"The Secret"

I am not a big fun of buying information over the Internet. There is too much fluff lying around that might look great from a marketing standpoint, but has no tangible value. However, recently, while surfing the net, I was introduced to a movie called "The Secret". I bought a copy.

What an amazing and motivational movie. To me it was the first and probably the best introduction into the concept of the "Law of Attraction". Since then I have researched the topic and found literally tonnes of information (if one would want to print it), and yet I would argue this is the fullest, the most visual and convincing piece. It is also amazing that my previous post was so close in content to what is being discussed in the movie. They actually sell gratitude rocks (Anger management pens, anybody).

I have tried the "Law of Attraction" on a couple of small things (easiest to set the untrained mind into). It worked wonderfully although I had to adjust a couple of rules. Below I am presenting the "Success Recipe" for me, the way I understand it today. As I understand more I will augment the recipe.

The Recipe:

1. Figure out what is it that you want in your life right now. This is the most important step -if one cannot decide on what one wants, one cannot strongly believe in achieving that. It is also easier to start with tangible quantities things - it is easier to train the mind to visualise them.
2. Ask the "universe" for what you want. The affirm it to yourself as though you already have it. Just like they suggest: "I am so happy and grateful now that" _____fill in the blank. Always formulate only positive statements - statements like: " I am so happy and grateful now that I do not get that bill every month" DO NOT work.
3. Visualise what you want as if you already have it. This should bring the filling of joy. If you need some aids to do that (e.g. writing yourself a cheque) do it.
4. Believe that the "Law of Attraction" works for you. Have a highest sort of belief that what you want is right for you and what you are doing is right. Do not let anyone bring you down.
5. Be grateful of what you already have. Say it to yourself - this is a key to positive thinking and happiness.
6. Think only in positive terms, and have patience (hardest one for me)
7. Repeat 2,3, 4, and 5 each day - may be several times a day. In between let go, and try not to concern yourself with it.
8. In many cases the things that you want will not manifest themselves. It could be that you will suddenly be presented with an idea of how to get what you want. You have to go and implement that idea with no hesitation. You have to believe that you are going in the right direction even though you can experience some failure in the process.
9. If failure happens
   

• Do not play victim - it is so easy to do that, I did not even realise how often I did that
• Do not blame yourself - failure is an event, not a person.
• Do not blame others (this will erode your believe and positive mindset)
• Learn from the failure and forget it. Continue going forward. Believe in overall success.

End of Recipe

Last Saturday, Child Education Fund agent visited us, to create a policy for my daughter. It turns out that he knows all about the movie, and actually uses it as a training material for his sales people. The concepts presented in "the Secret" are very well suited for motivating sales teams - tangible things are easier to visualise and believe in. It is interesting, how many people know and use this on a daily basis?

Anger Management Pens

There is one thing I do all the time, while I go through a problem-solving task of any kind - I chew on pens. Does not matter if the problem is a test question, or a two-year release plan - I still do it. If it is not pen it is pencil. It seems that chewing on pens, helps me think in a more creative way.

Sometimes this leads to pen loss for other people, when their pens find themselves in the wrong place (near me) at the wrong time (while I am pacing back and forth - deep in thinking). When that happens I usually try to reimburse the person, so I keep several new pens in my notebook case just for that purpose.

Not so long ago it happened at a client side during a particularly nagging deployment issue. While I was reimbursing the people involved, funny conversation took place. We were discussing all the different (GOOD) things chewing pens could lead to, when someone in the office got an idea - Why won't we use it for Anger management?
- Anger management?
- Sure. Anger management. If it were good for creativity boost why wouldn't it help one to calm down?

We went through a funny business case for selling all sorts of chewing pens, and closed the matter. But then it struck me - this could be a serious idea. People can use any object to reinforce their beliefs, or motivate them in any desired way. This could work as a placebo effect. After all when our subconscious mind is absolutely convinced about something, it tends to work the hardest, to bring that something into the real world. So for example if one convinces him/herself that chewing on this pen will make one more creative, - it will happen. That person will become more creative, after chewing on the pen. The pen provided a support point for the subconscious mind to believe that after utilizing the pen, the person IS more creative.

Now the question is, why would anyone want to buy a "magic' object, instead of just grabbing whatever is available and declaring that it has "special powers"?

In my opinion the answer is in one word: VALUE. Placebo effect cannot take place if the patient knows that the pill is not real. More precisely Placebo effect can still happen, but the person has to work much harder to believe (against the knowledge) that the pill is real.

Same example works for any object. If you just pick a pen from the office, it has no VALUE to you. It is hard to convince yourself that doing something with this pen will achieve your goals. However if someone else sells you the same pen, preferably with a ridiculously high price tag attached, your mind automatically values the pen more. Thus it is easier to convince your brain that this pen has “special powers”.

THE INAUGURAL POST

Ladies and Gentelmen

After approximately a year of having a desire to blog, I did it. Finally Desire overcame all odds, time was found (or created) and I have started my own blog.

A bit about myself, and what this blog is intended to be about. My name is Alex Ladizginsky, I live in Ontario - Canada. I currently work in information technology and business or rather in the gap between them. From 7am to 7pm I am employed with a small company Sofea Inc, (as Product Director) which is revolusionising the way people create business and software requirements. From 7pm to 7am I am employed with my family, with exploring cool business and technology ideas, and with personal spiritual development.
This blog will touch upon all of the above aspects of my life. I will be writing my observations and ideas in hope to test if they make sense to anyone else but myself. I am hoping to learn from others and teach others - which in my opinion is just another spin on learn from others.
I am hoping to attract and interest people that attract and interest me.

I am very exited about being able to blog. To me this is a start of new dimension in my life and work (which is my life).