I think people often misunderstand the concept of choosing our "reaction" to an external event.  When you truly realize that every emotion you experience is your own choice of how you perceive something that happens in the world "outside" of you, you understand that you're not falsely acting happy when you feel hurt on the inside, you simply don't have the hurt at all because you know no one has the power to wrong you when you choose your emotions.  read more »

Live your life the way you want to live it, and let others live their life the way they want to live it.  The only person anyone can truly control is themself.  If you want to influence others, lead by example rather than forcing instruction.  Live by these principles that make your life the best it can be, but don't feel the need to tell others your "wild" beliefs - most people won't understand your always "positive attitude" and may even criticize this kind of attitude and beliefs.  Wayne Dyer always says, "I left the tribe a long time ago...  read more »

Do you want to know how to use the tools of "The Secret" the Christian way - in a way that allows you to maintain your Christian religious beliefs and achieve your desires?  It's totally possible and rather simple, (I find Joel Osteen's best selling book, "Your Best Life Now" to be an excellent inspiration and a helpful tool for both Christians and spiritual (non-religious) believers - Joel Osteen is a senior pastor at a growing congregation in Houston, Texas, and has a show on national and international television networks).  

Notice how similar Osteen's concepts are to "The Secret's" and how it doesn't matter what religion you are, you can use these tools in your own way to create the life you desire!  Here is a brief paraphrasing of the seven steps that Osteen outlines in his book, "Your Best Life Now:"  read more »

Tony Robbins outlines 6 types of things that we can do and how to improve them and therefore improve the amount of joy in our lives.

1. We can do things that are good for us, good for others, and that we enjoy.  (These are the best things we can do.)

2. We can do things that are good for us, good for others, and that we do not enjoy.  (These can be improved to #1 status.)

3. We can do things that are good for us, not good for others, and that we enjoy.

4. We can do things that are not good for us, good for others, and that we enjoy.

5. We can do things that are not good for us, good for others, and that we do not enjoy.

6. We can do things that are not good for us, not good for others, and that we do not enjoy.  (These are the worst things we can do.)  read more »

James Arthur Ray, from "The Secret" said on the Oprah show, if you sit around and visualize, they'll come and take your furniture!  While John Demartini (from "The Secret" and Larry King Live) said, if you're really ill, start medical treatment while you explore alternatives, like thinking yourself well.  

What they mean, is yes, the Law of Attraction does work and our thoughts do create our reality, but the rest of the world is going to keep moving forward whether you stop to create your reality or not.  You are still working on other people's time tables - the people you pay your mortgage to, your own body's cells that need healing, your husband who wants a divorce, your pet that needs to see the vet, etc.  So sometimes you need to take significant actions in the world, while you pursue creating your own reality on the side.  read more »

Why do some success coaches, Secret teachers, self-help gurus, and the like, say to EXPECT YOUR DESIRE without a doubt, while others say to DESIRE WITH DETACHMENT - desire without need?  Many of the teachers of "The Secret" say to expect your desire with unwavering faith, while other self-help and spiritual masters like Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer say to desire with detachment, intend without needing.  It's just two different ways of looking at or doing virtually the same thing and getting similiar, if not equal, results.

Example of Expecting Your Desire Without A Doubt:  read more »

Here are some helpful tips if you've been trying to manifest or achieve something, but it just isn't happening.

1.  Creating your own reality with your thoughts and feelings, is not about how hard you wish for something.  If you're wishing really hard for something and just not seeing it happen, you need to do one or more of the following:  read more »

What is Positive Thinking?

Positive Thinking simply means to think about what you want throughout the day and avoid thinking about what you don't want.  For example, if I want to get hired for a new job I just interviewed for, I would think to myself things like "I am going to get that job," "They are going to hire me," "They totally want me for the job," "I'm the best applicant they had," etc.  read more »

What is the Law of Attraction?

The Law of Attraction can be described very simply in several different ways.  First of all, it's called a "law" because those who believe in it, know that it works all the time, without fail.  The Law of Attraction can be defined in the following ways:  1. The universal principle that like attracts like.  2. The principle that what you think about expands.  3. The principle that what you think about and feel about, you bring about.  4. The principle that you get what you believe subconsciously, or what you expect at the subconscious level.  5. The principle that energy flows where attention goes.  6. The principle that what you focus on grows.  7. The principle that you attract whatever you focus on, believe, or expect.  read more »

The movie, "The Secret" (about the Law of Attraction) explains two highly effective methods for achieving goals and creating your own reality:  a Vision Board and Visualization.  What is the difference between a Vision Board (aka Visualization Board or Treasure Map) and Visualization?  While a Vision / Visualization Board is a unified visual compilation of your desires in the form of pictures, drawings, and words, the practice of Visualization takes place entirely in your mind and body as mental images and feelings.  Each method is separately effective for creating your reality, manifesting your desires, and achieving your goals, employing the Law of Attraction, or like attracts like, but the two methods definitely work best together.  read more »

Why does Oprah's famous personal trainer, Bob Greene, think you have to exercise even though you hate it?  He allows Oprah to hate working out and makes her do it anyway!  I'm not saying that if you hate working out you should not workout, I'm saying, like Tony Robbins says, if you have to do something, find a way to make it enjoyable while you're doing it! 

The common way to do this is to determine a reward before hand to give yourself after you workout, so while you're working out you know you have a reward coming.  But there are other ways to learn to enjoy something you hate but have to do.  Instead of getting on the treadmill in your home or gym, go for a nice walk outside if you enjoy that more, or put a movie (that you like) on in your home while you exercise (just make sure you can be focused enough to still work hard).    read more »

Have you heard of Jennifer Nicole Lee (or JNL)?  She was a guest on the Oprah show a while back because, as an out of shape mother of 2 young boys, she signed up for a bikini contest, lost over 70 pounds naturally through diet and exercise, and won the title of Ms. Bikini America.  In recognition of her accomplishment and inspiration, she was also named the first ever Ms. Muscle and Fitness in its entire 67 years.  read more »

Many people, both Christian and non-Christian, are interested in how "The Secret," by Rhonda Byrnes, relates to Christianity.  Specifically, the key questions below:  read more »

I like the two quotes Lisa Nichols from "The Secret" r(ecently featured on the Oprah Show) frequently uses.  One of them is something like, "when you're thinking about something it's like you're placing an order to the universe" and the other one is, "the universe doesn't hear that you don't want it".  Although she doesn't go into details, this is how I understand her two quotes.

We are all in the unusual restaurant called 'the universe' where everyone and everything is both a customer and a server all at once, since everthing shares one energy, there are no separate entities.  This restaurant has an infinite menu that you can order from and when you're ready to order, all you have to do is focus your thoughts on what you want.  Someone in the restaurant (it might be someone you know, a stranger, or even yourself) will bring you your order when it is ready.   read more »

Oprah's Home Edition & "The Secret" - the Law of Attraction

After watching the Oprah shows on "The Secret" just recently, I realized that many people often misunderstand what it means to forgive.  Haven't you heard people say something like, "oh I've forgiven him already," but they say it with a tone that you suspect is still filled with anger, resentment, blame, etc.?  And then you just want to drop the subject all together because it doesn't seem like they're at peace with the subject and the conversation could take a very bad turn any second?  I know I've heard poeple talk like that.  read more »

What I like about Vision Boards (aka Visualization Boards and Treasure Maps):

The Universal Principle - Like Attracts Like

Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, whether you like it or not, you have created everything in your life.  You've done this through the Law of Attraction, or simply, what you put your focus on.  Whenever you're thinking at all, you're using the Law of Attraction.  Whether you're in debt, going through divorce, overweight, been cheated, or whether you're business is booming, your creativity is flowing, your love is blossoming - whatever you are experiencing or have ever experienced - you attracted into your life by what you focused on either consciously or subconsciously.  (If you focus on something consciously, but your subconscious disagrees - you'll likely end up with what your subconscious believes - one reason some people don't seem to understand or believe in the Law of Attraction.)  read more »

"The kingdom of Heaven is within you..."

According to advocates of the movie "The Secret", recently featured on Oprah, and suggested by a quote from the Bible when Jesus says, "the kingdom of Heaven is within you, seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and all things will be added unto you" there is no Heaven or Hell outside of us.  This may upset those who believe in the separate entity of God and the separate places of Heaven and Hell, and how God judges everyone once they die and sends them to Heaven or Hell based roughly on their actions when they were living.  And it also may delight those who consider themselves athiests and that this life is all there is, so they should do whatever they want without anyone punishing them when they die.  read more »

Expanded Concepts - Part 3

Ask and you shall receive / Ask and it is given  read more »