On The Secret
I shared earlier that I loved the book and felt empowered by it. A friend led me to a critique that was well-written and effected a balance. I now feel better equipped to write my review. The truth is that the 'secret' has been no secret, really. Few people have made good use of it, true. And now too, few people will make good use of it - it's just the way the world is. But folks like Thich Nhat Hanh or Swami Vivekananda said no different.
There is a 'sensationalized' component to the book, which could go both ways. On the one hand, I feel that it packages the message of positivity, gratitude, careful application of energy, importance of visualization, etc. in a really effective manner. On the other, though, hullo! Do I really want myself to achieve all the things that I could if I put my mind to it? That sounds conflicting, but if what the book says about being able to achieve all that our heart desires is true, such that people dedicate all of their energy thus to acquisition of material wealth, would not the world go berserk?
One could argue that if one practices as per The Secret by being grateful and positive all the time, that one couldn't possibly be a potential hoarder of material wealth, but that's in the gray. The book clearly states that the universe has enough and more of everything for everyone. So we can all be in abundance. Yay. Is it true? What about people, for instance? If a man wants to be dating many women non-committally, he finds three to alternate among. When he decides he wants to settle down, he gets rid of (at least) two of them. Just like that. It sounds a little out of control to me.
Yet. I do really believe that what a man chooses to achieve, he can and he will. There must also be the tiny component of discernment thrown in, that is all. He must be able to think for himself whether his demands, his 'visualizations', are in the best interest of him and his surroundings.
And if you have that ability to discern, but would like an effective action plan for helping you inch towards your goals, then the book is for you. It is true that I say this because I really, truly feel that the book is for me. In my next post, I'd like to outline precisely why this is so.
There is a 'sensationalized' component to the book, which could go both ways. On the one hand, I feel that it packages the message of positivity, gratitude, careful application of energy, importance of visualization, etc. in a really effective manner. On the other, though, hullo! Do I really want myself to achieve all the things that I could if I put my mind to it? That sounds conflicting, but if what the book says about being able to achieve all that our heart desires is true, such that people dedicate all of their energy thus to acquisition of material wealth, would not the world go berserk?
One could argue that if one practices as per The Secret by being grateful and positive all the time, that one couldn't possibly be a potential hoarder of material wealth, but that's in the gray. The book clearly states that the universe has enough and more of everything for everyone. So we can all be in abundance. Yay. Is it true? What about people, for instance? If a man wants to be dating many women non-committally, he finds three to alternate among. When he decides he wants to settle down, he gets rid of (at least) two of them. Just like that. It sounds a little out of control to me.
Yet. I do really believe that what a man chooses to achieve, he can and he will. There must also be the tiny component of discernment thrown in, that is all. He must be able to think for himself whether his demands, his 'visualizations', are in the best interest of him and his surroundings.
And if you have that ability to discern, but would like an effective action plan for helping you inch towards your goals, then the book is for you. It is true that I say this because I really, truly feel that the book is for me. In my next post, I'd like to outline precisely why this is so.
1 comment:
:) inspiring!!
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