Archive for September, 2006

What this movie is about
The Secret (Original Edition) is a movie based on the Universal law called “The Law of Attraction” which is part of a greater Universal law called "The Law of Vibration". Through the centuries the Law of Attraction was kept secret but now it is being shared with the world. The movie explains how “The Secret”, which is actually the Law of Attraction, was suppressed and why. Experts on The Law of Attraction explain how the law works and how we can use it in our everyday lives to create the life we want. They reveal to us how the Law of Attraction is always operating in our lives whether we are aware of the law or not. Now that we are aware we can use The Law of Attraction to our advantage. For every aspect of our lives, from money to relationships, this movie outlines how the Law of Attraction can be made to work for us.

Caution!! Esther Hicks not in version currently being sold on The Secret website
Make sure you get the DVD that has Esther Hicks in it, that would be the version sold as "Original Edition" by Amazon.com. There is more to The Secret than what is on this DVD either way so make sure you at least get the DVD that has her in it. Esther and Jerry Hicks have even taken it a step  further with this DVD Introducing Abraham – The Secret Behind "The Secret". I haven’t seen it yet but I’ll let you know when I do.

How to tell which version you have
The one with Esther Hicks is referred to as the "Original Edition". The one without her is the "Extended Version", it’s 2 minutes longer.

More revealed
At Revelation 2007, Michael Beckwith mentioned that the movie was meant to start a conversation, it isn’t the whole story. To learn more about The Law of Vibration, which encompasses the Law of Attraction, you may wish to  delve further into his teachings as well as the teachings of other experts from the movie.

How the law works
Basically, the way the Law of Attraction works is that everything you put your attention on comes to you, whether you want it or not. Even if you are saying, “NO,” to something in your loudest voice you are still giving it your attention and therefore attracting it into your experience. That’s how Mr. Bush became president. So many people were pushing against having him as president that they were giving him all their attention. So, what do we do if we don’t want something in our lives? Don’t give it any of our attention. Giving our attention to what we DO want is how we get what we DO want. The movie explains it very nicely as does the book Ask and It Is Given, whose author is one of the experts in the movie.

Other teachers of the Law of Attraction
This information has been touched on in so many different teachings throughout the centuries and seeing it brought to life in this way is a great confirmation and reminder of those other teachings. It even helped me understand those other teachings better. Other books I’ve read during my own journey that mention or teach this: Conversations with God, The Power of Now, Ask and It Is Given, The Abundance Book, and many more. Even Doreen Virtue talks about how she was raised in a tradition that taught about the power of thought and how we can bring into manifestation whatever we want. I read about some of her experiences in The Lightworker’s Way.

Gratitude
One thing you can do right now to start changing what you attract to yourself is start expressing, and feeling gratitude for all that you have in your life. You have to really feel it, though. Feel gratitude for everything that you possibly can and more will flow into your life.

My experience
I just finished reading Ask and It Is Given and this movie really brought it home. The movie was mostly experts speaking with skits to illustrate the point they were making but it was well done. It really wasn’t as boring as I’m making it sound here. The skits were like scenes from movies and were funny. When the experts were talking they weren’t just talking heads, either. The backgrounds were different based on the person’s expertise. It was great to watch. I had a new perspective on life after that and things look different now that I’m using the principles and some of the exercises they mentioned. This, in conjunction with Ask and It Is Given and The Abundance Book, has given me the additional tools to help me have the life I want and that’s not just material things. True success, as they mention it in the movie and I certainly agree with, is living the life you want in every aspect of your life. For me that means being blissfully happy all the time, having an abundance of money, having all my needs met, being in the flow of life with the knowledge that everything I want and need comes to me freely, having wonderfully fulfilling relationships, sharing, having a fulfilling spiritual life, having fulfilling relaxation and vacation time, fulfilling activities (formerly known as work) and having fun no matter what I choose to do. (There’s probably more but this is what was on the top of my head.)

My follow-up
I went out to Los Angeles to see Michael Beckwith at Agape and it was worth the trip. He’s become so popular since the movie and his visits with Oprah and Larry King that they might have to start televising it so the whole country can see it.

Conclusion
If you are interested in taking control of your life and having everything you want, and everyone can have everything they want since there is more than enough for everyone so you aren’t taking away from someone else if you have everything you want, this is a great place to start. Then I suggest reading Ask and It Is Given for specific exercises (they call them processes) you can use to make the life you want and stop resisting your good.

The rest of the story
At Revelations Michael Beckwith revealed that The Secret was meant to start a conversation, it isn’t the whole story. Delve further into his teachings and the teachings of the others in the movie to learn more. Someone at the Revelations conference in 2007 said the problem was that the people making the movie didn’t know the right questions to ask.

Watch the Trailer

View details of Introducing Abraham – The Secret Behind "The Secret" at Amazon.com

View movie details at Amazon.com The Secret (Original Edition)  (With Esther Hicks)

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What this book’s about
Ask and It Is Given is a powerful book that teaches us how to use The Law of Attraction to have the life we want and everything we want in life.

How The Law of Attraction works
What we focus on is what comes into our experience and there are three steps in having everything we want and need.
1) Ask – We are doing this constantly
2) Answer – The Universe answers by sending us what we want
3) Allow/Receive – We have to be in the receiving mode and allow what we want to come to us.
The first and second step are happening all the time and we don’t need to do much beyond what we are already doing to get those two steps right. The problem is with our ability to receive. Now, you may say, “I’m ready to receive all the time so why isn’t it here yet?” Now, the way it’s explained in this book we have to be in vibrational alignment for what we want. So, if you want prosperity but are having thoughts of lack or debt then you’ll attract lack and debt, not prosperity. You have to vibrate as if you are already prosperous and think prosperous thoughts in order to be prosperous. The exercises (which are called “processes” in this book) are designed to put you into vibrational alignment with what it is that you want.

Your internal guide posts
So how do you know if you are a vibrational match to receive what the Universe is sending you? Your emotions are a very powerful guidepost. If you are feeling great then you are allowing and if you are feeling bad you are resisting what the Universe is sending. “Positive” thoughts feel good and “negative” thoughts feel bad. By changing your thinking you can change your feelings which change your vibration to match what it is you are asking the Universe for.

Be happy
Your greatest gift to yourself and the world is to be happy. Nothing is more important then your happiness. When you are happy you are allowing (in the receptive mode – step #3) and everything you want flows to you with ease. It’s a byproduct of being happy. These processes have been proven to get you happy and help you stay there. When you make happiness a habit the Universe will open its doors to you and everything you want will flow to you.

Having what you want doesn’t take anything away from anyone else
According to The Law of Attraction everyone can have everything they want. That means EVERYONE. The Universe doesn’t run out of energy to make what we want. Things can materialize to provide what we want. It’s the Universe in the “Answering” mode. Everyone can be prosperous, that means EVERYONE so don’t sell yourself short. We can ALL be as prosperous as Oprah. You betcha!

Other references to The Law of Attraction
I’ve found references to The Law of Attraction, although it wasn’t always referred to as the Law of Attraction, in these sources which touched upon the topic in varying degrees.
1. The Lightworker’s Way – Doreen Virtue’s family taught her the power of her thoughts. One example was that they believed illness is caused by wrong thinking.
2. What God Wants – God says we’re all after feelings. Everything we do is to create a feeling within ourselves. God also goes on to say that creating a feeling within you can cause something to happen outside of you. That’s how The Law of Attraction works. Ask and It Is Given explains this further by saying that by creating the feeling inside of you, before the thing you want shows up, you are drawing it into your experience. Feel like you have it and then you get it (when you feel like you already have what you want you are a vibrational match for it).
3. Home with God – Near the end of Home with God Neale says something about knowing all of this and God says something along the lines of, yes, you know this but are you going to continue living like you don’t know it. Neale said, “Ouch” and God said, “Well, that’s the question, now isn’t it” (I’m paraphrasing.) So Neale asks God what it would look like to be acting like we know all of this. The list that God gives Neale is the way we would be living if we were also using The Law of Attraction.
4. The Abundance Book – The Abundance Book uses the same principle and has techniques, meditations and testimonials by others who have had success using the technique.
5. The Secret – The secret being The Law of Attraction which is the focus of this movie. The author, Esther Hicks, is in this movie.
6. Power, Freedom, and Grace: Living from the Source of Lasting Happiness Deepak Chopra combines information we know about The Law of Attraction with science.

My experience
Things have really started shifting for me since I started reading this book and working with the processes. I’m happier and now enjoy my children so much more. More money is coming into my life every day, things I want are just showing up in my experience, I see possibilities everywhere. I look at things differently now. What I have in my experience now are the things that my former ways of thinking brought to me and the things I see in my future experience blow my mind with how perfect they are and how they are just what I want. I’m creating my future now with my current thoughts and feelings. I’m having a blast.

Follow your Bliss
Joseph Campbell said it best when he said, “Follow your bliss” since this is the best way to manifest the life you want. When you follow your bliss you are doing what you need to be happy and everything you want just flows to you. When you have a decision to make you can follow this rule. Think about each option and whichever one makes you happy is the one you should go with. Follow your bliss.

Conclusion
If you are ready to really manifest the life you want, no matter where you are now or where your emotions are, you can have great success with this book.

Authors’ website
Esther and Jerry Hicks travel around the country visiting 50 to 60 states a year. They have a tremendous following and many successful people are their students. Check their calendar to see where they are going to be so you can get in to see them when they are in your town. I find their daily quote (the sign-up is underneath the quote on the left side of the screen) very helpful: Law of Attraction reminders delivered to my in-box daily.

Other offerings by the authors
There are audio versions of this book and other CDs where people ask questions and Esther answers their queries with information that everyone can use. They also have a "tear-off" Daily Calendar which is also a planning calendar and study guide workbook, a must if you are leading an Abraham study group.

On CD: Ask & It Is Given – Part I: The Law (Ask and It Is Given)
Ask and It Is Given – Part II: The Processes (Ask and It Is Given)

Other books: The Law of Attraction: How to Make It Work For You
The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent: Living the Art of Allowing

Law of Attraction reminders delivered to your in-box daily: Sign-up for the daily quote (the sign-up is underneath the quote on the left side of the screen)

View book details at Amazon: Ask & It Is Given

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What this book’s about
When Victoria Boutenko, who wrote Raw Family, was teaching classes on raw foods she saw something very interesting. People who wanted to be 100% raw foodists weren’t able to stay on raw foods. She started investigating and came to the conclusion that eating cooked foods was an addiction. Using the model of the 12 Step program she devised this program for transitioning to raw foods and staying there. The information is good, the advice sound and has worked for many people.

Check out her family’s other books Raw Family, Eating without Heating, and Green for Life.

Updated
This book has been revised and updated to incorporate all the new information Victoria has discovered.

View product details at Amazon: 12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food [Revised]

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What this book’s about
Seigei and Valya, the children from the Raw Family, have put together a book of raw recipes that they created themselves. There’s even a section to help you create your own raw foods. I like the recipes and always enjoy seeing Valya’s artwork and hearing more of their story.

What’s in this book
There are recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts with fermented foods, juices, crackers, seasonings and trail mixes. The recipes are easy to follow and make. Check out the beautiful pictures of the raw foods especially the one of the monster un-chocolate cake.

Suggestions
I would recommend an index be added if they create a new edition of this book so individual recipes can be found easily. Indexes are missing from quite a few raw recipe books. This book is short enough that it doesn’t stop me from using it, though.

View book details at Amazon.com Eating Without Heating: Favorite Recipes from Teens Who Love Raw Food

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What this book is about
This is the amazing story of the Boutenko family and their journey from critically illness to vibrantly healthy. Victoria Boutenko wanted to find a natural way to cure the illnesses of everyone in her family and found it with raw foods. They have all achieved a state of incredible health and stamina; Seigei’s teeth even regenerated causing his fillings to pop out.

Comments
I’ve been to a couple of lectures that Victoria has given and have received their free newsletter for quite some time. They are an inspiring, loving family who has paved the way for others to follow. They have their own website with links to raw and living food resources and support. They also teach classes all around the country. Valya is an artist who loves creating pictures of raw foods. The whole family is gifted and inspiring. I know you’ll like this book.

Conclusions
If you are interested in raw foods and are looking for inspirational stories this is certainly one of them. It really helped me understand the journey from cooked food to raw food.

Other books
Check out their other books Eating Without Heating: Favorite Recipes from Teens Who Love Raw Food, 12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Addiction to Cooked Food, Green for Life.

View book details at Amazon.com Raw Family : A true Story of Awakening
The book has a new cover now and it looks different than the one on this page.

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