How to get what you want

Hey everyone ^^

As we have discussed in class, there are 3 domains in which the connection to the universal being exists. Firstly, we live in the localized consciousness, which is where the ego mind and essence exists together to guide us through our everyday lives. Then there is the intuition and instinct region, where spontaneity occurs and our souls can connect with the universal soul. The nonlocalized/ virtual domain is where the consciousness, universal being and higher intelligence exists.
We also know that we are in control of everything that happens in our lives and that thoughts can be put into action to create reality. The power of thought allows us to transcend limitations of this world and we have power over our circumstances. The law of attraction allows us to make thoughts become reality and to override what is determined by "fate".

So here is my question:
If the essence and true spirituality possess the inner connections with the universal being, then is it also involved in the process of making thoughts become reality? In terms of the law of attraction which is to make material goods become attracted to us.
According to The Secret, we are supposed to be able to gain what we want if we want it bad enough, in the good way, and therefore make our thoughts manifest to come true through the attraction forces of the universe. Therefore, Is it possible to want something materialistic in the "right way"?


Sites to look at:
http://www.powerfulintentions.org/group/lawofattraction/forum/topics/law-of-attraction-inner
http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=385865&posted=1#post385865
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=154718
http://www.the-secrets-of-the-law-of-attraction.com/law-of-attraction-inner-connections.html

I'd like to make a suggestion on how to view the secret, a lot of people take it in a materialistic context, but I think that the secret provides you the power of unlimited thought and potential in the growth of your mind rather than unlimited potential in the creation of material objects. And yeah, it takes a lot more than thinking to get something material to appear, you need to apply these thoughts correctly and take action. By themselves, thoughts are actually pretty much useless, they don't actually change our physical reality, any thought that appears to change our physical reality is us putting them into action.

So now to give an answer to your question, definitely, you can use these connections to utilize the secret, as long as it's in your head, physically it's a lot harder, it can be done, but you put in more effort than you receive, and you're also limited by physical laws.

I think it is possible to get material goods through the law of attraction, even though i think this is not the main purpose and the message of the Secret. I guess the important aspect of the secret is not the end result but the experience with it. Not only do you have to really want something, anything, you also have to take actions to those spontaneous moments regarding the subject that you want. Just like Jt's topic of is it possible for him to be in the NBA, i think the important aspect is the experience and the path to the thing(s) that you want.

THerefore, i would say that it is possible to get many things you want, but it is the experience and the way to that sucess that is important.

hey there Sophia,
Again, what an excellently practical question. Your posting is solid.

these comments tonight are a start, especially Kenny's pointing out what the real purpose of the movie the Secret is.

I won't offer anything else. Let's see where this goes.

Cheers!
Ms Kay

For me, it is possible to want material goods in the "right" way. Maybe we should not be so black and white - there are some material goods that act as useful tools for us if we use them in moderation and know how to control them instead of letting them control us. Not everything materialistic is so bad - if it is, then why did materials exist in the first place, were not the tools and fur skin of the cavemen invented to assist the lives of the cavemen in order to survive? It only turns bad when materialism turns into an obsessive craze, or excessive consumerism, into means of never-ending cycle of vanity and greed.

These connections are involved in the process of thoughts creating reality because eveything is connected. At times our materialistic desires originate from the feelings, such as if we want to buy flowers to show our loved ones our appreciation for them. When we try to attract things that we want, are we not emitting these attractive forces from our inner being?

As the other people have previously stated, the main point of law of attraction is not through materialistic means but I view it more like an attitude. If when we use the law of attraction, only the ego mind is used, then would the ego mind attract other things? Wouldn't the ego mind not appear very attractive to other things?

Hey Soph!

When I first read your question, I thought to myself, "Hmmm. I've thought about this before, and since according to "The Secret," our thoughts create reality and we thus get what we want, of course it is possible to want somethin materialistic and get it right away." But then looking at Anita's questions...

If when we use the law of attraction, only the ego mind is used, then would the ego mind attract other things? Wouldn't the ego mind not appear very attractive to other things?

As the other people have previously stated, the main point of law of attraction is not through materialistic means but I view it more like an attitude.

I now have mixed feelings. Like you said, essence is involved with the process of thughts creating reality. And in looking at your question in this way, it sort of makes sense that sometimes when we are greedy and want some new material thing without being grateful for what we already have, the law of attraction does not work for us. This is so because the law of attraction uses our being and energy waves to attract the same energy waves of the object we so desire and manifest it in our lives. But when we become overly materialistic and we keep on wanting more and more, the ego-mind has taken control over us and thus, our essence will not be expressed strong enough to attract what we want to us.

Also, as said in "The Secret," one of the most important emotions in using the secret is gratitude. We must be happy and satisfied with what we have so far to then be able to attract more good things into our lives through such a positive attitude. Thus, it is all about the correct mindset when it comes to the law of attraction. When we believe without a doubt something will happen, that something will happen. Yet, at the same time, when we are already satisfied with what we have and we acknowledge such a satisfaction, we will no longer really want any other material goods that we do not desperately need for survival. In this way, the law of attraction is such a paradox in that it is the key to making us happy by really showing us what we already have and should be grateful for.

Adding onto the example of how sometimes we don't get what we want, maybe this is because when we don't really need it but just want it out of greed, the desire for the object becomes superficial, and thus, our essence will not attract the object at all because superfically, only our ego-mind will be involved in such wanting, not our essence. Yet, when we really want something so bad that we have actually visualized us owning it and felt how owning that certain material thing would feel like, the feeling of pure satisfaction and happy energy will attract the object to us through the law of attraction either in the exact form that we have wanted it or in some other form--because perfection isn't always what we expect it to be.

So here is my question:
If the essence and true spirituality possess the inner connections with the universal being, then is it also involved in the process of making thoughts become reality? In terms of the law of attraction which is to make material goods become attracted to us.
According to The Secret, we are supposed to be able to gain what we want if we want it bad enough, in the good way, and therefore make our thoughts manifest to come true through the attraction forces of the universe. Therefore, Is it possible to want something materialistic in the "right way"?

Well, In a sense the physical tangiable materials are made of "the spiritual", so of course the essence and true spirituality are involved in the process of making thoughts into reality. Anything can be possible, our thoughts CAN manifest into anything physical as long it is not TOO out of the box. I mean, you cannot expect to believe in aliens and look out your window to find a UFO right? This is why we have reality. Reality is to keep us in check because the world would become a mess if everyone was wishing for something. Things will get out of hand, imposing certain doom and chaos toward the world and maybe even the Universe.

Also, there is no "correct" way of trying to get what we want. The secret is still a secret you know...we all know about the law of attraction but fail to fully comprehend it. It is like having the formula of a equation but not knowing how the formula came to be. This "formula" is great...but is it reliable? We have not proof at the moment so we can only believe it is reliable. Maybe this is part of the law, to make sure we do not understand it so we can only have faithe in it. After all, it is a LAW right?

hey everyone

thanks for posting and taking the time to look at my question.

I want to clarify my question here because it seems that the question is a little hard to understand?
Well, what I have been trying to say is that, we know that the ego mind is the one that wants and greeds for the material things of the world. So when we really want a pair of new shoes or something, it is our ego mind telling us and making us want those things. However, we also know that in order for the individual being to be connected to the universal soul, the intuition/essence is involved. And when we call upon the power of the universe through the law of attraction, arent we connecting with the universal being/soul to utilize its power? So is this considered an inner connection at the essence level if the thing we want is materialistic? (Because the essence is not supposed to lust and want material things right?)

>>kenny:
So you are saying that the law of attraction acts more as a knowledege or realization in the mind that gives us the motivation and to continue dreaming and to power us to constantly create things? Do you mean to say that it is more the knowing that we humans have the unlimited potential for growth and expansion that is important, and not the acquirement of the object itself?

>>Josh:
So are you saying that the main purpose of the law of attraction is to insert that goal/want into us as a source of motivation and then for us to take action? Please read the paragraph at the beginning of the post...

>>Anita:
You said that when we attract something, we are emitting attractive forces from our inner being. However, my question is whether or not this is possible because the inner being/essence is not supposed to desire the material things?
I agree that material goods can be used in the right way and it is important for us in our everyday lives. However, say if I wanted a pair of shoes for pe. Shoes are important for pe because it protects your feet and keeps the soles cushioned and away from harmful things on the floor. Therefore it can be considered something in our daily lives that we need. However, if I want these particular pair of shoes because i really like them, and want them really badly. How can i stop myself from wanting it so bad that it consumes me? Is it possible to desire somehting in the "right way"? As in not getting so absorbed with it to the extent that you lose yourself in wanting that thing? Where is the boundary for when you start to want something excessively? Is there a boundary?
But when we use the law of attraction to call upon the powers of the universe, isnt our essence involved also? (Look at the first paragraph of this post, the clarifying part to see the connection of thoughts)

>>Fermin:
So you are saying that when the reason why the law of attraction doesnt work when we want something excessively is because the ego mind kicks in and overrides the power of the essence with its connections to the universal force?
But when we are grateful for what we have and thus content with our circumstances, would we still want more material goods? So is the point of the law of attraction to raise our gratitude levels, and thus bring down the desire and want for material goods? And the real point of the law of attraction is not to make us get what we want, but to put in the gratitude awareness in us so that we ultimately stop wanting things all together?
You also said that when we desire something, it may be too superficial, therefore the essence will not attract the thing right? But then what exactly would the essence desire? What is really in the interest of the essence and inner being? Would it ever want something? Or is it forever satisfied with whatever it is presented with?

HOLY @#$)@(*#$ ALKFJKLAFJ RAWR. i had to retype this twice and now im REALLY PISSED OFF! im going to explode like right now..
woosa.

ok anyways, HI SOPH for the third time :] lol

According to The Secret, we are supposed to be able to gain what we want if we want it bad enough, in the good way, and therefore make our thoughts manifest to come true through the attraction forces of the universe. Therefore, Is it possible to want something materialistic in the "right way"?

Well, first off, materalistic goods are needed in our modern world today bcause so many things are dependent on it and therefore it is part of our modern reality. It is not necessarily a bad thing because as andy said, we need this or else our would would be a mess. I believe that we can use the Secret - law of attraction - for not only the good things but also the so called "bad" things IF we really desired that and believed it. The secret is the law of attraction which works for both the positive things and the negative thigns. The attractive forces of the universe are working together to form what you want and have it given to you, and since the universal connection is the connectiong of ALL things - good or bad - the secret can therefoer be used on both sides.

However, when our desire and want for the material goods of our world go into OVER DRIVE, then this becomes a problem. It is no longer a creation of our being/ essence, it is not what we TRUELY and SINCERELY want, it is what our ego mind - the greeedy part- wants. As Fermin said, one of the main elements of the secret is GRATITUDE - appreciating what we have. So yes materialism can be sought in the "right way" as long as it is what you REALLY want - your wants& desires of YOUR inner being and essence- NOT the desires of your egomind - that is when materialism goes into overdrive. That is when we just want things to impress others or for selfish needs, but if the material goods that are wanted from your INNER spririt and being, then that is what you truely want - that is when the secret will work and that is when materialism is going in the right direction.

hey sophh

I think the law of attraction does not apply to lustful desires, though it can apply to materials. With your example of the running shoes, I don't believe that it is a superficial desire, since you DO need it, right? Then again, if there was a specific brand, color, etc. that you wanted, that may be considered a desire. Seriously, would the universe deprive you of shoes and make you run barefooted? I don't think so

Maybe the difference between desire and true want is what it satisfies. Superficial desires satisfy the ego mind, the emotions. It's like when girls go on shopping sprees when they're sad, to make themselves happy. Also, desires do not get you anywhere--you are just spreading yourself out on the same level of being that you were before. On the other hand, wants satisfy the being--to push yourself further into your unlimited potential. Consider that you want to become a world class athlete, and you don't have the shoes for it. Those materialistic items are aiding you. Also, the want for everyday things, like shelter, or food... I think it's considered to be a attractable want. In being unable to sustain your body, how are you to sustain your soul? Again, the universe wouldn't deprive you of that.

You know that oldies song that goes something like.. "you can't always get what you want, you get what you need"? I think it's by the Rolling Stones or something. Anyways, perhaps the "want" is the desire that is not attractable by the law of attraction. And the need is what is attractable. If that makes sense? Yep

to answer this, I'll give you my personal interpretation of the secret.
I believe that this idea of "as long as i think about it, i will get it," is far too simplified, and describing it with mainly materialistic needs was misleading. The way the video presents it, it almost seems as if the secret were no more than some sort of mind trick to get things that you want.

That's ridiculous. if anyone could have anything they wanted, and even had the support of the universe, we'd be in one heck of a huge mess right now. to contradict the theory, here's another thing that I believe many may have thought of.
If I really, really want to live, but another person really, really wants me to die, what happens? Reality rips into shreds?

So I walked away from the film with not the message "as long as you think about it, you will get it sooner or later, no exceptions," but "one of the key strategies to living is to maintain a positive outlook. doing so will make your life look positive as a result."
I find that if taken in this respect, then yes, our being does seem to have a hand in the law of attraction, but maybe not the way most of us expected.

By maintaining a positive outlook in even the hardest of times, which is a sort of attitude that can only be developed through extensive control of the ego mind (i.e. judging with the being instead), all things will appear to work in our favor. After all, long as you don't take it negatively, you won't take it as something working against you.

OOokay. The Law of Attraction. Big topic, if you ask me.

Retrospect: Extremely long post. If you are allergic or turned off by long posts, use extreme caution.

Soph wrote:when we call upon the power of the universe through the law of attraction, aren't we connecting with the universal being/soul to utilize its power? So is this considered an inner connection at the essence level if the thing we want is materialistic? (Because the essence is not supposed to lust and want material things right?)

Now to respond to this question, I would have to first explain my view of the Law of Attraction, as I don't view it as an actual force that can actually create things, but as our change in our attitudes.

Now we have to pull in everything we learned about the Law of Attraction. What is it? It is the law that states that when we want something, we unconsciously pull it into our life. Why? Now, first, let us look at what makes Law of Attraction come alive for us: gratitude. Now immediately after watching this part, I got to wondering. Why the heck do we want something if we're already thankful of everything we already have? Doesn't that quench the thirst for the new something? Then I got around, thought about it straight through the night. Then I got it. It is the attitude that changes when we apply and use the Law of Attraction. Why? Let's take an example.

Let's say Joe is a poor guy. He knows about the Law of Attraction recently, and wants to make use of it. So Joe wishes for money, money, money. He thinks and daydreams about the feeling of being richer. If he is not grateful for the money he already has, well, frankly, you'll stay the same. Now let's say Joe becomes grateful for the money he has, the money he uses to pay off rent and water and electricity. Now Joe is even more aware of the incoming, positive things that happen to him everyday. Because he is grateful for everything, he is grateful for every source of income, big or small. That is what makes him think that he is actually getting more money even when he isn't. Let's have another example (you can skip this one if you want).

I have been wanting to draw better for, oh I dunno, three years, at the very least. For the last two to three years, I've always thought of myself as a poor artist, ruining the anatomy of every picture and messing up the shadowing of every object I tried to draw. It is, as the Law of Attraction says, this that makes me think that I am a poor artist. Now after 9th grade, I've started to have more confidence. I started believing in myself, grateful for the practice I've had drawing straight lines and circles, grateful for the internet that I so heavily use to improve myself. Guess what? Even though nothing major happened, I actually think that I was getting better, having more confidence in the things I draw, and thus, actually drawing better. Now the Law of Attraction didn't just magically give me the skills, it didn't even give me more opportunities to learn to draw. The Law of Attraction merely changed the way I think, and thus it affects my reality. So thus, as Ken said, it really is myself that is affecting my own reality.

Okay, now to reel it back in.

Now when we want material things, what do we really want? Let's say I just have to get my hand on that...uh.. Xbox 360, say. What am I really looking for? Do I want an Xbox 360 just because I like the way Xbox 360 looks in my cabinent? No, I want an Xbox 360 because of the experience (entertainment) I expect it will give me. Now let's say that I don't have the ability or the opportunity to acquire an Xbox 360. If I am grateful for everything that entertains me, honestly, do I really need an Xbox 360? So gratitude does not necessarily bring you to that material thing, it just brings you to the experience that you expect the material thing will give you.

This means that substitutes - taking the lecture about substitution of materials from Ms. Kay - are not really substitutes because they give you the same experience that original object can give you too.

Fermin Liu wrote:Also, as said in "The Secret," one of the most important emotions in using the secret is gratitude. We must be happy and satisfied with what we have so far to then be able to attract more good things into our lives through such a positive attitude. Thus, it is all about the correct mindset when it comes to the law of attraction.

This basically summed up everything I said, however...

Fermin Liu wrote:When we believe without a doubt something will happen, that something will happen.

When we believe without a doubt something will happen, that something might not happen. However, the experience of that happening will come to you if you have the same, as you said, positive attitude.

Andy.S wrote:After all, it is a LAW right?

It may be called a law, but that is one of the reason I really don't approve of the phrase "Law of Attraction." To be honest, I'd like it to be renamed "Mindset to Achieve." Because, really, the universe really isn't shifting and changing just to fit your needs. It'd be cool if it did, cause I'd have a lot more things happen to me when I was young.

Soph wrote:However, if I want these particular pair of shoes because i really like them, and want them really badly. How can i stop myself from wanting it so bad that it consumes me? Is it possible to desire somehting in the "right way"?

Just be grateful that you actually have feet for shoes. If you use that mindset, the shoes really don't matter, because, from what I've seen in my previous experience, sometimes people just buy certain shoes for the cool and hip-ness or whatever. I think that what you are saying with the "right way" is this. As long as you have the proper attitude - grateful for everything - you will get everything you want, even though it might be the way you want it to be given.

Geez, I bet somebody posted already when I'm typing this post. it's like, 25 minutes. Blah

Oh btw, I skipped two or three posts. If I addressed something you guys already did...well, I'm sorry. Interesting topic, will be keeping an eye out for this one. XD

EDIT: Well ain't I right, Proey jutted in before I could post...so now I'll have to reply to her XD

Proey wrote:With your example of the running shoes, I don't believe that it is a superficial desire, since you DO need it, right? Then again, if there was a specific brand, color, etc. that you wanted, that may be considered a desire. Seriously, would the universe deprive you of shoes and make you run barefooted? I don't think so

Uh....yeah. Now what do you mean by a need? Do you really need those running shoes? Now you may have a desire for them, but a need for running shoes? I can't imagine. Besides, what's wrong with running barefooted? XD

Proey wrote:Consider that you want to become a world class athlete, and you don't have the shoes for it. Those materialistic items are aiding you. Also, the want for everyday things, like shelter, or food... I think it's considered to be a attractable want. In being unable to sustain your body, how are you to sustain your soul? Again, the universe wouldn't deprive you of that.

Ooo, okay. Now you just stated it out. These material items are assisting you. Assisting you for what? For the athlete example, it would be running. Now why would you want to run fast? This is the real question. Is it that you enjoy the thrill of just breaking the record, or is it that you want to be known world wide? Now if it's just for the thrill of breaking the record, shoes are actually just there for protection. There could be various ways to protect one's feet without running shoes if you think about it. Heck, running on the track barefooted doesn't really...well, ruin your foot. Now if it's to be known world wide, well, there could be many other ways to become well known, even if you don't have the shoes. That, or you could win money at a local tournament to buy shoes. Who knows, it's all in the attitude. As long as you don't hold the "I can't run/win because I don't have running shoes," I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to assist you in your...well, whatever you want to achieve.

Proey wrote:Anyways, perhaps the "want" is the desire that is not attractable by the law of attraction. And the need is what is attractable.

Last quote, I promise, unless some guy juts in again.

I think both is achievable with the right attitude - I'm replacing Law of Attraction with right attitude, cause it fits more. Like that drawing example. I don't need to draw better, you know? I don't really need it for survival. I want to draw better.

Now think of it this way, you need Oxygen to breathe, right? How bout somebody suffocating? If they use the law of attraction, will the universe provide him with air? But he needs air, you know? Okay, that's it.

EDIT2: DARN YOU HEN, now I gotta reply to you.
Actually, no I don't. I briefly read over your post, it just basically says everything I was going to say. Going to read it in depth later. I'll post a new post after a while.

Hen wrote:So I walked away from the film with not the message "as long as you think about it, you will get it sooner or later, no exceptions," but "one of the key strategies to living is to maintain a positive outlook. doing so will make your life look positive as a result."
I find that if taken in this respect, then yes, our being does seem to have a hand in the law of attraction, but maybe not the way most of us expected.

I agree completely to this. Listen to this guy. Hen has it worded much better and concise than me.
So, adding on.
We can always view things differently, right? Now, often, this perspective is often changed by our emotions at the time. I can testify to this. Remember in 8th grade when I punched the window? Yeah. You know why? Okay. At the time I was extremely angry and frustrated with the fact that the class locked me out the classroom. Now I looked inside. I saw Troy's face just grinning at me with that smile of his. I thought that he was laughing at my demise and stuff. I was furious, so I punched the window. Now, in retrospect, I found out that it was my interpretation that was flawed. I mean, Troy does that smile all too often in class with a positive attitude. Maybe he's just getting the entertainment of his lifetime from me because I was just being crazy, I can't really blame him. I mean, it's that entertainment you get from some ape yelling and spinning around in circles.

Now why did I say that? I'm saying that if you hold a different mindset, attitude, perspective, you will find more things that are positive and find less thing to grumble and moan about. If I had not been that angry, I would've, well, laughed with the class and just forget about it afterwards. But I was angry, so I punched the window. What an idiot I was.

That is basically the Law of Attraction...right?

Okay you’re throwing quite a lot of questions at me. Hmmm let’s see. I don’t think the inner being does not desire the material things at all? After all we do need some material things in order to survive. The want to survive is not completely of the ego mind. So I would say it is possible. If you really want it so badly to the point where it consumes you, I think that is not a true desire from the being anymore. It’s more peripheral now, of what’s on the surface. If you were just wishing for a pair of shoes to protect your feet, you’d be satisfied with any pair of shoes that can do the job satisfactorily. It is possible to desire something in the “right way.” I believe this is where the good use and control of the ego mind comes in – to restrain oneself from not getting so sucked in by the desire to the point where one is lost into the dark hole. This is where need vs. want comes in. Some things can be both a need and a want. Food can be both, depending on what kind of food (ex. Ice cream is not that necessary for us to survive) When you’re not satisfied with its basic use (gratitude), when you begin to become to be picky and fuss over small unimportant details such as colors, is when you start to want something more than what you need. Yes, I believe the essence is involved also when it comes to the law of attraction. That’s what my rhetorical questions in my last post were meant for

In this way, the law of attraction is such a paradox in that it is the key to making us happy by really showing us what we already have and should be grateful for.

Just like how Ms. Kay said today in class that life is full of paradoxes, but this is where divinity comes from. Just like how Emerson mentioned it was alright to say something today that contradicts what you said the previous day.

Phil's reply reminded me of something I realized.

"Learn to laugh with others, despite the fact that they may be laughing at you."

hey,

Regarding your question, i think that the materialistic want and desire surely is a result of the ego-mind, but i also believe that this desire of the materialistic want is a result of a hole in the essence or a want/desire at a essence level. What do i mean by this? Well, i think that the want for a pair of new shoes before the old ones gets worn out or is out of style is a product of the ego-mind under the influence and nurture of the materialistic society. However, this desire of material goods may be the result of a want at a deeper level of attention or care? As we have discussed in class today about the womanists movements, could it be possible that our ego-materialistic desire is a result at the deeper level of attention of other people such as males, or an want to be loved or paid attention to by others? If this was the case, then i would say that the materialistic want is an expression under the environmental influence (maybe in the future it turns from shoes to hats but they are essentially the same meaning).

What i am saying is that a egocentric desire and want of a materialistic goods might be a result of a deeper desire or something not egocentric and that this material desire is an expression of trying to fulfil that deeper desire. Yes, I am also saying that both the material and the deeper desire can be accomplished by the law of attraction, however, most people misunderstand what they really want at the root hence the materialistic desire. And yes, one would have to take actions for these desires to be fulfilled.

NUMBER ONE THING.
PHILLIP -- i almost refrained from reading your post cuz it was so damn long -____- long posts turn me off. instead of editing to reply our posts, just post a new reply! duh! new posts = renewed interest in what you're saying. might be just me tho hehe

anywayss. I think Phil raised an outstanding point. The law of attraction is reliant on our attitude. Positive attitudes will get you what you want, and negative attitudes are less likely to do so. I believe that is generally true--different sources of motivation, be they superficial or deep, cause different attitudes. You have three different stories going on at once -_-... Sigh. Anyways, yeah. Your Xbox example shows how technology was created for real purposes that have been exploited due to the wrong attitude. This reminds me of my dad. His reason for buying my sister and I a GameBoy was to train our hand-eye coordination (epic fail, btw.) Instead of using technology to improve ourselves, we are allowing technology to use us.

Your example with poor Joe also makes a good point. If you are ungrateful for what you have, you are unlikely to get what you want, and likely to lose what you already have. But, lets say a millionaire likes his money because he gets to be at the top of the food chain. He had been taught that since he was a kid, and also was taught how to carefully invest his money. Even with a negative attitude, his skill in finance keeps him up there. But this seems to go against the circumstances for the law of attraction, does it not?

soph wrote:Well, what I have been trying to say is that, we know that the ego mind is the one that wants and greeds for the material things of the world. So when we really want a pair of new shoes or something, it is our ego mind telling us and making us want those things. However, we also know that in order for the individual being to be connected to the universal soul, the intuition/essence is involved. And when we call upon the power of the universe through the law of attraction, arent we connecting with the universal being/soul to utilize its power? So is this considered an inner connection at the essence level if the thing we want is materialistic? (Because the essence is not supposed to lust and want material things right?)

Hi Soph :]

Would you say that the essence does not want material things?

Desire has its lines with necessity, right?

So let's say, what if you need something? You are a great fan of music but you don't have enough money to buy an iPod. Is this lust and materialistic want? It can be argued both sides, I guess, but in such a case, is wanting to listen to music at various places such a bad thing? Sure, wanting an iPod is materialistic in a sense because you are desiring a physical want, but is this necessarily an overdrive of the ego-mind? I'm guessing this is the grey area that Ms. Kay emphasizes for us to think upon.

Law of attraction, in my point of view, is like...a drive for us. We may begin to believe that when we want something with enough determination, enthusiasm, and focus, things might actually start coming towards us and this is what we labeled as the law of attraction, right? But don't you think that because you want something so bad, you begin to convince yourself to work at the essence level and let yourself follow your heart? So instead of the object of the want coming towards you, the law of attraction is actually getting yourself to have a specific goal and perhaps unconsciously starting to work towards it. Unless luck comes in, in which my example above would say something like you happen to find like ten thousand NTD on the road and you pick it up to buy a 120GB iPod Classic. But pulling away from luck and these coincidential happenings, wouldn't you say that the law of attraction is something like a force that is in YOU, not between you and the object of want? The law of attraction is the force that is seeping out of your essence and Being that is helping you become more and more energized to work for what you want even harder. An example may be like that entrepeneur guy on the documentary The Secret. He said that he had a....what was it? Something-board. Basically a board where he put up many things that he wanted and he would look at it everyday. Later, after he moved to a new house and happened to look at the board again he realized he came to live in the house he wanted. Using this example, instead of the entrepeneur guy pulling the house towards him, wouldn't you say that actually when he was looking for a house, his mind/essence (not sure which) unconsciously began to look for features that were in his ideal house?

hi everyone!!

thanks for posting back and contributing to my question ^^

Henning mentioned that we need to maintain a positive outlook onto life because that control over the ego mind can make us grateful and therefore things will work to our favor. So the Secret more of a perspective or idea that helps us to maintain that positive outlook onto life instead of being merely a mind trick. It is a change in our attitudes that could make the universe respond to the positive energies that we emitt and therefore like attracts like and more good things will attach themselves to us. And the power for us to change our circumstances and to reality really lies in our perspectives. If a change occurs within our outlook onto life, all changes because we simply view things in a different way.

***Many of you have talked about having the correct mindset adn perspectives, which will lead you to become satified with what you have already, therefore eliminating the need to pursue more material objects. But how exactly do we know when a want stems from the ego mind or the inner being? Where is that line or boundary for when something is wanted in the right way for the right purposes, and when we desire something excessively? We want to be able to control our ego minds and therefore exercise our desires for the material world, but how exactly do we do that? If the ego mind is so loud and overpowers the voice of the inner being, how can we hear it or connect with it to understand the truest desires of the essence? The ego mind is LOUD and extremely difficult to control, so how do we control it so that its desires dont over ride the needs of the inner being?

Josh has also mentioned that maybe our materialistic desires are there to make us forget about a feeling of emptiness deep down. It is typical in Hollywood films that a rich girl from a rich family who appears to have it all is actually unhappy and unsatisfied even though she is capable of having all the material objects she wants. As the tyical plotline goes, someone special comes along and makes her realize that these objects do not fulfill her inner beings need for love, care, etc..
***So is there always an empty spot in one's life? Since no one can have absolutely everything they want, is all our ego mind materialism desires coming from some sort of an emptiness somewhere in our soul?

Rosa, so are you saying that the law of attraction is not really a power that exists outside of ourselves to help us obtain what we want. But is in fact a power inside our beings that aids us to reach out and to magnetise the things we want towards us. To attraction thing to us from the inside?

(btw for those of you who really dont have time to read everything, the ***parts are the key questions that have come to me after reading your responses and posts )

Yup yup that's what I meant.

It is our human unlimited potential that has to do with the cores of the law of attraction, right? So isn't it more based on that through our unlimited potential that is WITHIN ourselves, we are pushing ourselves to become closer to what we want and eventually get it? If we bring out that human potential within us through our essence, we can do whatever we want to do.

Now that I think about it, however, it feels like my assumption above is according to the belief that the soul is local. But what if the soul is nonlocal? Then from that point on, doesn't it mean that there IS something that attracts something between the guy in my previous example and an iPod/money enough to buy an ipod? A power/source of energy that is acting as the bridge between the two?

I agreee with Rosa. It is the unlimited potential that pushes us to greater heights. BUT. Like what soph asked previously--how do we know that our wants are fulfilling this unlimited potential that is subject to only ourselves? I think that, even though the ego mind is loud and overbearing in comparison to one's Intuition, we need to quiet it down in order to find what we should really do.

But the ego mind isn't always a bad thing, doesn't it also sometimes agree with the Intuition, so we shouldn't dismiss what the ego mind says right away? Only when it goes into overdrive and over thinking should we make it STOP and quiet down. How do we make it quiet down then? Perhaps that is when we meditate, when we calm down and stop running around in our perpetual lives. I mean, if you get so caught up in the planning, the structural daily schedules that keeps you running in circles (like the hamsters hahaha), you will not have time to even reach out to that potential.

And then, bringing back in what Phil said, we must have the right attitude to even want to go to that unlimited potential. Oftentimes we ignore our passion and curiosity for something because we do not want to break our routines. This is when the ego mind becomes a barrier to what we truly want--when something spontaneous comes up from our Intuition, we shouldn't allow the ego mind to overrule it. We need to know when the right time comes to calm down. Stop thinking, and just feel. I guess there is no absolute way of knowing how to stop the ego mind, just that we need to calm down, and follow our feelings.

As for your second question... There is that emptiness that we are perpetually trying to fill up with our desires. That probably constitutes of our unlimited potential, for that emptiness is never filled. But I do NOT think that it is something meant for our materialistic desires, but rather something more profound. We use materialism to attempt to fill that emptiness because we are not satisfied with what life we live, and what we are able to do and improve in ourselves. We trick ourselves into thinking that money can buy us happiness, but it is something temporary and doesn't fill that empty hole. Again, going back to what Phil said (I keep typing "Fill" as his name -__- hahahaha) we need to have the right mindset. With a positive attitude, we can fill the empty area with something substantial and meaningful, like following our dreams. And even though there is more unlimited potential for us to transcend higher and higher and higher, we will die happy with the feeling that we have done SOMETHING.

hihi

Rosa, I think if the soul is nonlocal, then that inner power should connect with the universal soul to strengthen its power and therefore its attraction forces? I'm not too sure about this though. Like if the soul itself has it very own unlimited potential and power to attract things into our lives, then when we are in connection with the universal soul through our Intuition and essence, we are connecting our own powers to that of an even higher power. Which in turn strengthens our individual potentials and makes us capable of doing more?...

So, when we have the right attitude and perspectives, we will see things in a way that is somewhat aligned with the wishes of the inner being. Therfore we can be sure that we are on the right track and what we want is also the desires of the essence, not purely the product of the social conditionings to the ego mind.

*** However, this requires that we are in touch with our ego minds and possess close connections with the inner being. Or else how would we know what the wishes of the inner being is? But my question is how do we know for sure that we are having the right attitudes and perspectives if it is so hard to have a deep connection with our own essence? Since the ego mind is WAYYYY LOUDER than the voice of the soul, and the time in which we are able to truely quieten down our ego minds is liek what, 1 minuet max, how do we know that what we are doing and our perspectives are in line with the inner being? Some of you have suggested meditation, but even Ms Kay has said that even the most skilled monks can only really quieten down their ego minds for a couple of minuets at the very best, and they spend their lives on this. Since we have our own lives to get on with, and very very little time to ourselves, how can we be sure that we are following the desires of the inner being, instead of confusing it with the loudness of the ego mind?

Quoting from Their Eyes Were Watching God, "Pheoby, you got tuh go there tuh know there."
We don't know what the connection with the essence is until we are actually in that connection. It's spontaneous--there's no knowing when it's coming, but when it's here, you will know. People often have two voices in them, like the angel and the devil sitting on their shoulders, telling them what to do. The ego mind screams (sometimes). The essence tells softly. I think that's a distinct enough difference? You follow the gut feeling, instead of what your head tells you. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. lol. And what you said about the few minutes that the most skilled meditators get out of meditating for life... Well maybe those spontaneous moments, those "AHA!"s are worthy of a lifetime spent searching for them.

sophhh.
dude this reminds me of my discussion question kinda cause mine was about finding the balance between the ego mind and the inner self. so basically your question is how do you know if the thing you desire is coming from your ego mind or from your essence? how do you know if your desire is REALLY coming from your essence instead of your ego since your ego-mind is SO fricken loud?

hmm well this is a tough one, since like you said how ms.kay said even the highest ranked monks can only achieve this for some amount of time. well in terms of material goods, i think in order to find out if you really need it or if you just want it is to first calm yoruself down through meditation even if youre only calm for a few minutes, and then ask yourself if you have a need for this material // ask yourself if you already have something like this and only want this out of greed. Asking these questions after meditation might lead you to connect with your inner essence then therefore figure out the boundary between what you NEED and what you just WANT but not need. AFter one meditates, one can better focus on the inner self and being and connect to the universal power right? so then if one asks these questions at teh right time, one can get the answers from their own being instead of their ego-mind talking.

Hi, back after a long time, so um, I read what all of you had to say until about the bottom half of the second page, sorry rosa proey kat soph, I got kinda tired xD

Anyway, I have two things to share with you all and will now proceed

While reading through Phil's post I had something pop into my head, I have no idea why I thought of it or what it means, so I was hoping you guys could help me.

"The Law of attraction is a metaphor." That came to mind about two thirds through phil's post. It's an unfinished thought as you all can see, and I need help to get at what I'm trying to get at, I know for sure that the Secret is metaphor, but a metaphor for what?

Now, the second thing i want to share is a slightly more compacted understanding of what the law of attraction is. What many of you have been saying and what I realized is that the law of attraction is not really a law or rule that exists int he universe, rather, it's a mindset, a mind rule created by humans tohelp with living life. If you think about this, hard, you'll notice that the secret does nothing whatsoever to change our reality, it just shifts or perspectives, changes our mindsets, and morphs our way of dealing with the world. I don't think there's any law of attraction that exists in the world but in the minds of men. and women.

So pretty much what I'm trying to say is that there's no point trying to get this law of attraction to work and be disappointed and think you're doing something wrong when it doesn't. Because it's not there, not really, it's just a matter of how you think, if you view this thing as good, then it is, if you view it as bad, then it is. No one can control the universe and make it do his/her bidding just with the power of their thoughts. That's preposterous, like henning said, if two people had conflicting interests, what then? Conflicting interests result from different views of the world in how it works, what happens, and how it should be reacted to.

The law of attraction is there to help you better enjoy life and accept your place in it, it's easier to adapt rather than change, especially with something as massive as the universe as your prospect. There is no secret to life, there is no special formula to help you in life. The only way to live, is to live.

hihihi everyone

ohhhhh this is so profound...

Anyways, so what kat is trying to say is that we should try to use meditation as a preparation for our minds before we really think about whether we want somehting or we need something. Through this meditation exercise, our souls will hopefully get in touch with the universal soul and feel that connection that Proeys talking about. And we should receive guidance from the higher being, making us aware whether we only want something our of egotistical desires or if our inner being really desires that thing. (hmmm... should try this before i go shopping next time )

"The Law of attraction is a metaphor." That came to mind about two thirds through phil's post. It's an unfinished thought as you all can see, and I need help to get at what I'm trying to get at, I know for sure that the Secret is metaphor, but a metaphor for what?

errr... I dont quite understand what youre trying to say here kenny...

But I do think that the second part of your quote is really valid and I agree with it. The law of attraction, like Rosa has said previously, is kinda like a force that exists within our minds. It is a power within ourselves that will help us to obtain the correct mindset and perspectives when viewing the world, therefore having the feelings of gratitude towards what might be taken for granted. It allows us to change our views, therefore changing the way we view the world. And thus, when we change our views and perspectives, we acquire a look at the other side of things, and therefore increase our awareness for our material wants and desires. It exists in our minds as a tool to propel the unlimited potential in each of us and to help ourselves take action for our own thoughts and desires, instead of merely sitting back and waiting for something to happen on its own. The law of attraction activates that switch insides us to want to do something to make our desires come true and therefore we are able to obtain what we really want with our own hands.
I think thats what its about... anything else anyone wants to add or correct?