It’s hard to believe The Secret book and movie came out more than ten years ago.
They’re still cooking, still circulating, and still changing lives.
I’m forever grateful for The Secret, whether I was in it or not.
It triggered an awakening, a conversation, and hope.
But it also created confusion.
Many people watched the movie or read the book, tried what they learned, and felt “It didn’t work.”
And that’s the problem.
The Secret was only an introduction to a principle. It revealed the basics of the Law of Attraction to the masses.
But that’s all it did: introduce the idea.
It didn’t offer the depth you need to understand the law or use it to create a new reality.
Even today, ten years later, I see people not fully understand what I call “the missing secret.”
In short, you get what you unconsciously believe, not necessarily what you consciously say.
In other words, intentions are one thing, but you also need to know about counter-intentions.
Let me explain.
Intentions are what you consciously declare.
“I intend to increase my sales” is an intention.
“I intend to create a bigger business” is an intention.
“I intend to attract my soulmate,” is an intention.
Intentions are powerful; they engage the mind, rally the emotions, and help create momentum.
Intentions are good.
But.
Counter-intentions are in the subconscious/unconscious mind.
If you unconsciously believe “money is evil” or “money is bad” or “I don’t deserve good things,” then you will veto your intentions.
You will block them.
You will unconsciously sabotage your own success. You won’t even know it.
You’ll blame your lack of success on other people, or politicians, or the current economic climate, or even The Secret.
And that’s the missing secret.
You can sit and meditate, visualize, affirm and wear amulets all day long, but you won’t attract what you want while the limiting beliefs remain operating in your deeper mind.
The unconscious is far more powerful than the conscious. Numerous books on neuroscience prove this fact. So, in order to attract what you consciously want, you have to clean up your unconscious/subconscious beliefs.
The movie and book never addressed this issue. Again, they were only introducing an idea. We need the sequel to the The Secret to understand how to actually begin to manifest the reality we want on a consistent basis.
Since there’s never been a sequel to the movie (there have been numerous follow up books, such as The Magic and the recent, How the Secret Changed My Life), I’ll give you a formula to help you make better use of the Law of Attraction.
Ready?
Here’s The Formula:
First: State your intention.
What do you want to have, do, or be?
Be clear.
Be specific.
Declare it.
Own it.
Write it down.
That’s your goal/intention/outcome.
It should ignite the fire of desire in you.
Second: Note what objections surface.
What thoughts come to mind?
Do you have doubts?
Fears?
Concerns?
Be honest.
Really look within.
Stating your intention will trigger limiting thoughts about attracting it. Those are clues to your limiting beliefs. Welcome them.
Write those down, too.
Third: Clear the limiting beliefs.
Ask, “Do I believe this?”
Or, “Where’s the evidence for this belief?”
Act like a good detective and unearth the reasons you may have for the beliefs, doubts, fears, or concerns.
Then question the evidence.
Question the reasons.
What you are doing is dismantling your own belief system.
You will weaken it, and eventually clear it.
You will deprogram yourself.
You will rewire your own mind.
You will be free.
This last step is something you can use a wide variety of techniques to accomplish. I’ve written many books to help, such as my newest, The Miracle: Six Steps to Enlightenment. You can use EFT (the tapping method). You can use the Hawaiian spiritual tool called ho’oponopono, which I wrote about in Zero Limits and AT Zero. You basically say, “I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you” to your connection to the Universe, as a type of prayer for cleansing. You can get into my coaching program, you can work with another person, you can write out a dialogue with yourself, questioning your beliefs in writing.
Modern brain sciences prove that you can change your own mind.
Read books like Shad Helmstetter’s The Power of Neuroplasticity or Jeffrey Schwartz’s You Are Not Your Brain.
The ways and means to “get clear” of counter-intentions are readily available to you.
And proven to work.
But it’s essential to do this step in order to attract what you intend, or something even better.
Again, I’m grateful for The Secret, and you should be, too. It may not have revealed the “missing secret” but it paved the way for a whole new world of transformation, including your own.
Dr. Joe Vitale, a star in the movie The Secret, is a bestselling author, musician, speaker, coach and more. His latest book is The Miracle: Six Steps to Enlightenment. You can have his free e-book, Attract Money Now, at www.AttractMoneyNow.com His main website is www.MrFire.com
The two most popular books I’ve written are hands down Zero Limits and AT Zero, both about ho’oponopono.
Both led to an awakening for readers worldwide.
Both went beyond the Law of Attraction and the movie The Secret.
Both told the incredible but true story of Dr. Hew Len, an unusual therapist who helped heal an entire ward of mentally ill criminals in a Hawaii state hospital.
His method of healing is called ho’oponopono.
The basic four phrases of this Hawaiian healing method – I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you – are easy and practical.
Just say them inside yourself while addressing your connection to the Divine, or what I sometimes call The Great Something.
That alone works miracles, as my books report.
But there’s more to it.
I’ve been studying and practicing this method for more than ten years.
I’ve taught it, written about it in two books, shared it on numerous shows and in movies, used it publicly and privately, held three seminars with Dr. Hew Len teaching it, recorded healing music and songs with it, created a basic certification course in it, and much more.
I’ve also gone beyond it.
As I’ve explained in such books as The Awakening Course, ho’oponopono is actually a third stage tool.
There’s still the fourth stage of awakening, which is beyond basic ho’oponopono.
There are more methods, phrases, tools, and techniques to help you relax into the moment and be at peace.
There are deeper ways to attract miracles.
There are more ways to clean and clear.
There are other ways to awaken.
What are they?
I’ll be sharing them at a private event March 10-12, 2017 outside of Austin, Texas. Details are at http://advancedhooponoponolive.com/
I won’t be doing it alone.
I’ll have Austin All Natural magazine editor Michael Abedin (above left) speak about Reiki, Bach flower remedies and forgiveness. Michael is a terrific storyteller and riveting speaker. His insights will startle and soothe. He also tells good jokes. He’ll tie all of this to advanced ho’oponopono.
Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon will be discussing the use of Ho’oponopono infused music and its ability to align spiritual vibration, clean data/memory/beliefs, and clear your ethereal passages for Divine inspiration.
He and I have made several inspired albums of divine music. We will share how music heals and helps. We will also show you how to apply inspiration in any area of your life. You will learn to clean memory so you can receive inspiration.
Dr. Steve G. Jones, Clinical Hypnotherapist, will teach you about hypnosis and how to re-program yourself, enabling you to better practice Ho’oponopono. Dr. Steve will even be sharing an empowering hypnosis session. Together he and I will explain that you are in a trance right now, and how to awaken from it.
Dr. Steve is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who has been practicing hypnotherapy since the 1980s. He is the author of 25 books on such topics as hypnosis, the law of attraction and weight loss. Steve has also created over 9,000 hypnosis audio recordings and 22 different online certification programs, which are sold in over 140 countries.
Chuck Pennington will show you how to harmonize with the Universal Mind and take that energy home with you. He will teach you how to create a Ho’oponopono Mastermind so you can help others as they help you.
Have you ever gone to a seminar, gotten home, and a week or two later that “seminar buzz” wears off and you’re right back where you were?
Chuck will show you how to maintain that buzz and to make sure that not only your thoughts, but your actions stay in harmony with the clearing and cleaning energy of the sacred spiritual advanced ho’oponopono weekend.
Harry B-Happy Bartholomew is a former Buddhist Monk, music producer and energy healer practicing and teaching Reiki, Adhisthana healing, Medicine Buddha healing, 42 eyes and hands of the Great Compassion Sutra, who first started practicing Ho’oponopono in 2008.
One of his main practices is his work doing empowerments using Gongs, Singing Bowls, and Ho’oponopono. During this spiritual retreat, he will not only perform these empowerments for all in attendance, but will also talk about his journey, how he uses his gongs and bowls as cleaning and empowerment tools, and how you can develop your own tools.
Everyone attending will be given a crystal, which will be infused with energy for clearing and healing. Many things in ho’oponopono are talismans, and this crystal will be set aflame with the clearing energy of the group. You will be able to carry it and use it as a touchstone for clearing.
I will of course review the basic ho’oponopono process, and teach everyone advanced methods of clearing and healing, including how to use EFT and ho’oponopono, and the new phrases for cleaning. I will share stories and processes that have never been revealed before, many of my own discovery.
There will be other speakers besides those listed above, too. Check the main site for up-to-date information.
Everyone attending will be certified as Ho’oponopono Advanced Practicioners.
If you have suspected that there is more to spirituality, healing and ho’oponopono, then this weekend spiritual retreat will be your cup of tea.
Details are at http://advancedhooponoponolive.com/
Expect Miracles.
Ao Akua,
When my drummer was here recently for the recording of my sixth self-help singer-songwriter album, titled The Great Something, he talked about how much he loved the old 1960’s hit television show, The Twilight Zone.
It’s Twilight Zone-ish enough that my drummer has the same name as me, grew up in the same area of Ohio as me, and went to the same college as me – but we never met until five years ago, for the making of my first singer-songwriter album.
But it gets even stranger when one night an episode of The Twilight Zone aired on television – one I don’t recall ever seeing before.
As I watched, an idea for an “instant change” self-help technique came to me with a jolt.
Oh, this is good, I thought to myself, laughing.
Wait till I tell everyone about this!
And this is where the story gets really interesting.
But let’s start at the beginning.
I’m a huge fan of The Twilight Zone TV show.
I was five years old when it first aired in 1959, but I saw virtually every episode after that, and still watch them today. Each show was genius. Great acting, great stories, great lessons.
Over half of the 150 episodes were written by the man who created the show: Rod Serling.
Serling deeply influenced me when I was a teenager.
I studied his scripts, short stories, and movies to unlock his mastery at writing.
I loved his screenplays for Seven Days in May and Requiem for a Heavyweight.
Talk about hypnotic writing!
Rod Serling’s Advice to Writers (1962)
DON’T LET SENTIMENTALITY REAR ITS UGLY HEAD!!!
MAKE PEOPLE THINK… STUN THEM… GRAB YOUR AUDIENCE IMMEDIATELY
DON’T OVERLOAD DIALOGUE
HAVE A POINT OF VIEW… DON’T ACCEPT SOMEONE ELSE’S CONCEPT
OVERALL THEME LEADS TO CHARACTERS THEN ON TO PLOT
RESEARCH BACKGROUND FOR ANY STORY
CONTINUITY… TIE SCENES OR PARAGRAPHS TOGETHER
I almost signed up for the Famous Writers School, as Serling was on their board (as was John Caples, another writer who would influence me decades later).
It didn’t happen. I was still in high school, and my parents couldn’t or wouldn’t swing the tuition for the correspondence course.
But something even better happened.
I met Rod Serling.
He was giving a presentation in Youngstown, Ohio, not far from my home. Two friends and myself went to hear the great one speak. It was around 1970.
I was too excited to sit still.
I was star-struck and eager to meet the icon.
He walked out on stage, cigarette in hand, tanned, tiny, unshaven, tight lipped, and uncomfortable.
I was instantly disappointed.
Serling was a chain-smoking little man with darkness and insecurity in him.
He said if there was a thump at night, he’d be the first one outside in his shorts.
He said he was the only boxer who had to be carried into as well as out of the ring.
He was articulate, self effacing, and entertaining.
But I wanted to see a super human, not a mortal.
Though I was shy and nervous, I managed to ask him a question.
I raised my hand.
He nodded at me.
“Do you plan to write your autobiography?” I asked.
“No,” Serling replied. “Nothing much has happened in my life. It’d be boring.”
I was shocked.
Here was one of early television’s most influential writers.
A creative mind on the level of genius.
He wrote screenplays for some of the most haunting TV shows and movies ever.
He won several Emmy Awards for his work.
He served in the war and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, as well as trauma and wounds that would give him nightmares his entire life.
He was known as “the angry young man” of Hollywood, fighting with TV executives over censorship, racism, and war.
He was also unhappy.
“I was traumatized into writing by war events,” Rod Serling explained. “By going through a war in a combat situation and feeling the desperate sense of terrible need for some sort of therapy. To get it out of my gut, write it down. This is the way it began for me.”
And he thought his life story would be boring???
It was a turning point for me.
I decided if this insecure man can become a scrip writing legend, than there was a chance for me to make it as an author, too.
And now, before I get to the point of this entire article, let’s pause for a commercial break….
Be the first! Preorder my new album “The Great Something” as a limited edition collectible audio CD. All original transformational songs. All dedicated to Melissa Etheridge. You’ll get a surprise bonus gift when it ships in March. See http://www.thegreatsomethingalbum.com/
And now let’s continue with this article….
Back to the episode I saw the other night.
It took place in an office.
A businessman is talking to his secretary.
He is preparing to go on a trip.
He goes to his phone, starts to dial his wife’s number, when suddenly someone shouts, “CUT!”
The man freezes.
He watches as his office walls are moved.
And then he sees an entire film crew looking at him.
He is on a movie set.
The yelling of “CUT!” caused him to freeze.
He is almost traumatized by this turn of events.
He didn’t know he was on a set, or in a movie, or was an actor.
Imagine how you would feel if right now you heard a booming voice yell “CUT!” and then you saw the walls around you move apart, only to reveal a film crew that has been watching you the whole time.
The episode is from 1960. It’s #23. It was written by Richard Matheson. It’s called “A World of Difference.” Howard Duff is the key actor. Find it and watch it sometime.
And now let’s get to the point:
Here’s how I discovered a self-help “instant change” technique:
Whenever you notice anything not going the way you want it to, mentally or out loud yell, “CUT!”
And then do, think or say something different.
Use “CUT!” as a command to change your mind or even a situation.
For example:
A friend was complaining about her day.
I listened for a moment.
Then I blurted, “CUT!”
She stared at me.
“Let’s redo this scene,” I said. “Say your lines differently this time.”
I had to explain the entire Twilight Zone episode to her before she understood what I was doing, but my “pattern interrupt” caused her to smile and begin a new conversation.
Another example:
I was served dinner at a restaurant.
I was about to complain about the dish when I remembered that complaining doesn’t help. It’s far wiser to state an intention instead.
So I yelled “CUT!” in my head.
“State what you want,” I told myself, “not what you don’t want.”
I then stated that I wanted my food heated up a little more, and the server smiled and handled it. No one was offended by a complaint, and I got what I wanted from the intention.
Do you see how this works?
I’m simply pretending that life is a stage play or television show.
As long as “the show” entertains me, fine.
But if I or someone in my real life reality show gets “out of tune” or goes “off script,” I can simply say “CUT!” and “Let’s do the scene again!”
“In almost everything I’ve written, there is a thread of this: man’s seemingly palpable need to dislike someone other than himself.”- Rod Serling
My own philosophy of life states that life is an illusion, anyway.
We’re all actors and actresses on the stage of life.
The problem is, we are all in a hypnotic trance and believe our roles.
“Awakening” is all about realizing you are acting out a script, though unconsciously.
By saying “CUT!” and pausing, you start to awaken from the trance and redirect your life.
In a real sense, you become the scriptwriter of your own life.
How cool is that?
I’m having fun using this self-help method in my daily life.
If I notice my thoughts start to go downhill, I just yell in my mind, “CUT!”
And then I choose to “redo my lines” by thinking more upbeat thoughts.
I doubt anyone involved with the making of The Twilight Zone ever thought of this way of retraining your brain and interrupting patterns, but I like thinking Rod Serling is smiling from above.
If not, then “CUT!” and “This time put a smile on your face, Rod!”
Ao Akua,
PS — One of my favorite screenplays by Rod Serling was titled, Patterns. It was a live television drama in 1955. It became a movie in 1956. Yelling “CUT!” is a great way to break a pattern. Just sayin’.
I’m going to share a hot off the press story with you here. Then we can look at how to apply the principles in it to your life.
Ready?
I just finished recording my sixth singer-songwriter album. It’s called The Great Something.
While the previous five albums all reveal a musician growing in confidence and ability, each one better than the last, this latest one broke all boundaries.
The songs are better than ever.
The singing is hands down the best ever.
The music is stellar, going from swing to ballad to rock to (as my drummer put it) “improvised symphony of genius.”
Why is this album so much better than all the others?
What happened?
I used everything I teach about self-help, goal-setting, and manifestation to create this album; from setting a clear intention to gathering my band of legends, to taking action on the ideas and opportunities that arose as I moved toward the recording date.
While all these elements are part of what make The Law of Attraction work in your favor, clearly the biggest turning point for me was attracting my private two-hour songwriting lesson with rock icon Melissa Etheridge.
I’ve already written four blog posts about my time with her. (See PS below for links to those “Attracting Melissa Etheridge” articles.) I won’t repeat myself (much) here, but I openly declare that my time with Melissa deeply influenced this entire album.
In fact, I’ve dedicated it to her.
Let me explain:
First, I used some of her music dynamics to create new songs.
The song “Melissa Said” is, as my producer called it, “The greatest thank you card of all time.” It’s an original song I wrote for Melissa, using some of the arrangements she shared with me about making music. My band got goose bumps listening to my homage to Melissa. It is stellar. It is three minutes of gratitude. (Wait till Melissa hears it!)
Second, the title track song was directly influenced by my time with Melissa.
While Melissa was too wise to tell me what to do, her feedback helped me learn lessons for myself. It was the Socratic method. Socrates didn’t give you the answer. He helped you think of it on your own. Being with Melissa helped me realize the title track song (and the album) needed to be called The Great Something, my phrase for God or the Divine. (It was originally going to be called The Miracle.) That insight redirected the entire album.
Third, and more importantly, Melissa urged me to write from the first person.
“The Great Something,” the title track song, is raw. It’s from my view of life, my hard times, and my discovery of The Great Something. The band was blown away with the power and depth of it. It is riveting. It is revealing. That is a direct result of taking to heart what Melissa told me about writing in the first person.
Fourth, when I was with Melissa, I shared the opening lines of a song that had come to me in my sleep.
Melissa liked what she heard. Because of that, I felt encouraged to complete the song. I did. It is the most hauntingly beautiful thing I’ve ever penned. It’s called “Hey You,” and it’s designed to heal any hurting heart. Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon added his sweet guitar on it and it is deliciously healing.
Fifth, Melissa taught me to feel my message when I sang.
As a result, my singing on a singer-songwriter ballad I wrote was, as my producer called it, “Sinatra-est.” It was probably the highest compliment he could give me. My voice compared even remotely to Frank Sinatra’s was enough to make me speechless. I just followed what Melissa taught me and felt the song as I sang it.
Obviously, I absorbed Melissa’s wisdom and vibe and infused it into this new album.
But we aren’t done with the album yet.
I’m hoping to have Grammy nominated saxophone great Mindi Abair add her happy sax to my “Glad Game” swing song.
I’m hoping Grammy nominated singer Ruthie Foster will add her soaring vocals to the spiritual I wrote called “Look for the Light.”
And I’m hoping Melissa Etheridge will add voice or guitar to any track.
I have big dreams for this new album. As Daniel Barrett, producer (and coauthor of the book, The Remembering Process) told me, “You can’t think average thoughts and expect extraordinary results.”
So, I’m thinking BIG.
This post isn’t about getting you to buy my new album. It isn’t completed yet, let alone ready for sale.
Instead, I’m sharing all of this with you to demonstrate how the Law of Attraction, magic, and miracles work.
Here’s a quick recap:
I’m sure you can do this, too.
You have a dream, don’t you?
You could set an intention for it, gather allies, and start to move toward it, right?
Are there any real excuses or limitations for doing what you really want to do, if you really want to do it?
Isn’t today a good day to begin?
The Great Something says YES!
Ao Akua,
PS – Here are the links to my four blog posts about my songwriting lesson with rock icon Melissa Etheridge:
https://www.mrfire.com/law-of-attraction/attracting-melissa-etheridge-part-4/
https://www.mrfire.com/law-of-attraction/attracting-melissa-etheridge-part-3/
https://www.mrfire.com/law-of-attraction/attracting-melissa-etheridge-part-2/
https://www.mrfire.com/law-of-attraction/attracting-melissa-etheridge/
Note: In case you are curious, samples of my five singer-songwriter albums are here: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JoeVitale1
Happy New Year!
Today is January 1, 2017.
Whether you used the Law of Attraction — or some goal-setting or self-help method — to make your 2016 great, you got through it.
Congratulations!
We both made it here so we should stand up and do a happy dance.
I’ll pause while you do it…
And now to the million-dollar questions –
What are you going to do differently in 2017 to make it outstanding?
How will you make 2017 breathtaking and full of success?
What do you want to have, do, or be in this New Year?
Whatever you did in 2016 brought you to this moment.
Are you happy with your results?
Did you achieve all you wanted?
Probably not.
And that’s okay.
After all, as Robert Browning asked, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
If you want to achieve noteworthy success in 2017, I have three suggestions:
Achieving a fantastic 2017 is like planning a cross-country road trip:
Making the New Year spectacular is like planning a meal with friends:
Now apply this simple formula to 2017:
Here’s wishing you a glorious and unforgettably wonderful New Year!
Ao Akua
PS – Check out Miracles Coaching at http://www.miraclescoachingproof.com