The following story about one of the Teachers in the book and movie The Secret was released by AP this morning . . .
"Motivational Speaker James Arthur Ray Charged in Arizona Sweat Lodge Deaths"
I am not going to get into stupid questions like "How could he have attracted that?" . . . It is clear that we really do *not* control everything that happens to us; although we can influence it. In this case I believe what is happening now is a natural consequence of previous actions by Ray.
Later in the story it says this:
"One of the things that horrifies me after we found out Kirby (one of the three victims) had died was to see how he (James Ray) behaved, to really yield his true character," she said. "This wasn't just a horrible accident. His own conviction in his omnipotence and his own seduction of money and wealth made him delusional."
I have seen this before. The appearance by Ray in The Secret launched his business into the stratosphere compared to what it had been before. It can be difficult to deal with sudden success if enough of a foundation has not been laid by previous smaller success. And by enough failure to remind us that we are after all only human.
When people start to gather around you like that and treat you as if you know everything, you eventually start to believe that you know everything . . . and can I say that this is very dangerous, as we have seen here.
There are subliminal bits about the Rosicrucians in The Secret. Please consider the following quote from the Rosicrucian Cosmo Conception:
"The man who realizes his ignorance has taken the first step towards knowledge"
May I add the following from the book of Joseph (That's Me):
The man who forgets his ignorance is a danger to himself, his friends, and all of society.
Why do you think the Universe does not just dish out great success to everyone?
Hopefully the above story gives an insight. It seems clear that great success given to someone who has not gone through the process of earning it and providing value can be more destructive than good. It is a similar case to Lottery winners who find that their previous life is destroyed, for good or bad. And trust me on this one, it is often bad. Receiving large amounts of money that one has not earned is destructive to the soul.
Those of us who cannot learn from the experience of James Ray may find ourselves repeating it one day. When we think we know something, it is then we start to become dangerous.
And this is why you hear people say that they know enough about something to be dangerous.
Joseph
Joseph Wood is a blogger on topics related to The Secret, author of the eBook "The Secrets of The Secret", and the founder of Awesome Computer Help based in Cypress, TX.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
And Then It Was Gone ???
It was really interesting to me to watch the rise of the DVD The Secret through it's first version (with Esther Hicks), then it's second version (Without Esther Hicks), and then the book. I have all three of them.
I credit being involved with a Network marketing company will helping me to hear about it soon enough to get the Esther Hicks version. It was only available for a few months and then it disappeared suddenly.
For a while this whole thing was the darling of the press.
And now it seems to have all but disappeared. Even *I* stopped blogging about it for over a year, because I was too busy doing other things I deemed more important. I have founded a computer help company based on what I love to do and me duplicating myself doing it. You can check me out at www.AwesomeComputerHelp.com . My "Secrets of The Secret" eBook is out of print (funny thing), but I bet I can find a copy for someone who is interested for a good price.
There are still some forums out there where a few folks discuss The Secret, but it is completely gone from the press. It is interesting that none of the spin off movies have garnered any press at all that I have seen; and I wonder if the creators of the Secret saw that the time was passed and thus they never delivered on what was once a promised sequel from the same production company. I had been looking forward to it, as I am sure several others were.
As a result of the movie, I am on the Bob Proctor Insight of the Day list, the Mike Dooly Notes from the Universe, and the Joe Vitale mailing list. The Joe list is 99% marketing which I ignore, but he throws enough gems on there (about 1-2% of the time) to keep me from un-subscribing.
I note how the press and by extension all of society seems so much less interested now since it is no longer a "new" thing.
But it remains a very important thing, because something continues to happen behind the scenes that I am not sure that a lot of people are seeing.
And that is that the vibration of the entire Earth is increasing.
What will be the effects of this?
You are seeing them already. It pulls everything towards the poles. There are more rich people now in the world than ever before, and there are more poor folks than ever before. What is happening to the middle class . . . ? Yes, *shrinking*.
It may be hard for some of you to believe this, but one of the effects of this is that things are attracted *faster* than before both good and bad. Anyone wonder why the average time that someone keeps the same job now is on a steady decrease, and is now less than three years? Yep, you guessed it, because companies and the economy are moving faster. Did anybody besides me notice how the economy went from being good to being bad in about three days (at least as the press reported it)?
What will be very hard to do in the future is what most folks have been trying to do all along, and that is to keep working the same traditional job and stay in the middle class. This is going to get harder and harder to do.
The future is for everyone who can to start their own business and then live or die by the value that they provide and the marketing that they do. Those who do this and learn and keep at it will get richer in any economy. Those who try to keep the status quo, and who have only one stream of income, will never get ahead because their job searches take their savings and they are drowning in debt and they will fall out of the middle class on the poor side.
I do not mind if you do not believe me. After all it is only the world that I see that I am describing. Perhaps in the world that you see this is all different. If that works for you then I say go for it; assuming you like the job that does provide your one income stream.
But if there is any chance that I am right on this, then now is not the time to be forgetting the lessons learned in the movie and book. Now would be a good time to be studying them further.
Unless you already automatically attract everything that you want that is.
Joseph
I credit being involved with a Network marketing company will helping me to hear about it soon enough to get the Esther Hicks version. It was only available for a few months and then it disappeared suddenly.
For a while this whole thing was the darling of the press.
And now it seems to have all but disappeared. Even *I* stopped blogging about it for over a year, because I was too busy doing other things I deemed more important. I have founded a computer help company based on what I love to do and me duplicating myself doing it. You can check me out at www.AwesomeComputerHelp.com . My "Secrets of The Secret" eBook is out of print (funny thing), but I bet I can find a copy for someone who is interested for a good price.
There are still some forums out there where a few folks discuss The Secret, but it is completely gone from the press. It is interesting that none of the spin off movies have garnered any press at all that I have seen; and I wonder if the creators of the Secret saw that the time was passed and thus they never delivered on what was once a promised sequel from the same production company. I had been looking forward to it, as I am sure several others were.
As a result of the movie, I am on the Bob Proctor Insight of the Day list, the Mike Dooly Notes from the Universe, and the Joe Vitale mailing list. The Joe list is 99% marketing which I ignore, but he throws enough gems on there (about 1-2% of the time) to keep me from un-subscribing.
I note how the press and by extension all of society seems so much less interested now since it is no longer a "new" thing.
But it remains a very important thing, because something continues to happen behind the scenes that I am not sure that a lot of people are seeing.
And that is that the vibration of the entire Earth is increasing.
What will be the effects of this?
You are seeing them already. It pulls everything towards the poles. There are more rich people now in the world than ever before, and there are more poor folks than ever before. What is happening to the middle class . . . ? Yes, *shrinking*.
It may be hard for some of you to believe this, but one of the effects of this is that things are attracted *faster* than before both good and bad. Anyone wonder why the average time that someone keeps the same job now is on a steady decrease, and is now less than three years? Yep, you guessed it, because companies and the economy are moving faster. Did anybody besides me notice how the economy went from being good to being bad in about three days (at least as the press reported it)?
What will be very hard to do in the future is what most folks have been trying to do all along, and that is to keep working the same traditional job and stay in the middle class. This is going to get harder and harder to do.
The future is for everyone who can to start their own business and then live or die by the value that they provide and the marketing that they do. Those who do this and learn and keep at it will get richer in any economy. Those who try to keep the status quo, and who have only one stream of income, will never get ahead because their job searches take their savings and they are drowning in debt and they will fall out of the middle class on the poor side.
I do not mind if you do not believe me. After all it is only the world that I see that I am describing. Perhaps in the world that you see this is all different. If that works for you then I say go for it; assuming you like the job that does provide your one income stream.
But if there is any chance that I am right on this, then now is not the time to be forgetting the lessons learned in the movie and book. Now would be a good time to be studying them further.
Unless you already automatically attract everything that you want that is.
Joseph
Sunday, November 2, 2008
What's *Really* Going On?
The United States of America will select it's next President in two days. Despite the fact that I am not voting for him, it would be a wonder of all wonders if Obama does not win the election.
And there is only one reason why.
Because he is getting most all of the press. Good or bad. Even Fox News channel talks more about Obama than about McCain, much of it negative.
But it does not matter, because even with the negative, the energy still goes to Obama. I have even heard them say on Fox that it is his election to win or lose. They follow by saying that people are going to the polls to either vote for Obama or not vote for Obama.
Well they left me out of that completely, because I went to the polls to vote for McCain.
There are many who might think this press coverage is not fair; but there are some really interesting dynamics in this election.
The "Republican" Candidate is about as far left as you can go and still be allowed in the convention.
The "Democratic" Candidate is trying to convince everyone that he will lower your taxes if you make less than $200,000.00 a year as an individual or $250,000.00 a year as a couple (if I understand his plan correctly). When was the last time you heard a democratic candidate promising to lower taxes for anyone? Better question . . . Can anyone name a democratic president that actually did lower taxes while in office? . . . . . . . I did not think so.
So the democratic candidate talks like a moderate republican, and the republican candidate is considered too democratic by most conservatives.
Makes it an intersting decision to vote for, and for those who are not voting on strictly idealogical grounds, I would have to believe that the increased energy going in his direction will point most of them to Obama.
But we will know for sure by late Tuesday night; hopefully (fingers crossed).
OK, so now let's move forward to after the election. I believe the country is still pretty evenly divided 50 % each conservative and liberal. No matter who wins, a large block of people are going to be disappointed. Will your quality of life go down, if the *other* guy wins?
Of course we know that this would be about as smart as basing your well being on you favorite sports team doing well. When you base your own well being in the hands of anyone or anything other than yourself (and your God), you are on the undeviating road to oblivion.
You see, despite what the press may tell you, it matters very little who is in any of the three branches of government. I believe in voting your conscience for honest folks who will do their best to serve their country; but once you have done that (and watched the results), move on.
As the Reverend Beckwith has said: "It does not matter who is in the White House! Who is in your house ???"
Meaning WHO ARE YOU. . . .
And if you do not have a clear answer to that question in your mind right now, then I suggest you have some work to do.
And do not let the press distract you. You do not want them defining what your would is like.
"Bhudda beheld a world of stainless beauty and perfect peace, and he entered into it" (As A Man Thinketh -- James Allen).
Good thing he was not listening to the press.
Take control of your own world view, so that you can enter into it.
Joseph
And there is only one reason why.
Because he is getting most all of the press. Good or bad. Even Fox News channel talks more about Obama than about McCain, much of it negative.
But it does not matter, because even with the negative, the energy still goes to Obama. I have even heard them say on Fox that it is his election to win or lose. They follow by saying that people are going to the polls to either vote for Obama or not vote for Obama.
Well they left me out of that completely, because I went to the polls to vote for McCain.
There are many who might think this press coverage is not fair; but there are some really interesting dynamics in this election.
The "Republican" Candidate is about as far left as you can go and still be allowed in the convention.
The "Democratic" Candidate is trying to convince everyone that he will lower your taxes if you make less than $200,000.00 a year as an individual or $250,000.00 a year as a couple (if I understand his plan correctly). When was the last time you heard a democratic candidate promising to lower taxes for anyone? Better question . . . Can anyone name a democratic president that actually did lower taxes while in office? . . . . . . . I did not think so.
So the democratic candidate talks like a moderate republican, and the republican candidate is considered too democratic by most conservatives.
Makes it an intersting decision to vote for, and for those who are not voting on strictly idealogical grounds, I would have to believe that the increased energy going in his direction will point most of them to Obama.
But we will know for sure by late Tuesday night; hopefully (fingers crossed).
OK, so now let's move forward to after the election. I believe the country is still pretty evenly divided 50 % each conservative and liberal. No matter who wins, a large block of people are going to be disappointed. Will your quality of life go down, if the *other* guy wins?
Of course we know that this would be about as smart as basing your well being on you favorite sports team doing well. When you base your own well being in the hands of anyone or anything other than yourself (and your God), you are on the undeviating road to oblivion.
You see, despite what the press may tell you, it matters very little who is in any of the three branches of government. I believe in voting your conscience for honest folks who will do their best to serve their country; but once you have done that (and watched the results), move on.
As the Reverend Beckwith has said: "It does not matter who is in the White House! Who is in your house ???"
Meaning WHO ARE YOU. . . .
And if you do not have a clear answer to that question in your mind right now, then I suggest you have some work to do.
And do not let the press distract you. You do not want them defining what your would is like.
"Bhudda beheld a world of stainless beauty and perfect peace, and he entered into it" (As A Man Thinketh -- James Allen).
Good thing he was not listening to the press.
Take control of your own world view, so that you can enter into it.
Joseph
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Can You *Really* Control What Happens to You?
This question is at the heart of all the material presented in The Secret. The thought that we could come to the point where we could control everything that happens to us is totally new and unique for most of us. Certainly to have any chance of this, we would have to be a master of the concepts presented in the movie, and a master of the Law of Attraction.
If we *were* a master of these concepts, could we do it?
Not completely.
And I will explain why.
To understand my explanation, I must share with you a couple of concepts that are important for you to understand. Prior to our living here on Earth, we lived! Not only did we live, but we were awesome! It had to do with our parentage in that realm.
As we left that realm and came here, there were two distinct things that happened to us:
1. A "veil of forgetfulness" was drawn that made it so that we had no memory of our previous existence or how cool we were. And we do not remember it at all.
2. The link between our conscious mind (the place of decision) and our sub-conscious mind (the place of power) was abstracted. As a result, our decisions are not immediately followed by the power to do it.
Especially with number 2 above, you might see how this would make things confusing. One other point to understand: The power of your attraction is the power of your sub-conscious mind.
And you cannot directly control it.
So here is why everyone is confused (if they are) about the concepts in the movie, because they feel that perhaps the attraction is done in the conscious mind. So the child that contracts cancer was not consciously thinking about doing so (I will guess), but who knows what was happening in the sub-conscious mind? The answer is no one, perhaps not even the child themself.
So back to my original point, the only possibility to fully control everything that happened to you would depend on you having mastery and a clear connection between the conscious and the sub-conscious minds.
And I do not know anyone who has that.
People can tell you why they attracted something to them that has already happened.
No one can tell you exactly what they will attract to themself tomorrow.
So if you are beating yourself up because you think that you should be able to do that . . . .
Please stop.
I invite comment on the next section here, because it is somewhat an opinion on my part as to the relationship between the conscious and the sub-conscious mind.
I believe that there is a "valve" between the two that opens every once in a while.
Under normal circumstances, your sub-conscious mind is running all sorts of programs that are keeping you alive and which are attracting certain things to you. Every once in a while, the valve opens and the sub-conscious mind will rewrite some of those programs that are running based on information it reads out of the conscious mind.
But do you know when that will happen, so that you can make sure you have only positive thoughts at that moment?
You do not, generally.
Or can you just keep positive thoughts 100% of the time so it does not matter when it happens?
Do not even try it. Will not work. NO ONE has positive thoughts 100% of the time.
So what is a better option? You can try any of the following that might work for you.
1. Take a walk in nature. As you relax (keyword) on that walk, make sure you are thinking of all the things that you want and that are positive. If the valve opens then your programs will improve, as will what you attract.
2. Do some meditation. Get into a relaxed state (there is that word again), and be thinking or visualizing along the lines of what you are wanting to create. If the valve opens while you are doing this, then you will improve your programs.
3. Play a musical instrument, or listen to some uplifting music. As you are doing so, be thinking in terms of what you want to attract. Perhaps you can open the valve that way.
4. Try Praying and being in the spirit of gratitude during prayer. If the valve opens while you are doing that you will certainly attracts many more things to be grateful for.
5. Otherwise, just relax a little bit. Stress is the preventer of everything that you are trying to do, and it is also the base cause of almost all diseases.
I cannot tell you which one (or if any of these) will work for you. I am not even set on which ones of those are the best for me, but I am working on learning that part.
But if you have an open mind towards such things, I invite you to try.
And let me know how it goes? Post a comment?
Joseph
If we *were* a master of these concepts, could we do it?
Not completely.
And I will explain why.
To understand my explanation, I must share with you a couple of concepts that are important for you to understand. Prior to our living here on Earth, we lived! Not only did we live, but we were awesome! It had to do with our parentage in that realm.
As we left that realm and came here, there were two distinct things that happened to us:
1. A "veil of forgetfulness" was drawn that made it so that we had no memory of our previous existence or how cool we were. And we do not remember it at all.
2. The link between our conscious mind (the place of decision) and our sub-conscious mind (the place of power) was abstracted. As a result, our decisions are not immediately followed by the power to do it.
Especially with number 2 above, you might see how this would make things confusing. One other point to understand: The power of your attraction is the power of your sub-conscious mind.
And you cannot directly control it.
So here is why everyone is confused (if they are) about the concepts in the movie, because they feel that perhaps the attraction is done in the conscious mind. So the child that contracts cancer was not consciously thinking about doing so (I will guess), but who knows what was happening in the sub-conscious mind? The answer is no one, perhaps not even the child themself.
So back to my original point, the only possibility to fully control everything that happened to you would depend on you having mastery and a clear connection between the conscious and the sub-conscious minds.
And I do not know anyone who has that.
People can tell you why they attracted something to them that has already happened.
No one can tell you exactly what they will attract to themself tomorrow.
So if you are beating yourself up because you think that you should be able to do that . . . .
Please stop.
I invite comment on the next section here, because it is somewhat an opinion on my part as to the relationship between the conscious and the sub-conscious mind.
I believe that there is a "valve" between the two that opens every once in a while.
Under normal circumstances, your sub-conscious mind is running all sorts of programs that are keeping you alive and which are attracting certain things to you. Every once in a while, the valve opens and the sub-conscious mind will rewrite some of those programs that are running based on information it reads out of the conscious mind.
But do you know when that will happen, so that you can make sure you have only positive thoughts at that moment?
You do not, generally.
Or can you just keep positive thoughts 100% of the time so it does not matter when it happens?
Do not even try it. Will not work. NO ONE has positive thoughts 100% of the time.
So what is a better option? You can try any of the following that might work for you.
1. Take a walk in nature. As you relax (keyword) on that walk, make sure you are thinking of all the things that you want and that are positive. If the valve opens then your programs will improve, as will what you attract.
2. Do some meditation. Get into a relaxed state (there is that word again), and be thinking or visualizing along the lines of what you are wanting to create. If the valve opens while you are doing this, then you will improve your programs.
3. Play a musical instrument, or listen to some uplifting music. As you are doing so, be thinking in terms of what you want to attract. Perhaps you can open the valve that way.
4. Try Praying and being in the spirit of gratitude during prayer. If the valve opens while you are doing that you will certainly attracts many more things to be grateful for.
5. Otherwise, just relax a little bit. Stress is the preventer of everything that you are trying to do, and it is also the base cause of almost all diseases.
I cannot tell you which one (or if any of these) will work for you. I am not even set on which ones of those are the best for me, but I am working on learning that part.
But if you have an open mind towards such things, I invite you to try.
And let me know how it goes? Post a comment?
Joseph
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Just Plain Water --- Or the Elixir of Life ??
Here is a variation of something that they are teaching in the movie The Secret. Picture a glass of water sitting on a table.
The experts tell us that some 90% of Americans are in some stage of dehydration because they do not drink enough water. In fact, if Americans would drink just 5 8 oz glasses of water a day, the occurrances of several diseases would decrease by double digits.
So why is it so hard for us to drink water? We know that we should.
Could it be that it is related to how we look at it? Glass of water on the table: Boring! We need Propel or Life Water or Vitamin Water or the scourge of the American population, the diet soft drink. (Read and Google the ingredients some time).
Or maybe it is because it is too easily accessible. You can turn on your fawcett, and you can drink the water without worry in many parts of the world. It is essentially free, so maybe we think that means that it is not worth anything. (I know there is a water bill, but it does not rise very big from us drinking water, mostly from showers, baths, toilets and lawn watering).
If you had been stuck in the desert for a couple of days without water, you would have a completely different view on what that glass of water is, namely life itself. We would really appreciate it then.
But can we learn to appreciate it for what it is without The Universe having to throw us into the desert first? If we could, then there would be no purpose for The Universe to throw us into the desert. Like the mobility I describe in my last post, can we appreciate something without it being taken us away from us first? If we could, we would be doing so much better appreciating our world.
So back to the glass of water on the table . . .
Is it the "plain old glass of water that does not interest me" ??
Or is it "The Elixir of Life, Health and Hydration".
You get to decide which one it is.
And if you decide it is the second one, I do not think you would have any delay in drinking it.
And being healthier as a result.
So decide already.
Joseph
The experts tell us that some 90% of Americans are in some stage of dehydration because they do not drink enough water. In fact, if Americans would drink just 5 8 oz glasses of water a day, the occurrances of several diseases would decrease by double digits.
So why is it so hard for us to drink water? We know that we should.
Could it be that it is related to how we look at it? Glass of water on the table: Boring! We need Propel or Life Water or Vitamin Water or the scourge of the American population, the diet soft drink. (Read and Google the ingredients some time).
Or maybe it is because it is too easily accessible. You can turn on your fawcett, and you can drink the water without worry in many parts of the world. It is essentially free, so maybe we think that means that it is not worth anything. (I know there is a water bill, but it does not rise very big from us drinking water, mostly from showers, baths, toilets and lawn watering).
If you had been stuck in the desert for a couple of days without water, you would have a completely different view on what that glass of water is, namely life itself. We would really appreciate it then.
But can we learn to appreciate it for what it is without The Universe having to throw us into the desert first? If we could, then there would be no purpose for The Universe to throw us into the desert. Like the mobility I describe in my last post, can we appreciate something without it being taken us away from us first? If we could, we would be doing so much better appreciating our world.
So back to the glass of water on the table . . .
Is it the "plain old glass of water that does not interest me" ??
Or is it "The Elixir of Life, Health and Hydration".
You get to decide which one it is.
And if you decide it is the second one, I do not think you would have any delay in drinking it.
And being healthier as a result.
So decide already.
Joseph
Monday, June 30, 2008
Mobility for Granted
I had a unique experience about two weeks ago while playing a game of volleyball. I like to play volleyball when I can. Even though I am over 40 and over 250, I thought nothing of jumping up for blocks or spikes, and I have been doing it for several years. I was not even wearing high top shoes, and I do have some.
But this time was different.
Looking back, I am not even sure now why I was jumping on this play, because I was the setter, and I was going for the set, and you do not jump for that. I suppose that because I was jumping for no reason at all, my conscious and subconscious minds did not do their job in getting my feet and ankles strait for the landing. As a result, I rolled my left foot inward, and I heard the crack as a bone broke. They call it a dancer's fracture.
And just in that split second, before I could even consciously realize what had happened, my mobility that I had enjoyed for 40 years was suddenly taken away. Strangely, it did not hurt that much, but I could put no weight at all on that foot.
And so the next day I found myself on crutches, which require a lot more coordination to use then people who have not used them think. The most annoying part is that I was unable to carry anything at all, because just moving required my one good foot and both hands. Life is funny when you have to sit and stratagize about how to get a water bottle to your bedroom from your kitchen.
And thus I found myself taking my mobility for granted. I had been doing it for 40 years. Taking it for granted means not taking the time to appreciate it; to feel the appreciation that I was able to move and do according to my will.
And so I wonder . . .
Did I attract this experience to myself? Of course.
Was that because the Universe was reminding me that I was unappreciative? Maybe. What do you think?
Here is the real question. If I had been appreciative, and had not for so long taken my mobility for granted, would the universe need to send me this kind of a reminder? I think not.
There are several who would say that it was just "dumb luck", or was a totally random occurrance which I was statistically bound to, or was just what happens when a 40+ tries to play volleyball like they are 21 or something. Yeah maybe.
But I do not think so. Everything happens for a reason.
And I can appreciate the experience that it has been. I had never before in 40+ years broken any bone. I had also not had any surgery since I was two, and I do not remember that one at all. I gained a new appreciation for my mobility, and I had the experience of going through the surgery that was required to put the bone fragment back where it was supposed to be and screw it in there. Before I went out, I remember being wheeled into the OR and having the EKG stickers being stuck to me; and then I remember suddenly waking up in the recovery room and being sent home. I noticed that I had bit my own tongue during the time I was out. I can be especially thankful for having medical insurance, as the total bill for this bad jump, including the surgery, is $4000.00+ before insurance.
And then, after the surgery, I had a splint on the foot and could put no weight on it. This was scheduled for a whole week; but I was fortunate that the appointment to have it removed was moved up three days and I was able to get out of the splint, back into the big black boot, and then lose the crutches.
Now that I have done that, the hard part is over, only the removal of stiches and the 7-8 week healing (boot) period remains, and it will be better every single day then it was the previous day.
And no permanent damage was done, and another result is that I will be much more careful playing volleyball, which will be a good thing.
Yes, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and there was a reason for this. Even if I never know exactly what it was (it could be different than anything I mentioned), I am confident that there was a reason for it.
And I am good with that.
Joseph
But this time was different.
Looking back, I am not even sure now why I was jumping on this play, because I was the setter, and I was going for the set, and you do not jump for that. I suppose that because I was jumping for no reason at all, my conscious and subconscious minds did not do their job in getting my feet and ankles strait for the landing. As a result, I rolled my left foot inward, and I heard the crack as a bone broke. They call it a dancer's fracture.
And just in that split second, before I could even consciously realize what had happened, my mobility that I had enjoyed for 40 years was suddenly taken away. Strangely, it did not hurt that much, but I could put no weight at all on that foot.
And so the next day I found myself on crutches, which require a lot more coordination to use then people who have not used them think. The most annoying part is that I was unable to carry anything at all, because just moving required my one good foot and both hands. Life is funny when you have to sit and stratagize about how to get a water bottle to your bedroom from your kitchen.
And thus I found myself taking my mobility for granted. I had been doing it for 40 years. Taking it for granted means not taking the time to appreciate it; to feel the appreciation that I was able to move and do according to my will.
And so I wonder . . .
Did I attract this experience to myself? Of course.
Was that because the Universe was reminding me that I was unappreciative? Maybe. What do you think?
Here is the real question. If I had been appreciative, and had not for so long taken my mobility for granted, would the universe need to send me this kind of a reminder? I think not.
There are several who would say that it was just "dumb luck", or was a totally random occurrance which I was statistically bound to, or was just what happens when a 40+ tries to play volleyball like they are 21 or something. Yeah maybe.
But I do not think so. Everything happens for a reason.
And I can appreciate the experience that it has been. I had never before in 40+ years broken any bone. I had also not had any surgery since I was two, and I do not remember that one at all. I gained a new appreciation for my mobility, and I had the experience of going through the surgery that was required to put the bone fragment back where it was supposed to be and screw it in there. Before I went out, I remember being wheeled into the OR and having the EKG stickers being stuck to me; and then I remember suddenly waking up in the recovery room and being sent home. I noticed that I had bit my own tongue during the time I was out. I can be especially thankful for having medical insurance, as the total bill for this bad jump, including the surgery, is $4000.00+ before insurance.
And then, after the surgery, I had a splint on the foot and could put no weight on it. This was scheduled for a whole week; but I was fortunate that the appointment to have it removed was moved up three days and I was able to get out of the splint, back into the big black boot, and then lose the crutches.
Now that I have done that, the hard part is over, only the removal of stiches and the 7-8 week healing (boot) period remains, and it will be better every single day then it was the previous day.
And no permanent damage was done, and another result is that I will be much more careful playing volleyball, which will be a good thing.
Yes, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and there was a reason for this. Even if I never know exactly what it was (it could be different than anything I mentioned), I am confident that there was a reason for it.
And I am good with that.
Joseph
Sunday, May 18, 2008
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
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
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