October 6, 2007

"I Secreted It ... "

Yesterday I met a new girl at the salon who asked what I did for a living. I told her I was a life coach specializing in the Law of Attraction, and asked if she'd heard of "The Secret."

Oh boy, had she heard of it!

The tone in her answer clued me in that she wasn't a fan.

She said doesn't believe in it. At least not fully. (She added that last part in an effort to minimize offense.)

She went on to explain that she used the Secret to get pregnant, but still had three miscarriages. So it didn't work for her at all.

Despite the fact that she was seven months pregnant as she told this story (happily expecting to deliver a healthy boy in mid-December), and despite the fact that she said she used the Secret to get pregnant (versus give birth) - four times no less! - she was steadfast in her belief that the Secret didn't work.

Her exact words: "I Secreted it and it didn't work." (I enjoyed hearing the Secret as a verb!)

I also njoyed not feeling compelled to point out the fairly obvious contradiction in her experience and belief. And I thought how odd that the very same situation is proof for one person it doesn't work and proof for another it does.

We each do truly get what we think.

I think it works, and I see in her situation the proof of it. She thinks it doesn't work, and sees in her situation the proof of it.

We really are each creating our own little world, huh?!

I offer this story as an opportunity for each of us to examine where a new perspective might serve us better.

My tried and true neighbor gave me such an opportunity this morning. A mobile vet I’ve never used before arrived to euthanize my 18 year old cat, Shadow, and mistakenly parked in the neighbor’s driveway instead of mine. My neighbor came raging out of his house with expletives afire about how he couldn’t park there.

As I met this new vet I learned he just arrived from Iowa, and has only been in Utah a few months. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. “Good people” is what my father-in-law would call him. And here he is getting a greeting like that from my neighbor. I was mortified.

And angry.

Which I caught on to pretty quick. As you know, I have much experience with the “angry at my neighbor vibe,” which I’m purposely deactivating. So I found my way to a new perspective fairly quickly.

After apologizing to my new vet friend and explaining that the neighbor’s on crack and isn’t in charge of his behavior, I realized my neighbor probably has very few things in life he can control. Who parks in his driveway is likely one of them.

We all know how good it isn’t to feel powerless, and when a stranger’s parked in your driveway, that’s likely to activate “powerless.” I can see that.

So, with those thoughts in mind, I can cut him some slack. I’ve probably been mad at someone blocking my driveway a time or two. He and I aren’t that different, I remind myself. And that feels better.

Plus, I’m probably feeling a little powerless myself as I have to say goodbye to my Shadow. So .. it’s easy to see how “powerless” would show up in my world.

And then I remind myself we’re far from powerless. We’re creating all of this! And when I practice managing my feelings, I’m creating the kind of live that makes it all worthwhile.

18 comments:

  1. Jeanette,

    I'm facing north and sending you a burst of power in case you need it!

    Mike

    P.S. Thanks for this post.

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  2. Jeanette your story of the young woman puts me in mind of a movie that I watched, “Come Early Morning.”

    Near the end of the movie, Ashley Judd’s character Lucy is talking to her minister about coping with the frustrations and challenges of her life. She hammers away at him about how his sermons are not bringing her the answers and satisfaction that she seeks.

    In an angry and vehement tone, she reminds him that the bible says, “Ask and it shall be given,” adding “I have been knocking and knocking and I’m tired of knocking!!!”

    The minister calmly responds, “Then stop knocking and just walk in.”

    It is just that simple at times. Though, too often, I am like Lucy continuing to pound away.

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  3. Jeanette, I am sooooo glad I found you! What truth you speak. LOA is still new to me, but the way you illuminate it makes sense in such an uncomplicated way that I'm inspired.

    Connecting to what Paulette commented, when Jesus said "Ask and you will receive" the original Greek for "receive" is better translated with "take". Ask and take! I think Jesus knew all along.

    Love,
    Pippa

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  4. Oh, and light to you in saying goodbye to your Shadow. May the happy memories nourish you and prepare you for the next adventure!

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  5. This poor post needs a new title. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!

    Mike, thanks for the power surge. Much appreciated!

    Paulette, I think Pippa might be on to something with that "taking" reference.

    In fact, your movie reference reminds me that often times our vibration is one of "wanting" and when we amp it up from "wanting" to "acting as if" or KNOWING it's our destiny ... whew - things happen fast!

    Pippa, are you familiar with "12 Conditions of a Miracle" by Todd Michael? He based his entire book on an alternate translation of the original Greek (fishes & loaves story, I think), saying that Jesus intended to show us that we too can create our own miracles.

    I wondered where you became familiar with the original Greek meaning. If you've got another resource, I'd love to hear about it.

    And thanks for the encouraging words, Pippa. That's EXACTLY what I intend to accomplish with this blog - keeping it real and accessible and inspirational!

    Also, Pippa, thanks for your condolences about Shadow and reminding me of the next adventure. That's a good vibration. :)

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  6. I just rented "Come Early Morning" a few days ago - so it spooked me to see Paulette mention it. Shesh - are we connected or what?

    It was a great scene in the movie, the other scene that I was taken with, is when Ashley Judd goes to her father and wants "to talk" and get answers and instead her father picks up his guitar and starts playing a song. At first she is annoyed because she wants to talk and then she gets it that this is his way of talking. And then it's as if she realizes she knows more than him anyways, that she has the answers for herself. You can tell it is a real liberating moment for her, it's when she walks through the door.

    I think basic to LOA is to pay attention to your creations and be willing to tweak at them.

    My friend was hitch hiking and decided to call upon the Road Angels. Shortly afterwards a biker's gang came by. She laughs and laughs when she tells this story and says, "Opps not those road angels."

    To me that is the difference between knocking at the door to walking in, you either say oh it didn't work or you say opps wrong angels...next.

    Love Leslie

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  7. Yes, I like that Leslie, "pay attention to your creations and be willing to tweak them."

    I've got a manifestation or two that could use some tweaking right now. lol

    So .. is it a thumbs up on Come Early Morning?

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  8. We're creating all of this!

    We're creating all of this!

    We're creating all of this!

    Yay :)

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  10. i don't know why you don't like the title. i love "I Secreted It..."

    i'm scribbling the verb form into both my chamber's and my roget's.

    and now i'm going to practice. "today i secreted some money. and then i received some money, plus some water. that was a bonus."

    yeah, that feels good.

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  11. Ha! I do too, Holly! That's actually the new title. It was originally "You Say Tomato .. " lol

    I love the verb form of it, too. It makes me smile every time I think of it. :)

    Amethyst, thanks for the artfully posted reminder of truth!!

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  12. Maybe it's because the verb is pronounced a bit differently, and means something different. As in, "He licked the substance the frog's skin secreted, and was instantly higher than a kite."

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  13. Ha! Don't spoil it for me, John!! lol

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  14. Hmm, now's you mention it, there is another definition which (aside from getting the right pronunciation) also derives from secret rather than secretion: To hide away or conceal. "She secreted the cookies in the bookshelf so her roommate wouldn't eat them first." That'll work.

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  15. Jeannette...I don't comment often enough, thank you for always inspiring me! Shadow must have had an awesome life with you!

    Kathleen

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  16. Thanks for posting, Kathleen! I was probably the one who benefited the most from that relationship, and I have to say he's a trooper for hanging out as long as he did.

    Whoever gets him next is a lucky person. If that's how it works. lol

    He was nothing but a pleasure.

    Thanks again for writing, Kathleen. Looking forward to hearing from you again. :)

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  17. Hi again, Jeanette!
    You asked about my resource for the Greek meaning of the give/take word. I often go treasure-hunting in Strong's Dictionary which gives the original language for the Bible, and this is where I found it. It is easily and freely downloadable at http://www.e-sword.net/ ~ again thank you so much for everything you share. Wishing you good vibrations!

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