The Secret

Everybody wants to know the secret; it is the answer to our prayers, the way to get the skill, riches, awards, medals, and stardom that we crave; The Secret is also the title of a DVD that is devoted to getting what you want.  I watched it and came away with mixed feelings.

The prescription is not new to me, it is s.t. to which I was exposed in my youth when my dad gave me the seven little red books and it has been repeated often in my experience with reading and listening to various motivational people.  Yet listening to it again was a sort of reaffirmation of the phenomenon.

A disturbing aspect of watching the movie is coming away with the feeling that there is something lacking in me and I want to explore that here.  Nothing could be farther from reality and yet this is a common reaction that I have whenever I hear or listen to someone who has made it big.  What’s wrong with me that I’m not equally successful?  It seems that I have a modicum of success when others have an abundance of it.   This is a defect in my thinking. 

The reminder in the movie to “count your blessings” is an aspect of the whole philosophy of which I could do a lot more.  I tend to focus on the half empty instead of the half full; tend to look as what has to be done instead of what has been accomplished, tend to get discouraged when I realize that I’m not there yet; tend to jump off the train before it reaches its destination.  I could recount actions that I’ve taken in my lifetime that would be examples of each of the above and there are more than one of each.

All of these are pitfalls to the success mentality.  So I’m making a resolution that from this time now and on I will practice the opposite of all of the above.  I’ll be looking for the good, the success, the accomplishment, the small improvement in performance that is made—and there is always a positive aspect to be observed.

Then there is the lack of associations that I continue to decry; another change that has to be made in my thinking.  When I reflect on my associations I can see that I have sufficient to get the help, advice, assistance, and company to do whatever.  For every one of my endeavors for which an association is appropriate, there are some.   The focus of my thinking has to be on the appreciation of those associations and encourage them.

Then there’s the jealousy factor whenever I am involved in s.t.  I am putting it down here because it has been a factor in the past.  I found myself being sensitive to others taking credit for my efforts; horning in on my territory, using association with me to feather their nest at, what I saw as, my expense.

This comes from the desire for recognition and it is totally bogus.  If I am doing s.t for recognition, it is being done for the wrong reason.  I have recognized this and now tend to do things to make a good “recital” and not bragging rights.  And the good recital is for my benefit and not that of others except that they not feel uncomfortable watching or listening.

The lesson of recognition came home during the past few months.  I was recognized by the French government with the Order of Merit and by my Rotary Club as Rotarian of the Year.  Neither of these was the result of a conscious effort on my part except to work hard at the jobs I had.

One could delve into past situations and performance to hammer home the ideas set out above but that would be counterproductive at the very best.  I am here, I want to be there.  Recognizing the changes in my thinking and making them will certainly help me get there.

Repeating them here for my own benefit:

1) Know specifically what I want including a willingness to work for it

2) Concentrate on the good things that I already have

3) See the positive aspect of any and all that I do

4) Appreciate and be sensitive to the associations that I have

5) Work for the greater good, not for recognition

There was another aspect that was brought out by the movie; it is emotional involvement in the pursuit of aim.  It is reported here but only to recognize it as part of the picture.  The emotional involvement is the enjoyment of the prospect of working on aim with the added thought that when objective aim is consistent with the development aim of Master there is a fundamental resonance that enables one to experience joy.