The Secret

Lately, it’s been insanity at work. I've been swamped with conference calls and budget meetings, while impossible deadlines are looming for the two luxury condominium buildings and the 4,500 sf residence that I'm heading. I am woefully behind on all three, and my desk is under several huge piles of paper. It's been stressful.

Tonight, I came home and ranted to Mark about everything. We were both tired and stressed , so we ordered in (cheeseburger, fries, gooey Philly cheesesteak). When dinner finally arrived, the fries weren’t well done enough. Well, that was the last straw. We looked at each other and ranted about the state of the world.

By chance, the next movie in the Netflicks queue had arrived, 'The Secret', which I'd heard about from various people. Perfect timing.

I highly recommend the movie, despite the initial cheesiness. At first you get the sense that all everyone wants is a million bucks, or that the movie creators think that that’s what everyone wants. At heart, though, the message is simple – if money is your focus, so be it. If well done fries are your concern, that’s okay, too. In the end, however you channel your thoughts shapes your life experience.

It's the message shared by another movie I loved, What the Bleep Do We Know, which came out several years ago. 'Bleep' depicted a cheesy storyline with Marlee Matlin, alongside interviews with molecular biologists, physicists and spiritual leaders. I think 'Bleep' was more engaging in presentation, with more anecdotes supporting the power of the mind. But I'm glad I saw 'The Secret'.

While Mark went to bed, I sat up thinking. I felt energized and content. I understood that I wasn’t powerless, and that my situation is quite simple. I reviewed all that I have in my life right now: my family, my partner, my home, my friends, my home. I am really lucky.

All this reminds me of a friend who went through several tortured break-ups with the same person. At one point, a huge fight coincided with her seeing a show about birth defects. ’Isn’t it amazing that we’re born perfect?’ she said. ‘So many things can go wrong, but we come out with ten fingers and toes. We are so lucky.’

At that moment, my friend moved beyond her romantic crisis, in seeing her good fortune. She no longer defined herself as the woman without her boyfriend, and she no longer saw her situation as imperfect. This shift in self-image gave her the strength to move on. (Incidentally, she later married the ex-boyfriend).

Anyhow, I'm going to keep these thoughts in mind. Who knows where it will lead - maybe someplace, maybe no place. But I doubt that anything bad could come of positive thinking.


Photo by Circulating. For more great images, click here.