Earl Nightingale

[hkalchemy]

Earl Nightingale explained 'The Strangest Secret' many years before the movie and the book. Although his work became very popular, it still didn't seep into mass consciousness, possibly because he didn't have the Internet!

To me, there is a depth and a fullness to Earl's message which is missing in 'The Secret.' For one thing, he emphasizes the importance of action. What do people think?

[Jennihul]

I can say it's a myth that "The Secret" doesn't advocate action.....

But I also enjoyed The Strangest Secret certainly as much...


Jennifer

[hkalchemy]

I think that our thoughts can somehow order things in a certain way which tends to provide opportunities (coincidences etc.), but we then need to act on these opportunities. Things work out well but only if we do our part. That's not to say we need to make alot of effort, but we do need to act.

[Acting Like Godot]

All thought affects reality. And all action is thought (though not all thought is action).

There is no action you have ever taken, which was not the result of your thought. Even sleepwalking is impossible, if you are brain-dead.

Not all action is effective in achieving your goals or fulfilling your intentions. Many of the problems and sufferings you have faced in your life were in fact the consequence of your own actions. For example, actions that were foolish, violent, selfish, reckless, insufficient, harmful or otherwise misguided.

All such actions were an expression of your thoughts. All such actions followed inevitably from those thoughts of yours which were foolish, violent, selfish, reckless, insufficient, harmful or otherwise misguided.

Therefore the first priority is still to get your thoughts in order. The rest follows naturally.

There are many energetic fools on Planet Earth taking plenty of foolish actions everyday to worsen their own lives. Don't be one of them.

In fact, many aspects of your life would be greatly improved, if you simply STOPPED taking actions. For example, if you STOPPED smoking; overeating; driving dangerously; abusing your partner; speaking malicious words; watching useless TV shows and eating potato chips; spending money on things you don't need; acting selfishly; overworking etc.

Unfortunately, STOPPING any of the above isn't necessarily easy. It requires no action. It does require thinking, and changing your thinking.

As I said, not easy at all.

[cylon]

All very true ALG. Finding peace in your own mind is the most important thing and no it is not easy. But if you focus on it, it becomes easier to "feel free" from the restrictions you perceive in your life.

What I am learning to do, is to see in my mind what I want, for longer periods of time. Normally I'd think of something I'd want, then immediately the reason I couldn't have it would pop in my mind, then you've got this battle going on in your head. The result is you spend more time not thinking of what you WANT, but WHY YOU CAN'T have it. And the resulting frustration, creates the content of your day. It seeps into everything.

And that's not really "action", but it sure is exhausting. Even more tiring than intense physical work, because you do it 24/7.

[Frans]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

many aspects of your life would be greatly improved, if you simply STOPPED taking actions. For example, if you STOPPED smoking; overeating; driving dangerously; abusing your partner; speaking malicious words; watching useless TV shows and eating potato chips; spending money on things you don't need; acting selfishly; overworking etc.

Unfortunately, STOPPING any of the above isn't necessarily easy. It requires no action. It does require thinking, and changing your thinking.

Brilliant reply, ALG.

[hkalchemy]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Therefore the first priority is still to get your thoughts in order. The rest follows naturally.

There are many energetic fools on Planet Earth taking plenty of foolish actions everyday to worsen their own lives. Don't be one of them.

As I said, not easy at all.

The importance of action that supports your intentions is essential. This is what you might call right action - action that is not 'against the grain.' But action is necessary nonetheless. This is what Alan Watts so famously called 'the Watercourse Way.'

[Jennihul]

Great post, ALG. Thanks for saying what I am always thinking when this topic comes up.


Jennifer

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by hkalchemy

But action is necessary nonetheless.

From my personal experience, I could give you numerous examples to show that you are incorrect. For example, I have 10 examples here.

I stress that I have many more examples than this. These ten examples (of intentions manifesting essentially with little or no action on my part) just happen to be the ones which occurred in a certain short time period (3 months) in my life.

Lest you be mistaken, it's not as if I am some amazing spiritual guru or wizard. There are many people who have had the experience of their intentions successfully manifesting without any action on their part. Steve Pavlina, for example. (And actually if you read just about any LOA book, you'll probably find many personal anecdotes from the author, which fit into the "successful manifestation without action" category).

However, I acknowledge that you may still have difficulty accepting what I say, until you have experienced it for yourself. I further understand that if you cannot bring yourself to even semi-open yourself to the possibility of what I say, then it becomes less likely to happen for you.

Nevertheless, our disagreement is not as major as it may appear. That's because I see action simply as a form of thought. Thus if a person says, "I wish to take massive action so as to achieve my goals," I would never say, "No, that's a bad idea, you should just close your eyes and visualise."

Instead, like you, I would probably say, "Oh, I wish you all the best. it's very good that you wish to take massive action to achieve your goals." For it is true that massive action can do a lot to affect and reshape reality (since massive action arises from highly focused thought, and highly focused thought can definitely affect and reshape reality).

There are some potential disadvantages, when you rely on a model of reality which says that your success depends exclusively on your own actions. For example, you may encounter situations such as these:

(1) the situation is complex and you do not know what action you should take;

(2) you have been taking intense action for a long time, and you are worn out and exhausted;

(3) the fulfilment of your goals depends on circumstances beyond the influence of your direct action (for example, the fulfilment depends on the decisions that other people take).

Action is the form of thought that fails here. But IM, in its broader form, still has plenty of room to work.

Also I want to tell you one more thing. There have been many occasions in my life when I manifested an intention, and would have eventually proceeded to take action on it. However, even before I could get around to get to taking any action, the universe had already fulfilled the intention. So that's LOA for you.

[hkalchemy]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

From my personal experience, I could give you numerous examples to show that you are incorrect. For example, I have 10 examples here.

ALG, thanks so much for your thoughtful response and for sharing these examples. They are certainly very inspiring. In a sense, since everything is connected and we do not sit in isolation from the rest of reality, I suppose even thinking and visualizing are actions.

[hkalchemy]

I'd also like to share this clip on Youtube, where Bob Doyle (who appears on the 'Secret') says the following about the law of attraction:

'We talk alot about taking inspired action in the movie'

‘You’re going to have to take some action.’

‘Part of the manifestation of any desire is you working in concert with the universe. You have to follow your intuition. It’s going to come very naturally.’

This is exactly my point. The action is, in a sense, effortless (which is why my blog is called Effortless Abundance, by the way)

[Jennihul]

I think it's really difficult for people to get a grip on the fact that thoughts are actions in this universe. We have travelled so far from our spirit the way we live now, people cannot relate to actions not being physical and involving the five senses.

To me, it seems fundamental. What action can even take place without a precipitating thought?

I also have equally fascinating examples such as the ones that ALG has. Fascinating to me. Coincidence is of course a possibility but it stretches credibility when the circumstances are broken down that these could be just coincidences.

Jennifer