Sunday, July 01, 2007
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
All bolding in the following quotes is mine.
Empowering Thoughts: The Secret or The Law of Attraction in The Torah, Talmud & Zohar - Receive whatever you want !
by Rabbi Avraham Tzvi Schwartz
"The Secret of Recieve whatever you want" or "The Law of Attraction" is not a new concept.
In fact, it isn't a secret at all.
This Secret was first promulgated by some of the earliest wise men, and it appears again and again throughout the Torah, Talmud and Zohar.
But very few people have learned or understand it. That's why it's unfamiliar to many and the reason it remains virtually a secret.
This work is a collection of pieces on how to receive all we wish to receive - "all" here meaning all!
The key lies in holding empowered thoughts in our mind. Such thoughts, in and of themselves, are a type of prayer, and with such prayer we release every type of goodness into our lives; with such mental images we unleash the very power of Creation.
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From Wikipedia:
The Law of Attraction is commonly associated with New Age and New Thought theories. It states people experience the corresponding manifestations of their predominant thoughts, feelings, words, and actions and that people therefore have direct control over reality and their lives through thought alone. A person's thoughts (conscious and unconscious), emotions, beliefs and actions are said to attract corresponding positive and negative experiences "through the resonance of their energetic vibration." [1] The "law of attraction" states "you get what you think about; your thoughts determine your destiny."[2] Many proponents of the idea claim that with practice a person can use the law of attraction to change their lives. However, the idea has received intense criticism from multiple circles in the media, the scientific community, and even other areas of the New Age Movement. [1]
History
The idea that thoughts introduced into reality can attract like energy dates back thousands of years. Buddha states, "What you have become is the result of what you have thought." It can be found in beliefs as ancient as Hinduism.[3] In the West, the idea of "positive thinking" became popular during the 19th century. One of the earliest known formulations of the ideas now known as as the Law of Attraction is contained in the 1906 book Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World by William Walker Atkinson[4], editor of New Thought magazine. Dozens of books in the first half of the 20th century addressed the topic under various names of "positive thinking" and the "Law of Attraction."
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A book by Greg Kubisak
From the review:
If you are interested in spiritual studies, chances are you have heard about the Law of Attraction and the movie, The Secret. While the movie is relatively new, the Law of Attraction is not a new concept by any means. It basically states that like attracts like. Thoughts are things that send messages to the Universe about what you wish to experience in your life. So whatever you think about, you will attract into your life. That's where the Law of Attraction gets a little tricky. ...
Words are powerful things. They are thoughts expressed. They can be emotionally stirring, or just off-handed, flippant remarks. So in order to attract abundance into your life, it is important to choose your words carefully, as well as monitor your thoughts. Now don't get discouraged because you have negative thoughts, or say things without thinking. When you notice yourself having a negative thought, or when you say something negative, replace it with something positive. Positive words and thoughts are much more powerful than negative ones.
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A book by Stephen H. Martin
From the review:
A sect of Jews with a bent toward the mystical called the Essenes, who lived in the Middle East from the second century before the current era through the first century, are thought by some scholars to have taught it to Jesus of Nazareth when he was a boy. Though some Christians may not be aware of it, Jesus preached “The Secret” openly - “All things are possible for him who believes” - and he practiced it as expertly as anyone before or since if the miracles recounted in the New Testament are even partially true.
Tradition holds that the Rosicrucian Order passed down “The Secret,” also known as the law of attraction, from the time of ancient Egypt to the present day. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, “The Secret” became fairly widely known because of the New Thought Movement that flourished in American and England.
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A book by Bob New and Kathleen Rich-New
From the review:
Not unlike "The Secret" and the Law of Attraction, "Looking for the Good Stuff" is about bringing the good things in your life in to clear focus. What you focus on is what you get. The questions you ask determine the answers you will receive. This universal law is born out by quantum physics and by Dr. Emoto's "Messages From The Water". We simply need to shift from the bad news of the day to "Looking for the Good Stuff."
About the Author
With experiences covering the spectrum from hard-nosed MBA programs to the fast pace of a Silicon Valley start-up, to spiritual studies in Bali, Kathleen Rich-New and Bob New bring a unique blend of practical experience and clarity of focus to their writing, speaking and consulting.
They each have over 25 years of experience in corporate management with companies including Apple Computer, GTE (now Verizon) Nortel, SGI and IBM.
In 2002, Kathleen was a facilitator for "Listening to the City," a 5,000 person town hall meeting in NYC using Appreciative Inquiry to get feedback on the rebuilding and memorial at Ground Zero. At GTE, Bob was on the core team to introduce Appreciative Inquiry to 64,000 front line employees. Over 10,000 innovations were attributed to their efforts.
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From the website of St. Mary of Vernon Catholic Church:
Appreciative Inquiry
The following description of the Appreciative Inquiry process is reprinted by permission of the Diocese of Cleveland, Vibrant Parish Life Task Force:
Appreciative Inquiry is a process that invites people to inquire about what most “gives life” in their parish life and ministries. It forms the foundation for envisioning a community that is centered in the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel message as that message is lived in the lives of its people.
Appreciative Inquiry counteracts deficit-based thinking, which outlines only problem situations. Constantly pinpointing weaknesses leaves a parish focused on its lack of resources rather than the abundance of blessings which God has created. Negative thinking takes away the capacity to create new visions and new images of a vibrant future. It can stifle hope and produce a community lacking in energy and enthusiasm.
Appreciative Inquiry instead asks people to take a deep inventory of their personal and communal experiences, recount events and times that had the most vitality and inspiration, and then compile those compelling features into a vision for positive change and a fuller life.
To define terms, “appreciate” means to value, recognize or affirm the strengths, successes and potentials in people and communities. We appreciate things that give life, health, vitality and excellence. To “inquire” is to explore or discover. It is to ask questions with the hope of seeing new potentials and possibilities. “Appreciative Inquiry” is thus the process of asking questions and exploring thins that most give life, health, vitality and excellence.
These moments of life and excellence in parish life should never be taken for granted. They are the ways in which we give glory to God and inspire people to be Catholic – the “Good News” of parish life. The spirit of hope and envisioning the future is reflected well in the words of Pope John XXIII: “Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you have tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.”
