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I
generally avoid talking about politics and religion,
not for lack of interest or opinions of my own, but
simply because these topics stir up too much emotion
and conflict, and I'm not a big fan of conflict. The
fact of the matter is that there are as many opinions
as there are people.
At
the risk of overstepping my bounds or offending someone's
sensibilities, I feel compelled to express my thoughts
on a subject that has become well, let's just call it
a growing thorn in my side. Over the past few years,
I have watched the Self Help industry merge almost seamlessly
into the mainstream marketplace, a trend that is indicative
not only of the very real need in our times for solutions
that go beyond the material world but also of a readiness
and openness to exploring deeper facets of the human
experience. Bookstore shelves are overflowing with thousands
of titles promising to deliver abundance, wealth, happiness
and success, many of which have proven to be beneficial
for thousands of people seeking solace from the pain
and drudgery of life in an uncertain, ever changing
and increasingly challenging world.
Most
of the popular Self Help approaches of the day find
their roots in works that date back over one hundred
years to what was then called the New Thought Movement.
These include works by doctors, writers, lecturers and
authors such as Orison Swett Marden (b.1850), Samuel
Smiles (b.1812), Dr Joseph Murphy (b. 1898, The Power
of Your Subconscious Mind), Maxwell Maltz (b.1899, Psychocybernetics),
Norman Vincent Peale (b.1898, The Power of Positive
Thinking), Dale Carnegie (b.1888), Napolean Hill (b.1883),
Wallace Wattles (b.1860, The Science of Getting Rich).
As many of these authors were themselves inspired by
the various philosophies and religions of the world,
it is not uncommon to find spiritual rationalizations
behind many of their concepts.
While
positive thinking and healthy self-image certainly have
a rightful place in our life experience, there appears
to be a bit of confusion between seeking to live a better
and happier life and what can appropriately be called
spirituality. Webster's Dictionary defines spirit as
"the intelligent or immaterial part of man as distinguished
from the body, and spirituality as "attachment
to all that concerns the life of the soul." Clearly,
the concept of spirit pertains to that which is non-material.
While learning to use the mind to attract abundance
into your life, even if it means to attract enough money
to feed your family, may be an exciting and above all
most helpful skill to acquire, it certainly is far from
being spiritual. It remains in the realm of mind, and
is used for the purpose of satisfying needs that are
worldly.
There
has been a tendency in Self Help thought to connect
God or Divinity to the process of will. It's not uncommon
to hear someone thank God for their good fortune, or
to hear someone say, "It's God's will that I attracted
a new Mercedes into my life." Some believe that
it's in accordance with the Divine Plan that we all
experience abundance, that there is an unlimited source
from which we can rightfully take for our loved ones
and ourselves.
Which
brings up another touchy subject: God, which is addressed
in thousands of different ways by the thousands of different
religions of the world. It's not that God is a problem
for me, far from it. In fact, "making peace with
God" is the subject of my current book project.
What concerns me is the current popular notion that
God might actually give someone a Mercedes while there
remains one child on earth who will have nothing to
eat today, or one child who suffers the smallest spot
of illness. It just does not make sense.
Spiritualizing
material abundance and thanking God for his mercy may
be well intentioned, but it is simply wrong. Don't get
me wrong. There is nothing wrong with wanting a nice
house, a happy marriage, success for one's children,
a new car, or wanting your favorite sports team to win
the finals. But none of this is spiritual. Thinking
that God would grace you with a new car while one child
suffers is wrong. While seeking material abundance,
health, success and happiness in the world for yourself
and your loved ones is normal, healthy and even commendable,
it certainly is not spiritual. Essentially, Spirit is
not about this world, nor is it of this world.
If
you are successful in attracting what you want in your
life, be proud to have mastered the art of positive
thinking, an excellent skill to acquire, but in all
honesty, how can you say that God wanted you to have
abundance while there are far too many who suffer all
manner of deprivation, illness and starvation? Perhaps
it is time to revisit the question of true Spirituality.
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