Certainly by now most of you have heard of the best-selling book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, which has been applauded on talk shows like Oprah, and is being praised by businesses, foundations, and societies all over the country. But in case you’re one of the few who has missed out, let me briefly enlighten you. The “secret” is the law of attraction, and the idea that we attract into our lives what we think about most. The book uses this premise to empower us, stating that we can have whatever we want, if we will only envision ourselves as having already received it. The universe will then reward our request by eventually lining up the elements to clear a pathway for us to partake of the things we desire. We should ask, then believe, and then receive.
Many readers, and the author herself, have pointed out that this certainly isn’t a new philosophy, and that even the bible says, “Ask, and ye shall receive,” and “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” The book could be seen as a universal, modern day view of exercising faith, even for those who do not believe in a higher being. And those of us who do worship a divine creator can apply these same principles into our established religious philosophies.
Do We Attract Tragedy with Negativity?
Reading the book was exciting for me at first. The idea that we can control our lives with our thoughts is beyond empowering. And I certainly see the truth in it on many levels. If we envision ourselves giving that speech, writing that book, or performing that song flawlessly, we are creating an inner belief that it is possible, and even teaching ourselves how to go about doing it before it is done. However, the book additionally instructs that the tragedies in our lives have also come about through the law of attraction. The trials and calamities we face, according to The Secret, have come into our lives because we somehow attracted them with negativity.
Now, I do believe that people who are primarily negative can attract more negativity into their lives. Someone who sits around saying “Woe is me” is going to look for things to complain about, and even draw in more difficulty. However, it is hard for me to believe that all people who have faced adversity willed it into their own lives in every case. Can we honestly say that every parent of a child with disabilities willed that fate upon their son or daughter? Or worse yet, can we imply that the innocent child willed his condition upon himself? “Once you accept it, it’s life transforming,” the book tells us. According to The Secret philosophy, nothing is random. But did a kidnapped or abused child will his situation into fruition? In my opinion, absolutely not.
Freedom of Choice and Random Events
Part of this earthly experience is the reality that we are surrounded by other human beings who, like us, have freedom of choice. And certain individuals may choose to neglect or harm others. We may also be exposed to chemicals or toxins that we are entirely unaware of, due to some other individual’s ignorance or misuse. Sometimes the elements that combine to create our weather bring disastrous results. Did the entire city of New Orleans will hurricane Katrina into existence? If even one of those victims didn’t, he or she was subject to the will of someone else—or else the reality of random circumstance.
Being Subject to the Will of a Creator
In my opinion, some things in this world are just random. Period. Yes, we can guide our lives, and yes, we can make them joyous and achieve great and wonderful things with the power of faith and positive thinking. However, sometimes bad things happen to good people–bad things they certain didn’t deserve, conceive of, or will into existence. Human beings are powerful creatures, but I dare say we are not that powerful. Asking and believing? Of course, but ultimately, if there is a higher being or even just “the giving universe” it is certainly more complex and intelligent than we are, and therefore knows better than we do what is best for us. If we are loved by a higher source of power who is more enlightened than we are, then wouldn’t the answer, sometimes, have to be. . . “no?” As a parent, sometimes I answer “no” to my children’s requests out of sheer love for them. That’s because what they are asking for would not be in their best interest, and they just don’t know it.
Destiny or Accident? Maybe it’s Both.
One of my favorite scenes from the movie “Forrest Gump” has him standing over his beloved Jenny’s grave, talking tearfully to her headstone. He says,
“I don’t know if mama was right or if it’s Lieutenant Dan. I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze. But I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at the same time.”
I believe that we certainly can attract good things into our lives with faith, hope, and determination. Yet we are also subject to the randomness of mortality, and the higher-knowledge of our creator. We must carve out our own path, despite these realities. Those of you who bravely raise children with disabilities, you are the noblest of individuals, set upon a worthy path. There is no shame or fault in this.
Kristyn Crow is the author of this blog. Visit her website by clicking here. Some links on this blog may have been generated by outside sources are not necessarily endorsed by Kristyn Crow.
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