THE SECRET IS THAT THERE IS NO SECRET

by Dr. Jon Repole, DC, NC, HHP, CPT, CFMP

Pss...I have a secret to share…
I’ve become less and less of a “science guy” these days.

Why?

Simply because research and scientists keep going round and round becoming less and less aware of the “forest from the trees.”

In their attempt to distill health and wellness truths, they get lost in the lingo of reductionism and complicate what I call “rules of reasonableness and common sense” which ultimately boils down to the fundamentals (all of which we can spend a lifetime chasing):

• Eat healthy
• Drink more water
• Get more sleep
• Decrease stress
• And the like…

How powerful are the fundamentals in relation to the next big pharma breakthrough or supplemental claim?

Scientists estimate that dietary and lifestyle excellence contributes to over 75% of disease manifestation and progression!

So, we have all heard knowledge is power – but is it true?

Absolutely not! Knowledge with action is our REAL POWER!

OK, so why do we keep looking for the next breakthrough? Why do we keep chasing our dreams? Why do we engage in unhealthy activities? Or simply – why do we do what we do? Although this is too great a topic to handle here – we can find clues with what some have called THE SECRET as revealed in the book of the same name.

Quick summary from Wikipedia reveals:
“The Secret posits that the law of attraction is a natural law which determines the complete order of the universe and of our personal lives through the process of "like attracts like". The author claims that as we think and feel, a corresponding frequency is sent out into the universe which attracts back to us events and circumstances on that same frequency. For example, if a person thinks angry thoughts and feels angry, the author claims that said person will attract back events and circumstances that cause them to feel more anger. Conversely, if the person thinks and feels positively, they will attract back positive events and circumstances. Proponents claim that desirable outcomes such as better health, wealth, and happiness can be attracted simply by changing one's thoughts and feelings. For example, some proponents believe that using "the Secret" can cure cancer. However, there is no scientific justification for such a claim.”

For the obvious flaws of the book – the amazing take home message is simply to understand that we actually have more control over our lives than we realize. In fact, most of us are living a life of unconscious and unquestioned habits.

Your Thoughts Create Your Reality
You may or may not resonate with such simple, seemingly innocent statement such as “Your thoughts create your reality”, but the truth is that your thoughts do determine how you respond to situations in your life. Your responses to the events, people, and circumstances that you encounter are driven by your thoughts and are all representations of your energy. Like everything in the universe, thoughts are energy too. Anger, hatred, negative self-talk are all powerful negative or low frequency emotions, while love, self-respect and gratitude represent energy of higher frequency. It is through the law of attraction that your thoughts become powerful creators of your reality.

Enter The Reticular Activating System
“Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it"
Ernest Holmes

The R.A.S. is a specialized part of the brain (located in the brain stem) that bridges the gap between your conscious and subconscious mind. It takes instructions from your conscious mind and, in turn, relays them to the subconscious mind. It is what allows you to disengage from all the positive news media about your chosen and despised political candidate and, in turn, become acutely aware of all the negative media surrounding this candidate. It is responsible for the “Volkswagen phenomenon” – you buy a Volkswagen and begin to see them everywhere (obviously you are now only noticing them). The R.A.S. literally looks for cues in the environment to feed a previously conscious instruction or belief.

As David Allen notes in Getting Things Done,

"Just like a computer, your brain has a search function – but it's even more phenomenal than a computer's. It seems to be programmed by what we focus on and, more primarily, what we identify with. It's the seat of what many people have referred to as the paradigms we maintain.”

Thus, the law of attraction is better stated in the words of the late great, Wayne Dyer, who said, “You don’t attract what you want. You attract what YOU ARE.”

You are always creating your future. You bring it forth through your thoughts, actions, feelings, beliefs, values, goals and dreams. You do this regardless of the level of your conscious awareness. Your present moment awareness coupled with the future that you create is a deeper reflection of your subconscious programming.

Intention

Setting your intention plays a key role in encouraging your subconscious mind to bring forth a desired goal or magical future. So when you set an intention and decide to become the person you are capable of becoming, you begin directing your RAS to literally reach out its tentacles to bring to your attention cues from the environment, people, and circumstances (often overlooked) that will bring you forth to your desired goal.

Is There Really a Secret?
Perhaps the secret is a simple alignment of mind, body, and spirit through alignment of our physiology, emotions, feelings, thoughts, actions, and behaviors. In turn, this alignment with the divine spark of life will lead to our desired dreams and outcomes. It is a practice of awareness (which resides in the soul), intention (which resides in the heart), attention (which resides in the mind), AND actions and behaviors (which resides in the “body”). It is this last piece – ACTION – where most authorities pay little and attnetion and simply try to rely on “positive thinking."

The SECRET, of course, is that there is no secret. Make a decision to create a life of meaning and as famous mythologist, Joseph Campbell, stated, “Follow your dreams and the universe will open doors for you where there were once only walls.” Perhaps the R.A.S. is the science behind the SECRET.  

Positively Charged Beliefs
To live a life of abundance it's important to become aware of the types of thoughts you consistently think. Over time, your repeated thoughts will become powerful convictions and beliefs. Whatever your inner convictions and beliefs are, will determine your life experience. If you believe that you are powerful and that you can achieve your dreams, then chances are you will be acting upon those very convictions and manifest your dreams into reality. If you believe that you are a powerless victim of our society and that the world we live in is unfair, the universe will serve up all the evidence to strengthen this very belief. Either way, you will be right and your R.A.S. will help!

Your Power Is In The Now
My hope is that you feel empowered to embark on your new journey to create a life of joy and fulfillment. As you start on this path, find peace knowing that there are no accidents in the universe. Everything that you went through, you had to go through in order to get to where you are today. Knowing that will give you the courage to embrace the past, and truly focus on the present. Your power is in the now.