The Real Secret

Recently, books and information on using creative visualization and focussed imagination for success and self improvement have become wildly popular. Books such as The Secret reveal "ancient and timeless wisdom" on using the power of the mind for accomplishment. As true and as valuable as these principles are, many if not most of the information currently presented in pop literature is in my view missing a simple but crucially vital element.

Unfortunately, these potent principles are most often being presented in the context of our modern materialistic, overly-commercialized society, whose ideals are to "get everything I want". The goal is to get all the money and wealth and material abundance that you can possibly accumulate for yourself. However, the "magic" of these timeless, creative principles also carries great responsibility, and if not used wisely, the power inherent in these techniques can rebound upon the user with dire consequences.

In our society we have sacrificed our true creative Self-expression, and therefore our true fulfillment in life, for the illusion of selfish materialism. Real aspiration has been replaced with "I want", and we worship at the feet of the god of "More". The inevitable result of this focus is being realized in the current financial meltdown. In a world that is ever more interconnected and interdependent, the folly of "I, me, my, MINE!" leads us unerringly to disaster.

The timeless principles of "you become what you think about", and "as a man thinketh, so is he" are based on our inherent interconnectedness. They are totally impersonal and potent, and can be used for purely personal gain, and it will often work for a time, but it's much like using live, bare, high power electrical wires to manually burn off the weeds growing up in your sidewalk. It will indeed work, but watch out!, because you're bound to get electrocuted eventually!

This is why I always recommend that our actions be consistently inspired from our intuition, from that "still small voice within". The guidance we receive there, when acted upon, is always for the highest and greatest good of all concerned. And when all else fails, the question to ask is always "how may I serve?" If you're looking mainly to be of service to your fellow human beings, you can never go too far wrong. The secret is, that even your own individual needs are best served in this way. What you give always comes back.

I truly believe that we can solve the major problems of the world, through vision and collaboration. But it won't come from an exclusive focus on "mine"; regardless of whether it's exclusively "my possessions", "my family", or "my country". We must learn to be broader and more all-inclusive in our perspective. We need to understand that we truly are "all in this together". The magic of the human spirit is that it is One Human Family, and that we all share in it. Sharing is really the keyword. There is enormous and untold magic in cooperation.

Food for thought.