Dan Millman's Thoughts on The Secret

LOVE it ! Thanks a lot…

Lingchao

Excellent article!  A reality check on this matter of “manifestation” is long overdue. I don't know who Osa Johnson is, but the lovely quote Dan uses at the end of this piece is actually from Henry David Thoreau and, in its entirety, is extremely wise.

Wow. I knew Dan was brilliant, but this piece won me over wholly.

His thoughts? Yes.

Right on, Dan.  I always say Spirit meets us at the point of our thoughts, words AND actions.  Maybe action + visualizing = actualizing.  =)

As James Ray would say, 'You've gotta go 3-for-3!' We must align our thoughts, feeling, AND ACTIONS - not just one or two of those. Shit, if any, ACTION is where the magic begins to happen.

'When you go 3-for-3, you're absolutely unstoppable. You can create anything you want.'

Weird!  On the ninth, when you posted this, I was wearing overalls that day and watched The Secret once again with my wife.  Serendipity Do Dah Day!!! 

But to the point - YES, there are no shortcuts!  Creating is having the idea but you still have to chisel and polish the marble.  I felt like that's alluded to in The Secret but not focused on. Millman says so too.  “dreams, desires and visions are only the beginning - they must be followed by focused effort over time - something barely mentioned in the “Secret” production.”  Let's face it this IS why GOD rested on the seventh day….

I think the main point in The Secret about what one focuses on one experiences is as ancient as the Upanishads.  Perhaps The Secret is reaching more people who are focused on getting what they want in a material sense but it will eventually help them focus on deeper wants, deeper experiences.  Like many “teachings” its only a part of a greater ever evolving answer.

We should not lose sight of the fact that The Secret focuses heavily on Thoughts and Feelings which (at this stage of evolution-creation) determine Actions.

Millman's point is valid - so's The Secret's  (in my book anyway - which has yet to be published) lol.

Paid for by the committee to make a sh_t-pile of Money from The Secret.  ; )

YES AND..

I would agree there is a feed back loop of actions to thoughts and feelings back to actions and in my experience I have to think (consciously or unconsciously), remind, remember to breathe deeply, work out, or move passed confounding feelings to meet a challenge regardless of the meme, quadrant, or state I'm experiencing.  

Heck, Brian, maybe I'm just hard-headed but it seems to me the Field (Being, Stillness, Void, Thought, etc.) determines what arises (moves, stands out, takes action) from it.    But YES, maybe it just influences…Perhaps it's BOTH AND…

Eek!  Did we agree?  Thanks for the friendly exchange.

Mucho Amore 
(that's bi-lingual, I think - Spanish and Italian, weird!)

You're both absolutely right!  So, I guess it is BOTH AND …

ROD - Rational-Emotive Therapy says that thought begets emotions which beget actions.  For instance, if someone believes they might fail, they feel afraid, which may parallyze them from taking action. (very simplified explanation)

Brian - Behavioral Therapy really works at elevating a person's state-of-mind / emotion by beginning with action.  For instance, if someone feels depressed, it often helps to move them toward one action / accomplishment (e.g., working out, meditating, etc.) which can be a kind of jump-start for their internal engine.  (even more simplified!)

So, you're both 100% right.  The various approaches were created because different people tend to function … well … differently.

Nancy-

I don't claim to function at all nor am I rational…but I am different.  Thanks for the CONTEXT for both views. 

I'm gonna go fix my pre-trans-mission.  I can't get out of first gear. Got to take it to the auto-Emotive shop.

Stop me before I type again…Brian's going to hit the “remove friend” tab any second.

Love One Another…

“By all means strive in the direction of your dreams! Visualize a grand life! Then get to work. While we cannot control the outcomes, we can control our efforts. And by making the effort, we increase the odds of creating a larger life.”

very fluffy!

which reminds me of my favorite quote from the Last Samurai:

Katsumoto: “Do you believe a man can change his destiny?”

Algren: “I believe a man does what he can until his destiny is revealed.”

Sweet People I'm in agreement about action and effort if you re-read first my comment.  I think the more complex your vision the more work to be done.  It may be pre-rational magical thinking but I think the universe conspires to help us and it's not to hard to help a little boy get a bicycle but it does require more effort and energy on the part of you and the universe to create a cyber social network or an Integral Institute. 

I'm crazy, Yes, no doubt - but maybe there are evolutionary tracts at play here that are just emerging that involve how creation works and its relation to thought….and action or you can just lump it into pre-rational and move on.  If it's magical meme without any new twists or evolution, then fine,  but I'm certainly interested in why it's re-emerging and/or gaining such popularity. 

I repeat - Effort on Your part is required - that is why you are here.  Most definitely. 

Emerson is my man, I named my son (Ray-Emerson) after him, for the very reason that he was immensely practical and mystical in his thinking and action.  BOTH AND…

And so it continues…

Bri-ski,

You have every reason to be nervous, my brilliant friend.  Most people wouldn't last a day in my weird, less than trans-rational mind.  lol.  Sorry the Starbuck's just kicked in and my 15-minute update time ran out.

Is it possible that this kind of thinking IS trans-rational or meta-rational as a new meme or evolution of an existing one?  Can it be a new line or level and not just a silly notion of a narcissistic culture?  There seems to be a lot of evidence about thoughts and the creative and perceptive tracts. 

The very processes, physics, of nature are quite mystical (still) and the more we learn - the deeper the mystery gets.  There are some serious minds working on this.  I don't think it's all  Voodoo science or just Voodoo.  

I promise not to stick any pins in anyone but yes, I know, I'm a little irritating.  My bad,  therapy just ain't gettin' it done.  I  like Fool-los-i-fying with the Philosophers…perhaps I just need a dog. 

I know you're busy running a company so I shan't trouble any more. 

I know you don't believe that…neither do I…..

Ya'll be cool.

just to follow up, here's a quote from Steve Pavlina that drives the same point:

“People who say they want to become a millionaire but are unwilling to back it up with hard work are only fooling themselves.  It’s not going to happen by itself.  If hard work is a dirty word to you, don’t bother.

However, the great thing about this goal is that it’s achievable.  People in far worse positions than you have already done it.  It’s hard but definitely not impossible.  If you accept this, it becomes something of a game.  You don’t have to fear failure because you’re expected to fail, and that makes success all the more exciting.”

via: 5 Wealth Lessons From 20 Percent of a Millionaire

May I interrupt and jump in into one of my favorite topics?

I would like to give a different approach to the discussion. Basically I think at the end everything boils down to ego and involvement. Here is why…

One some one ask me: If you could be in a room with 4 people and make all the changes you want to make in the world just by talking about it with the other 4 people would you do it.

After a few seconds I told him NO… For me is not enough the end result. I want to be part of the action I enjoy doing what I have to do and make it happen.

The person told me : OK  but even if you could see how everything was developing and you were making the changes just by thinking about them would you still prefer to do it?

My answers was the same… Personally I enjoy the action the movement and doing what I love to make thinks better. For that particular person he didn't care he much ratter be in a room deciding the fate of the universe just by thinking and meditating about the perfect solution.

At the time I didn't understand the point exactly but then I gave the benefit of the doubt to the theory of you just need to think about something and it will get done. (maybe not by you but the origin of the taught came from you)

After a few month I kept thinking about the question. If I was in that room thinking about making a film (just to give an example) Just by me thinking about it the film won't get done. But the idea now will be floating around and some one some were will pick up the signal. Then that person will go ahead and make the movie. (all this time while the other person is taking action you are doing your meditations and visualizing everything) You are actually becoming the light that that person is following.

Now 2 or 3 years later you come out of your meditation process you go back to civilization and then suddenly you see the exact same movie you wanted to make. At the end you see the credits and it says PRODUCED BY XXXXX the film has world wide acclaim and millions of people get the benefit from the film.

I remind you is exactly the same film exactly the way you visualize it the whole time. But you didn't get any credit. IS THAT ENOUGH FOR YOU? Would you be happy with the result?

And that is were the Ego plays a role. Maybe now we can say that people that take actions are the ones that want the credit at the end and need that adrenaline in there lives.

Maybe for some one completely detached they would be just happy by seeing the final product and knowing that they were the “originators” of the idea.

Now, let think for a minute that you decided to be the one that takes the action.
You know the drill
1. you get an idea (which most of the times you don't even know from were the idea came) 2. You mix and match stillness (meditation)  and action (talking to people, putting the team,etc)
3. You get the perfect moments and then you get stuck, when that happens you go back you slow down you re group you meditate a little bit more and suddenly out of no were some magic happens and again you are on track.
4. Most of the times you get your 2 crisis moments and we have the famous last final look and at the end the project is done is up and running.

So from were did that help came? Did you do it alone?  When you saw that bright idea in your head from were  that idea came?  That collective conscience that is out there is strong but maybe it gets stronger when some one is able to hold that space while you are doing what you are doing.

I guess you get the point… In my personal opinion I do think you can accomplish anything in any way. It my take longer if you don't put any action or you might not be able to take credit for it… but at the end of the day how many people have the patience to seat and wait if they can bring something into reality just by thinking.

Every person has a place in this world and some of us like to take action and others to go the other way. I do think we need both but I also think that everything is in balance.

Now i just notice that this is getting very long and I hope I was clear enough in the point I was trying to make. Thanks for your patience and would love to hear what you think.

Cheers
Oren
 

Having only read the hoopla about “The Secret” and not the actual movie, I felt it was too fluffy and narcissitic in a way that promotes more illusions. On the otherhand, it's about if you're going to dream, dream big and the thing is you can seriously get lost in those dreams and not “actualizing” them.
Great article and enjoyed the discussion too.

Just came across this today - notes from Dr. Michael Beckwith's speech at the Activating Personal Power conference in Sedona.  FYI - Rev. Beckwith was featured in the movie, The Secret.  Notice that he's all about action - just ensuring that the action is motivated / coming out of our core truth.  Whew!  What a relief!  ;-)

Dr. Michael Beckwith, Conference Keynote  –  Dr. Michael  reminded us that the highest use of the Law of Attraction is not so  much about getting things as it is about letting the magnificence of who we are as divine beings be expressed through our choices, our actions, our lives. When we are in alignment with the truth of our  infinite, eternal spiritual reality we are also naturally in the flow  of synchronicity, and therefore we can make things welcome rather than force things to happen. We are then guided into inspired action and the universe takes care of the rest! 

I started a series on my own reflections surrounding the general topic of popularized quantum physics and new age mysticism; I was going to start writing in the comments but got a bit carried away. My post is here; I'll be doing a part 2 (which will have more to say about the particularities in The Secret) soon.


Fun stuff, though, guys. I love this topic. :)

that he is not surprised is not surprising whats that smell scroll down find yuor own meaning of course but like I said…. so there is room for fun to but make sure to do your research …what ever that may be.  dont forget about how tuesdays gone and tommmorows a bloody sunday get some much deserved rest my friend and watch you back just a friendly nudge of course.. only if I benifit..take it for what it is…individuality…..is a reality we know  peotic justice is or isnt justice?  the ones that ask questions keep me entralled….  but you told me that yesterday sitting..,no standing in a parking lot,, so to speak….exactly…we have interpretations and we listen  flows through us ALLL.. dont be afraid, but play as you might that vortex is open –close your eyes and see the sky is falling…………>…jkjmuiiit75uebdgd9990-g=hg[j]'  tamtram temper is no match for the 1 nothing the fact is they dont see yet they see more clearly than you or I as we rely on what works of course I see  above and beyond the lines of reason ABOVE and beyond—lots of room more for mee?  more for whom?  and little did he know…. saw that movie tooo. cracked wide open..I? ruined? everything?  why woudnt that be hidden..