What's Wrong with 'The Secret'?

I have some ideas about the whole idea of the "Law of Attraction". First of all, I loved watching the movie, "The Secret". I own the DVD, the Audio CD's, and the Book. I have seen the DVD three times in its entirety and several more times I have watched bits and pieces of it. I have read the book twice and listened to the audio CD's once all the way through. n nHowever, each time I leave feeling a bit void of some meat and substance. Now, don't get me wrong.....you will attract that which you project. You will send a vibrational energy out into the universe and get back what you send out. Your most intimate thoughts and mental patterns do become your real world.n nSo the LAW itself is factual and stands as a universal truth. Catch this.....recently I told myself that I was going to wake up with a back ache the next morning after practicing a very intense form of Yoga. I didn't pay attention to my own words and guess what? I was gimpy all day long the next day. Ooops, bet me I won't do that again.n nYet, what seems to be missing from the product known as The Secret is the kick start, the battery jump, the key to start the engine. n nIt occurs to me (in my own reality of the universe) that just sitting around "Blissing Out" and waiting for good things to happen is not the magic bullet. If you really listen to the message in The Secret, that is not the message at all. However, it seems to be the signal many viewers walk away with. n nWhat is missing is...ACTION. Now, by action I don't mean heaving a load of stones around to get results. Therein lies the disconnection for most people. Action can be simple things. For example, I wanted a way to reach more people with my inspirational messages. A blog seems to be one way for that to happen. My blog doesn’t write itself by me just sitting around trying to manifest it. I have to actually put a bit of thought into it and then write it. Check it out: http://paulmontelongo.blogspot.com/ n nHere is the key.....the actions you take to make something happen are much less strenuous when you give some serious thought and meditation to what you want. n nBy the way, contrary to some philosophies that are be being expounded right now in the esoteric community, the "wanting" is not wrong. There is an ideology out there that says "wanting means you are giving mental power and universal energy to that which you do not have and as a result you will continue to lack...thus attracting what you are really thinking about". Well, unless I know what I want, how else will I know what I want...or want to manifest or want to meditate on? n nAnyway, the trap most people fall into is giving so much energy and attention to the "activities" of what they deem to be success, that the intention of success falls way short.n nIt’s a control factor for most people, which relates to self-trust. When you try to control too many things, events, actions, people or circumstances, you are lacking self-trust. Letting go of the intensity to control requires a huge dose of self-trust...self-reliance...self-belief. n nThe eloquent irony is that once your self-belief elevates, your need to control the "activities" of success are dramatically reduced.n nAnd are you ready for this......WORK IS NOT WORK...in the traditional definition of the word. When your self-belief elevates to the point where you relinquish your need for control of the "activities" of success, you operate from a purpose that is much greater than any to-do list.n nWork is laborious and tedious for most people because they are not living in harmony with their truest self. It doesn't matter what you want from life, you can have it if you will just acquire self-belief and self-trust. Also, the activities of “sales” are a real chore when you are not living in a congruent state of authenticity and self-trust. Guess what? You prospective customer feels it, knows it and inevitably flees from you and the sale. n nThis has taken me years to learn and I am still learning. In my younger years, I controlled everything, worked from lengthy to-do lists, had day planners and note pads everywhere. An activity did not go undone because if it did, that would mean failure....or so I thought. n nWith time, I began to let go and trust in myself and that all the right things were going to happen that needed to happen. Today, my lists are tiny. In fact, most days I don't even refer to a list. I just know in advance what I need to do to make money, to connect with people, to write, to sell, to deliver my services, to be in optimal health and physically fit.n nThis, by the way, goes for all aspects of life. You want a great relationship with your significant other? Give up trying to control the relationship. Be yourself and be happy. You want to make more money? Give up trying to parley every single deal into, "I am right and you are wrong." You want to be more physically fit? Give up the control aspects of all the fad diets out there and live comfortably in your own skin. You want to be a better parent? Let your kids be themselves and trust that they will figure things out with just a tiny bit of your loving guidance.n nIt matters not how you get to this place. The method is an "activity". What matters is that you DO get to this place. For me, regular meditation, yoga and a deep spiritual path, accompanied by an intense desire to make a huge impact on the world has provided a means to this place. By the way, it’s a journey. It’s a process. It is NOT a goal. It is not a contest. You may actually be closer than you think. n nUntil our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.