6 Degrees Of Me

This has been printed and copied all over the net but it’s an interesting read

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Please allow me to share with you how “The Secret” changed my life and in a very real and substantive way allowed me to overcome a severe crisis in my personal life. It is well known that the premise of “The Secret” is the science of attracting the things in life that you desire and need and in removing from your life those things that you don’t want. Before finding this book, I knew nothing of these principles, the process of positive visualization, and had actually engaged in reckless behaviors to the point of endangering my own life and wellbeing.
At age 36, I found myself in a medium security prison serving 3-5 years for destruction of government property and public intoxication. This was stiff punishment for drunkenly defecating in a mailbox but as the judge pointed out, this was my third conviction for the exact same crime. I obviously had an alcohol problem and a deep and intense disrespect for the postal system, but even more importantly I was ignoring the very fabric of our metaphysical reality and inviting destructive influences into my life.
My fourth day in prison was the first day that I was allowed in general population and while in the recreation yard I was approached by a prisoner named Marcus who calmly informed me that as a new prisoner I had been purchased by him for three packs of Winston cigarettes and 8 ounces of Pruno (prison wine). Marcus elaborated further that I could expect to be [...] raped by him on a daily basis and that I had pretty eyes.
Needless to say, I was deeply shocked that my life had sunk to this level. Although I’ve never been homophobic I was discovering that I was very rape phobic and dismayed by my overall personal street value of roughly $15. I returned to my cell and sat very quietly, searching myself for answers on how I could improve my life and distance myself from harmful outside influences. At that point, in what I consider to be a miraculous moment, my cell mate Jim Norton informed me that he knew about the Marcus situation and that he had something that could solve my problems. He handed me a copy of “The Secret”. Normally I wouldn’t have turned to a self help book to resolve such a severe and immediate threat but I literally didn’t have any other available alternatives. I immediately opened the book and began to read.
The first few chapters deal with the essence of something called the “Law of Attraction” in which a primal universal force is available to us and can be harnessed for the betterment of our lives. The theoretical nature of the first few chapters wasn’t exactly putting me at peace. In fact, I had never meditated and had great difficulty with closing out the chaotic noises of the prison and visualizing the positive changes that I so dearly needed. It was when I reached Chapter 6 “The Secret to Relationships” that I realized how this book could help me distance myself from Marcus and his negative intentions. Starting with chapter six there was a cavity carved into the book and in that cavity was a prison shiv. This particular shiv was a toothbrush with a handle that had been repeatedly melted and ground into a razor sharp point.
The next day in the exercise yard I carried “The Secret” with me and when Marcus approached me I opened the book and stabbed him in the neck. The next eight weeks in solitary confinement provided ample time to practice positive visualization and the 16 hours per day of absolute darkness actually made visualization about the only thing that I actually could do. I’m not sure that everybody’s life will be changed in such a dramatic way by this book but I’m very thankful to have found it and will continue to recommend it heartily.

Popularity: 7%

I had to come out of posting retirement to put this up:

Popularity: 4%

Life is really funny.  It has a way of acting as a mirror for what is going on inside of you, a way of reflecting who you are as a person in every aspect of your life.  Take your crazy friend for instance.  Yes, you have a crazy friend — or multiple crazy friends — we all do.  Why is it that bad things keep happening to that person? Why is it that the world is constantly imploding around that person? And just when you think things will pick up for them or they’ve grown a bit and moved forward in their life, the “same old same” rears its ugly head?

It’s the mirror at work.  The internal universe reflecting externally.  The self loathing and constant abuse that your crazy friend lives with day in and day out also manifests itself in their external life.

The flip side is also true.  My girlfriend will sometimes bring up our relationship and how she’s so glad we found each other. She claims that I changed her — that she was immature, spiteful, and malicious before she met me and that meeting me and being around me changed her.  Untrue (except for the immature, spiteful and malicious part … the fact is that she changed — she changed on the inside and the new reflection shows her to not possess any of those characteristics.  I don’t know that spiteful person. I never did.  In fact I wouldn’t have ever shown up in her life if she hadn’t changed first.

The mirror traverses relationships and can be applied to other areas of your life.  For example, diet and health.  Let’s talk about my diet and health.  I exercise regularly, eat a sensible diet, and generally take fantastic care of myself.  If you were to look at my self image mirror you would see just that — healthy, fit, and somewhat vain stud, who likes the way he looks and feels and strives to maintain it.

So if you’re looking to lose substantial weight or even just get lean and fit the key isn’t to exercise and eat a sensible diet.  That’s really the aftereffect of the mirror.  The real key is who you are inside. I’m a lean healthy person inside.  That’s how I’ve always seen myself since I was a little kid.  The exercise and diets are really just biproducts of my internal vision.

How do you see yourself?  Are you as happy as you want to be? Are you as successful at work or your business as you feel you should be? Are you content with the way you treat your wife, girlfriend, kids,friends,etc?  Even more telling — are you happy with the way the treat you? If not it may be time to pull out the Windex and buff up that mirror.

Popularity: 6%

Should one do something because they truly love it or because it does or has the potential to make them a lot of money?  This is something that I have been and I think many folks grapple with back and forth.

There are a few different schools of thought.  Some will say that you do yourself a disservice if you pursue money in lieu of focusing on providing value.  Others say, that it’s more important to make money because that is what ultimately decides a lot of what you can and cannot provide for yourself and your family.

I remember when I first got out of college.  Those first couple of years are pretty eye opening.  While you’re in school you have this overarching idea that you can do everything and be everything; you kind of can while you’re in school.

Then you get out.  You think you’re the hottest thing on the block and no one can tell you shit.  I remember having a conversation with one of my friend’s fathers.  He was a few years from retiring from corporate law and I asked him what was more important – money or doing what you love.  His response

Al — I absolutely hate my job.  But it pays well… it gave me a comfortable living and gives my kids the ability to do and be whoever they want.  I can worry about doing what i “like” when I’m retired and the kids are graduated from college

That was an interesting self sacrificing way of dealing a part of your life that you’re not that fond of. Another one of my friends is in the most simplest terms working in a lab actively searching for a cure for cancer.  He has a job that doesn’t pay that well and has a wife and kid. But he loves what he does.

Does that make him selfish? Should he be more focused on providing for his family than performing a service to humanity or working in an area that is highly self fulfilling?

Personally I think both avenues are correct.  I think it’s great to make millions of dollars. Like my father always said, an athlete “deserves” to make a boatload of money if someone is willing to pay him that much.  I also believe that it’s good to work at a job that you love even if it doesn’t pay you a good deal of money.

The real key to making this seemingly impossible conditional statement plausible is how you the individual resonates with the choice.  There is no right answer. There is only the right answer for you.  With every choice in life there is going to be some sort of sacrifice but if the intended result is one that you truly believe in then you must stick to your guns and live with your decision.

Popularity: 7%