Passing Along "The Secret"

What if a movie told you it could give you the secret to happiness, success, love, and anything else you want in the span of 91 minutes? Yeah right, you say. But your friend recommended it and the semester just ended so you think well, I've got nothin' better to do.

The Secret. If you haven't seen it, you should. I'm not sure what to call it: a documentary, life advice, an inspirational push? The Secret begins by talking about the laws of attraction and positive energy. Basically, it says that you can have whatever you want in life if you believe in your infinite potential. Positive thoughts and feelings attract positivity, but unfaltering positivity doesn't sound so easy. Try avoiding all forms of negative emotions: anger, sadness, irritation, etc, and see what happens. Maybe it works.

In the movie, one of the speakers (I don't remember his name because there were so many) says that we may not have control over our thoughts, but we do have control over our feelings. If I drop my nicely toothpasted toothbrush on the floor in the morning and think FML, I send out negative thought waves. If I do the same thing but think meh, rinse it off and re-toothpaste it, no big deal. Some things in life (such as death of a family member) are inherently stressful. But what do we gain when we sweat the small stuff? Unnecessary stress.

But sarcasm and venting can be hilarious in their negativity. Look at The Breakfast of Champions, a book about the horrific-ness of "American" society. Negative, funny, and perhaps true. Or is a negative truth based on a negative outlook?

I felt moved after watching The Secret, but then I thought is this a trap!??!?! Once you get into this positivity kick, you can't get out of it!! If you stop believing, you won't succeed, so you have no choice but to say "YES" or "NO" to the secret! It can't be officially disproven because that would require a negative outlook, which is forbidden. If you think it doesn't work, then it won't. However, if I want a billion dollars and a maserati to fall out of the sky, that is never going to happen unless I start hallucinating. The Secret  has it covered. You are supposed to focus on what you want, not how you will get it. All the details will supposedly fall into place.

I don't know if The Secret works, but I might just give it a shot for a while and see what happens. It's worth a try, sarcasm has become a pervasive way of life. Who says negativity can't make people happy in a "society sucks but it's hilarious" kinda way. Well, I guess I'm going to try to be happy in a more positive way...if that makes any sense. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, check out the clip from youtube or rent the movie and see for yourself.