Letters to the Editor
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BaconBocaBurger explains all!
Ask anyone if they want to be rich, and of course they'll say yes. But how many of them really, truly, have a deep desire to be rich? Not so many. If they were they would be working harder at becoming rich, forsaking the things that take up their time they actually want more than being rich. There is what we want, and then there is what we think we want. The LOA does not work so well for the latter. So yeah, idly thinking for 5 minutes, "I want to be rich!" ain't gonna work. You have to want it deep down, and that will lead to you inevitably taking action, and so these things generally come about not poof-out-of-nowhere, but with true dedication and desire.
The guy who gave the example of cancer patients saying how now people pay attention to them, and they can say no to people, and that is why they attracted cancer, that is a very powerful of example of how our deep desires can be destructive and trump basic things like health and security.
As for why people get riches or suffering they don't deserve, part of that is perception. You may pity someone born poor or deaf but they are still often very happy and satisfied people.
Another part of it is that the rules are not the same for all people... it's hard to explain succintly to the uninitiated, but the fact of the matter is that some people don't have a soul. People adept at astral projection can identify these people. Like animals, they have kind of a group-soul. Since these people lack karma they are often born with good looks and other advantages. They aren't mindless, but tend to be close-minded, uncreative, and lacking in free will. The website montalk.net has a good discussion of this. Anyway, my point is that pointing out people in Darfur or whatever proves nothing. For all we know they could all be reincarnations of hitler or something.
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Sirena:
"I worry about her health while knowing all is perfect because I'm her mother, love her, and can't wait until she fully knows that she doesn't have to use stress or fear of failure to "drive" herself as Emily described herself."
Let's be clear here:
Taking your daughter out of the equation, do you, Sirena, believe that I - Emily, whom you have never met - am using stress and fear of failure to "drive" myself?
And that you are past that - more evolved than I am?
And do you hope that with enough spiritual healing, those of us who are trapped in what YOU JUDGE to be this sad state can one day "fully know" that we could one day achieve the transcendent state of being like you?
And if you've answered yes to any of the above, do you have the first clue how patronizing and closed-minded YOUR attitude is?
I'm sorry, but if that's peace & serenity, I want no part of it.
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self help stuff
Oprah will never give the best advice to her viewers: "get off your butt, stop living vicariously through my show, and go out and enjoy life, preferably with some exercise and good company."
Of course she knows her audience wouldn't take that advice either, so it's hard to say whether she's doing the best possible, given circumstances. She's certainly wealthy for it, though I bet she mostly gives it away.
Probably the biggest mistake she made is backing that Dr Phil. He just traffics in sorrow and has viciously Philified our culture, encouraging loud mouths everywhere. It seems every time I change away from PBS there is Phil barking out some tired inanity, and I quickly change back. So I kinda consider him the PBS guard dog.
Having said that, some of what the article reviewed sounds like basically good advice. Taking responsibility for one's own mind is very important, realizing we can each decide how we interpret, rationally and emotionally, the daily successes and failures, opportunities and injustices of life. (I know that sounds self-helpy, but it's true in my experience.)
It's unfortunate some still insist on framing the debate as personal responsibility vs social justice. It's not an either/or choice, the two have to compliment each other.
An excess one way or the other, excessive social angst or excessive soldier of fortune attitude towards life is unhealthy. Turning away from social injustice is wrong, but wallowing in it, or wallowing in the minor day to day minutia of disappointments and hurt feelings, that's also wrong.
In my personal experience I've seen social activists on the left who were finely attuned to the social injustice in the world, but were inept at thier own emotional health, unable to cope without blaming others, with careers and relationships suffering as a result.
Then there are the Republican tax-cut types who just want to privatize/monetize everything, and have no compassion in their hearts for anyone or anything, and continually preach a "boot strap" mentality beyond reason.
A healthy balance is needed. People need to take personal responsibility for how they interpret life, good or bad. People who've been fortunate, often with hard work, also need to be more compassionate.
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Are you high?
"my principal experience with a cancer-dieing loved one was sad and challenging but now so many years later, almost could be a poignant short story in that it was my beloved father-in-law who was SO closed minded and disempowered and embittered and mean and a therapist (save me from therapists for sho'!) so when he'd slip out of consciousness from the morphine drip we could all remember how much we loved him and could mourn and grieve him but then he'd come out of morphine-induced stupor and was as mean as ever and we'd all recoil and be shocked."
And what I am saying is that those who I know were nothing like that. One was the kind of man whose eyes sparkled and always smiled, the kind who worked as a mental health professional in prison populations, and came home every day with a smile and a hug. The kind of man who comforted his children while he was ill. The kind of man who had -- without exageration -- 600 people show up at his funeral. The other was my 31 year old boyfriend. So you'll have to excuse me, but fuck you.
(Oh right. That shows my negativity, which is why he died. Because I was a bad bad person, he died. Nice.)
And what, kings and queens ask for your advice... what the hell planet are you on lady? Not this one. Your whole message was about how wonderful and great and exceptional and special you are. Nobel laureates consider you their peers... I happen to have worked with a few, so I guess they're my colleagues -- technically -- but here's the thing: Their accomplishments are not my accomplishments. You're not a Nobel Laureate, are you? So why would you pretend that someone else's accomplishments have anything to do with you?
This just demonstrates the whole narcisistic nature of this nonsense.
Incidentally, a single holocaust survivor can be mad as a hatter, too. So can a rich woman of color. Being from a persecuted population doesn't make a person immune from assholery. (You asked why Bill Gates isn't being discussed here? How about because he isn't trying to sell this swill to anyone?)