The Secret

When we were little, our parents told us that we could have anything we wanted as long as we worked for it and were determined to get it. Obviously that line of thinking didn't work so well for me at Toys R Us! As we grew older, we find out that things are actually harder to get than simply wanting to get it. Things are beyond our control and obstacles surface. It is this moment that the secret charm of getting anything you wanted simply fades away.

Recently, I've taken a new perspective on life. Well, I wouldn't say new...perhaps I'm revisiting a way of thinking that I've abandoned many years ago due to the inevitable process of growing up. I read "The Secret" and spoke to people who have read the Secret. To put simply, the general gist of The Secret is that anyone can get anything they want as long as they wanted it. Too often, we think about what we don't want and forget to think about the things that we actually want. Eg, I don't want to be late for work or I don't want to get fat. These are all negative statements and we are attractive negative situations to us. Yes...at first when I saw the words "energy" and "attract", i was like "hey hey...too Zen for me!" But to put simply, I'd like to look at The Secret as a more positive line of thinking and to block all negative thoughts. Even on a rational line of thinking...its a good thing to block off negative thoughts since there's no benefit of it anyway.

Regardless of whether The Secret is working, I've definitely felt much better when I'm consciously thinking good thoughts and banishing the bad ones. I started to appreciate all the little things around me that normally go unnoticed and I'm grateful for having the things I have at this very moment. Feeling gratutious is one of the keys to attracting what you want.

My mum would always tell me the story of when I was a little kid in Hong Kong - about 3. I was living with my Grandma at the time while she was waiting for Aus government to approve her PR. It was unknown when her PR would be approved and this was just a limitless waiting period. However my mum would say that whenever relatives asked me when I would be going to Aus with my Grandma, I'd reply with certainty and say "October...we're going in October so we can get there in time for Christmas". Obviously everyone laughed off my suggestion and decided that it was a little kid's wishful thinking. Low and behold, my Grandma's PR actually got approved in October. Maybe it is a coincidence....or maybe it isn't. It wasn't until I recently read The Secret that I started thinking about all the times I wanted something and got it.

I was in a rather tumultous relationship for nearly 2 years - lets call my ex partner X. I'd wake up everyday hoping that X and I would stop fighting and return to normal. However hoping is not the same as wanting. I hoped that we wouldn't fight....that he wouldn't treat me so bad. There is a common thread of these hopes was that I DIDN'T want something to happen. To be honest, I don't think I ever truly pictured us ever returning back to normal. Because of that...we never got back together the way we were before (and also because X is a really really bad egg).

I'd like to emphasise that this is no an endorsement of the Secret or Oprah! Its simply my experience of the Secret. Rather than following it strictly, I like its ideals and the line of thinking that its promoting. For anyone going through a tough time...maybe its helpful to just think of what you want right now instead of what you don't want :D