Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The Secret

I was rained in yesterday so I decided to watch 'The Secret' movie.

I'd read about the law of attraction a little earlier but the movie was quite interesting. I'm not entirely convinced about it, but it has certainly got me thinking.

Basically, the movie/book says that you attract whatever happens to you with your thoughts. So if you're thinking of good things happening, chances are that they will happen. Likewise with bad stuff. What you "feel" is feedback on your thoughts.

Another very interesting point in the movie was that we should focus more on asserting what we want rather than thinking about things that we do not want. For example, instead of thinking 'I don't want to get stuck in a jam today.', I could probably think 'I'd like my ride to work to be smooth and quick.'

Why am I not fully convinced about all this? Mmm... I think my main question is what about all the people who think good things will happen to them or want good things to happen to them and they never happen. For some people, it could be earning lots of money. For others, it could be a dream holiday. I don't know. What about all those people?

My counter-question to my doubt is 'How do I know exactly what all those other people were thinking? Suppose they were just saying it on the outside but had some negative thoughts in their heads?'

The solution to this is to experiment with this Secret thing myself. I haven't really paid attention to my thoughts like this. But let's see how it goes. I think it's worth a shot.

Do you have any thoughts on The Secret? Have you experimented with it?

11 comments:

Revati Upadhya said...

i havent read the book. but i dont buy the logic at all. its just hard to believe that making good, pleasant, happy things happen is as easy as wishing them to happen, willing them to happen or believing in them. if that were the case, i think a lot more people would be happy, content, satisfied..

there wouldnt be so many poor people. i dont believe anyone would wish that on themselves.. to have to go begging for a basic meal, to sleep night after night without a roof over your head.

a lot more people would be satisfied and content with their lives, if this were true. yet, people are dissatisfied and unhappy with certain aspects of their lives and sometimes its a longand constant struggle to get exactly what you want in order to be really happy.

dont you think??

(or maybe its just the pessimist in me talking..)

Alexys Fairfield said...

Ajeya,
The Secret is interesting in that people believe in it. I read it out of curiosity and it was very boring and bland. I am a positive thinker in general and all I saw in the book were people recanting their own experiences. I think people think of it as a magic lamp that they can rub to have a better life. Just like we can't buy happiness, we shouldn't buy into The Secret. We are the only ones who can make ourselves happy. It is not written in any book. The secrets of life are written in our Soul.

Ajeya said...

haathi... yeah, it's an interesting concept but, like you, i just can't seem to get my head around the idea.

primarily, i don't believe that you get what you want in life. you learn to accept what comes your way. i don't think the world is here to meet our individual needs and desires.

i tend to agree with what you've written. and i don't think you're being a pessimist. :)

P.S. I still plan to experiment with it by putting my own ideas/beliefs aside for a bit.

Alexys... In addition to what I wrote to haathi, I think The Secret is a bit gimmicky and superficial (simplistic?). Or it comes across as that. Life becomes a happy journey not because of what happens to us, but because of our choices and how we respond to experiences.

Priya said...

hi ajeya - this is priya from bangalore. recently discovered your blog and have enjoyed reading :) while i don't think positive thinking equates to happy endings, i do think that it enables us to deal with the reality of life with a healthier attitude. instead of feeling resentful about not getting what we want all the time, we may see the positive in what we have in the present moment.

but i think the idea is flawed to begin with in thinking that life is about getting things that we want - i think life is more about trying to get what we want with the cards that we have been dealt, and enjoying the pursuit regardless of the end result :)

Mee said...

I am a believer of Life. Of good living. Live positively. Try not to have motives always. Spread good cheer. Learn. Let live. I try to live this way and it doesnt hurt at all:-)

I was told abt this theory of The secret a couplea mnths ago - think wat you want, seek it positiviely and it will come thru for you, cosmic convergence will make it happen. Hmmm sounds a bit like hypnosys does'nt it?

If we can be happy with life's little joys, that will keep us smiling thru the ups and downs. If we learn to deal with life & learn from our situations and experiences, that in turn will help us have a meaningful journey. Is'nt that strt fwd logic? So if The Secret nudges us a bit, or helps us think positively, why not?:-)

Ajeya , way to go!

Ajeya said...

priya... hello! :) nice to see you around these parts. glad that you've enjoyed reading.

yeah, the idea that life is about getting what you want is a bit jarring. i agree with card dealing bit :) i think life is a beautiful journey when we approach it positively with an open heart and an open mind. the more i think about it, the more this get-what-you-want idea puts me off.

mee... i like your philosophy :) the one thing that resonated with me from The Secret is the idea that once you do your best and do it in earnest without thinking too much about the outcome, the universe conspires to give you what you want. it doesn't always happen, which is fine. that's not the point for me. it just amazes me how life works out sometimes. like magic. not getting what you want is also good. because we rarely know what it is really good for us.

Mee said...

life is magical ajeya, if we want to make it magical - if our attitude is ok, it
helps:-)

Ajeya said...

mee... true :)

Anonymous said...

Ajeya - I think the idea is not about how to get what you want, but more on how to be happy. When you think positive, it has a deep impact on your life, and makes you a happier person. Happier / more content people are more likely to be successful in acheiving their dreams. And you are so right - Life is a happy journey not because of what happens to us, but because of what we make of it. Happiness is not getting what you want, but rather wanting what you get.

Ajeya said...

Anon... right you are. :)

Mee said...

IS your experiment on course?:-)