems to be the greatest test of modern times for some people. Of course there are others who will not even call upon the Lord in their poverty.

Source Number Three: Our own power of attraction
The message of The Secret is all about this one; but it is not such a popular thought because we always want to blame someone else for adversity that comes our way. There are very few of us who can say to themselves in that situation: NICE Creation!

Men attract that which they love, and also that which they fear (James Allen: As A Man Thinketh). This tends to make life really interesting as what we love and what we fear keep getting drawn to us.

Can we do something about it? You bet. Dump the False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR).

"Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet; and they are continually killing thousands just as surely though less rapidly. Those who live in fear of disease are the ones who get it; anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body and leaves it open to the entrance of disease."

How do we get rid of fear in our minds? The same way we get rid of any other thought that we do not want ---- Replace it with something better! You have 17 seconds to do so.

While no one is generally worried about the things that they love being attracted to them, we should pay some attention. What do we love? If we love something that is a sin, then we are hard-wiring a disconnect. We will continually attract the adversity of that sin into our lives.

Mythical Source Number Four: Someone, God, or The Universe is out to get you.
Utter falsehood.

But I know that few will truly believe those words. Worlds without end, they are true. Any affliction in your life is not as a result of this, but of items 1-3 or 4-5 instead. If you take a moment to think about it, you will see.

Source Number Four: Blocked Blessings
Stay with me on this one. The Universe is a place of order, and blessings come to us as a result of our doing things in the service of others. These blessings are coming from "on high" whether that means "God" or "The Universe" to you does not matter because the end effect is the same.

We know through statistics that those who are able to serve others are happier. Married folks are generally happier than single ones. Those who are involved in churches or service organizations are happier than those who are not. Please understand that we cannot stop the resultant blessings from coming our way because of these activities. Why would we even try to stop them?

Because we think our life is GOOD ENOUGH.

And so with those thoughts, we attempt to block new blessings, because we do not perceive the need for them.

And yet we cannot block them. They build up over time, and failing to find a way in through normal channels; they will use a different transport mechanism, and we have a name for it.

WE call it an Affliction.

Yes, you heard that right. And it is easy to tell if you got this one. If you were more blessed after the affliction than you were before it, then you got an affliction that was transporting your new blessing(s).

Can we stop this type of adversity from coming our way?

Sure thing.

But it means being open minded and never thinking that God or the Universe is done with us. Always there are new blessings coming our way. Let us be receiving. The greatest human tragedy of all could be when we come to understand that adversity we caused ourselves by being closed to new blessings.

Once other small thing to remember: New Blessings = Change. Embrace it, do not fear it.

Source Number Five: We must be taught
Of all sources listed, this is got to be the most annoying source of adversity. God or the Universe knows that for us to learn certain things, we have to be dragged in kicking and screaming. If the current adversity does not fit the other options, and it is not clear that any new blessings will come from it, then it is likely here to teach us something.

Something we could not learn in any other way.

So when the problem comes, ask it what it is trying to teach you.

And listen for the answer.

For when you have been taught that which it came to teach --- it will move on.

Can we avoid this one?

Maybe.

But we have to have an open mind so that we can be taught, and we have to make some effort to seek some learning. I think of this type of adversity as the last resort option from on high. If the normal learning channels are not being used, or the mind is not open to be taught, then the affliction/problem is sent. Last resort, not first.

There is another version of this one that is because we do not understand something. The bset example of this I have seen in media was presented in the Disney movie "The Kid". Through an interesting plot device, an 8 year old version and a 40 year old version of the same man come to an experience that is happening in the eight year old's life. He (the 8 yr old) does not understand why his father is mean to him/yells at him; but the 40 year old version knows exactly why! His dad is scared.

How much affliction comes into our lives because we simply do no really understand what is going on? Can we stop this kind?

To do so we must seek understanding. With all our getting, we must get understanding!

Mythical Source Number Five: Agency of others
This is the pretend category for those who do not get catagory three or the law of attraction.

Men were granted agency; and there will be some who abuse it to the harm of others. As soon as someone decides to do this foul deed, there must be at least one other person to be the victim. There could be several others. In some cases the victim is themself only.

Many think that this is an entirely random process, but the police know that the great majority of the time there is history that is the lead to the horrible event.

And for those minority cases that appear totally random; they are not. Someone attracted that to themself based on their fear, or even possibly what they love. I know it's hard to understand, and I am not a "blame the victim" person. The perpetrator of the crime is fully responsible for it and will bear the full consequence in the eternities. The victim is hurt physically, but undamaged spiritually. In time the wounds can heal, unless they were killed, in which case their time here was meant to be at an end, and they move on, as ALL of us will at some point in the future.

Fear of being a random victim of a crime is not advisible. Get to work creating something so that your mind can move on to bigger and better things.

OK, so those are the categories. I am hoping that through all of this, you have been able to see that you have more power than you think in all of this process.

So ponder that one for a while.

And then see your life with new eyes.

Eyes of understanding.

Joseph