Hello. My name is Greg Gaines. I'm 35 yrs old & I have a story to tell you.
How many of you saw The Secret? If you have, then you know about the Law of Attraction & how the movie tells you that if you wish for something hard enough, you can really make it happen.
I was a Parking Attendant for the city in 2006. I had been married for 5 years & we were expecting out second child. Needless to say money was extremely tight for me & my family. Then my wife & I saw The Secret. Instantly the movie made an impression on me. I believed. It made so much sense. About how you could manipulate your own destiny by just envisioning yourself with the things you so badly want. I watched the various testimonials of people throughout the movie saying how they had 3 weeks to live, or they were facing Bankruptcy & how when they switched their way of thinking suddenly they were cured, or their money problems suddenly resolved themselves. It was a very powerful message & I so needed some hope so I started practicing "The Secret" I woke up every morning, envisioning having more money & my family living in our own house. I did this for about 3 months.
One morning, as I was relieving the night Attendant at the Parking Booth, we heard this screetch of tires. I turned to look at a car screaming down the ramp. The next thing I remember was waking up in the Hospital with the Doctors & nurses arouhnd me. I had been the vicim of a hit and run. The Doctor then told me that my lower half had been shattered when the driver crashed into the side of the Parking Attendant Booth & somehow run over my legs. I was now crippled from the waist down. The Hospital released me 8 weeks later to my new life confined to a wheelchair.
Last month I received a letter from my Life Insurance Company & a check for $500,000. And this last week I recieved another check for $500,000 from my company with a letter of apology. I recall wishing I had more money at one time.
My wish for more money had been answered.
I guess.
COOL!
Just earlier today, I envisioned reading a lame posting on a stupid thread, and low and behold....(//vny!://discoverseattle.net/forums/richedit/smileys/Shocked/6.gif)
The problem with spiritual outlooks such as that espoused by the Secret (and Oprah) is the unspoken assertion that if a person finds themselves in dire straights, it is because they simply don't want to be happy and successful. The general idea is that whether we succeed or fail is almost entirely dependent on attitude and focus. By this logic, most of the citzens of Africa are lazy and uninspired, because of course famines, governmental corruption and lack of economic opportunity have nothing to do with it.
It's not surprising that the richest woman in the world would support such a concept. If one has riches then they are deserved, it argues, and likewise the poor suffer from a lack of motivation, and therefore get their just desserts. It's a perfect instrument for relieving guilt from the wealthy.
Also, I watched the trailer and it was the most idiotic thing I've ever seen, implying that "the secret" is some sort of mystical holy grail that has been jealously guarded by the elite for centuries, men have faught and died to protect it, if it ever got out it would change the world as we know it etc. It reminded me of the marketing campaign for the Segway. Yes, look how much the world has changed. Bored yuppies can ride a deformed scooter around town to show how leet they are. Give me a break.
They are just taking advantage of naive consumers who believe all they need to put their life in order is one more self-help book or movie. Generally speaking, the only people who truly profit from the self-help industry are the folks writing books and holding seminars. Baaaaaah Baaaaaaaaaaaaah. Poor sheeple :(
Maybe somebody should tell all the people in the Darfur region of Sudan about the Secret. They could get out of that desperate situation that way!....Sheez! Gimme a break.
Good post monkey, btw!
Good point there, Monkee. It's nothing but a scam/ hype/ overblown-outta-proportion stupidity and I can't believe Oprah would support it. The worst part is anything Oprah recommends, it's as good as gold.
Bottom line, people are sheeps. They'll follow anything given the right conditions.
I agree with you monkee.
People are looking for a way out of their current situation. When this guy prayed, he seemed to have forgotten to ask for good health and that all his family and friends were healthy. What if it was his wife or child were to pass away? He would inherit the money through the life insurance, most likely. That would've been tragic.
I've learned that the power of suggestion is truly one amazing power that any human can have. You know what they say. Be careful of what you wish for. And "with great power, comes great responsibility."
"with great power, comes great responsibility."
love that line from spiderman 1.
I thought that was from Spiderman.......?
Monkee, I totally agree with you about the profiteering in the self-help industry.
However, I don't want to be judgmental about other peoples' beliefs and motivations... If The Secret works for someone, great. (Ditto The Power of Positive Thinking, I'm Ok/You're Ok, Alcoholics Anonymous, Chicken Soup for the _____ Soul...)
I'm all for people being happy and living with a glass "half full" attitude.
I too think 'The Secret' is a big scam simply because the 'secret' isn't a secret. But that doesn't discount it's basic philosophy....which is the power of positive thinking. I did not get the impression that Ophra was endorsing The Secret as much as she was enforcing the notion of positive thinking and believing in yourself. Merely discussing it on her show is not an endorsement although with her 'power' I suppose that's all it takes for some.
My understanding is that Oprah has been endorsing the Secret right and left, and Oprah is in fact the primary reason it's doing so well.
Does it work for some people? Sure. Just like pretty much any diet plan or cult/religion will work for some people. I'm not taking issue with that. I'm challenging one of the core assertions of the Secret. Or rather the unspoken corollary to the spoken assertion. We can judge a person's inner worth by their outer accomplishments. Wealth is proof of a good attitude, while poverty demonstrates the opposite.
I'm not a Christian, but I happen to admire many of Christ's teachings (whether he did, in fact, exist is a different issue), and the Secret smacks of the "gospel of prosperity", which IMO is a betrayal of Christ's love for the poor and needy. The central tenet is just fvcked up in my opinion, and leads to a warped worldview and a lack of compassion.
I bow down to the Monkee.
Sorry for coming on so strong. I just loath Oprah and all that she's become, and I'm also sick of people telling me that I have to experience the Secret because it will turn my life around. If it works for you, fantastic, as long as you don't start assuming every person in dire straights is there by their own choosing (consciously or unconsciously).
Or rather the unspoken corollary to the spoken assertion. We can judge a person's inner worth by their outer accomplishments. Wealth is proof of a good attitude, while poverty demonstrates the opposite.
SUCH a good point Monkee. (And I'd just like to say at this point that I'm not embarrassed to be not as smart as a monkee.)