Why the Movie “The Secret” is Not Enough

I remember when I first saw that movie, “The Secret”. I was at a conference with scientists and thought leaders, and many people strongly urged me to watch it. But I remember, as I watched, my sense of unease began to grow and grow. I got so uncomfortable with it that I got nauseous, and kept wanting to walk out.

Why?

It reminded me too much of my early life experience with religion. Coming from a deeply religious family, I was told that if I just believed in Him, that God would provide.   But that seemed way to simple to be true, and I got the impression that there was a lot of over-promising and under-delivering.

The Secret, like many religions, wreaked of the religious promise that if only you believed, you would be happy, or get what you wanted. Again it seemed way too simple and way too good to be true.

It is based on the notion of the Law of Attraction, and it’s the idea that you attract what you vibrate.

More and more people insisted I pay attention to the Law of Attraction, but I kept resisting it.

And then I met Peter,

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The Global Consequences of Ignoring our Mental Health

It saddens me terribly to say this, but I truly believe that in this country, we are facing an epidemic of cruelty.   Forty years ago, I don’t think we could have ever imagined America as a country, where we would have an average of one mass shooting a day, where police would be regularly caught on tape beating up minorities, or where presidential candidates were allowed to openly incite violence towards anyone they didn’t like.

The reasons for this trend are many. I believe that rising inequality breeds greater unhappiness, and I’ve outlined the reasons in my article, “Does Inequality affect Your Happiness?”   I also believe that as more of us compete for fewer resources, the greater need we have to prove our worth. If we aren’t careful, we can become less trusting. The need to survive can increase our tendency to discriminate against minorities, women, children, the elderly or people who are different than us.

But humans also have tremendous capacity to come together in crises. We have the power to work together, and respond to our collective suffering with empathy and compassion.

So what is the underlying difference between those that choose the path of hate vs. the path of compassion?

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7 Signs of Decline to Watch for With Your Aging Parents

If you plan to see your aging relatives this season, one of the most loving things you can do for them, is to do a thorough check to make sure they are still able to appropriately care for themselves.

Why? Because if they are at any risk of developing any type of dementia or other chronic diseases common in the elderly, catching it early is essential to a good prognosis.

For example, before getting a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a patient will often have several years of Mild Cognitive Impairment, which may or may not progress to Alzheimer’s Disease. After 18 years of research in Alzheimer’s disease, the one thing that I consistently saw, was that for interventions in the Western medical sciences, chances of recovery, or halting the progression of dementia were only possible for those at the Mild Cognitive Impairment stage.   Alzheimer’s Disease is extremely costly and an incredible emotional and physical burden to the family, so catching and preventing any further decline can literally prevent a family from emotional and financial bankruptcy!

A colleague of mine, Frank Simons, who is an Elder Care Advisor recently gave us a wonderful list of things we should look out for during the holidays, to keep our loved ones healthy and cared for.

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Why We Lack Control Over Our Thoughts

My friend Jim Kellner performs “mental magic”  to audiences around the country.   Technically, he’s a stage hypnotist and a couple of weeks ago, he did a performance where he hypnotized a few people, including a friend of mine, Brian.     Here’s just a little taste from the show.  (Warning:  you might not want to drink anything while watching.  It could get messy!)

 

I talked to Brian a few days afterwards, and asked him how it was, and he said, “it was the weirdest thing, but I don’t remember anything about it!”.   I just remember waking up and feeling really relaxed!

I confess, as a person that is less susceptible to hypnosis, I marvel that some people can get that deeply hypnotized.   Furthermore, his shows really awaken my curiousity! What is going on in their brains that make them so highly suggestible?

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Do Supplements Cause Side Effects?

When I work with clients, if there is an underlying toxin or pathogen (virus, bacteria, fungus, etc) that is contributing to their problem, or if they have a nutrient deficiency, I typically refer them to a remedy that we use with Body Code (See disclaimer).   Most clients don’t notice any problems with the supplements, but sometimes they do.   Some clients stop taking their remedies due to unwanted side effects.  However to heal, giving up on a remedy without knowing the cause of the side effects may be doing more harm than good!

Before stopping a supplement, is always important to determine whether 1.) the symptoms are related to the supplement 2.) the remedy is causing a healing crisis 3.) the client is having an allergic reaction 4.) the dose needs to be adjusted, or 5.) the client is getting non-specific effects of the supplement.

Fortunately, I can get at those answers by asking the subconscious:

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How Well Do You Maintain Balance?

Do you feel like your responsibilities are pulling you all over the place?  Are you struggling to maintain some balance in your life?   If so, you’re not alone.  Most of us have so many demands on our time and energy, that life can feel out of control.  Take this True/False quiz to see how well you are meeting responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and wants.

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