MANY YEARS AGO, there was a movie that was called, Magnificent Obsession. It starred Rock Hudson. He played a doctor who stumbled upon "a secret." This "hidden" truth was this: If you gave money to others and told them to tell no one, that manifold riches would be returned to you.

In truth, this idea was not a secret, but was based on the New Testament passage: "When you give, let not the left hand know what the right hand is doing."

The Biblical passage was a part of a spiritual way of life in which you freely give your possessions to others, and instead put your entire trust in God. "Behold the lilies of the field. They neither spin nor toil. Yet Solomon in all his glory was not as beautiful as they are!"

In the movie, Rock Hudson failed to understand this Biblical wisdom. His plan was simply a way to become wealthy.

In 1952, Norman Vincent Peale published The Power of Positive Thinking. In it he wrote:

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. A sense of inferiority and inadequacy interferes with the attainment of your hopes, but self confidence leads to self-realization and successful achievement.

He went on to state that you should see things in a positive light; and this would lead to a successful and happy life.

His book was extremely popular, and has maintained its popularity for decades. It is the grandfather of many self-help books.

One of these was The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. It was published in 2003, and by 2007, it had sold over 4 million copies.

The central theme of her book is the law of attraction. This means that your thoughts control what happens to you. Positive thoughts bring about positive manifestations. Negative thoughts bring about negative results. Your thoughts are all-powerful and control your destiny. Whatever you think about will come to be. You shape what happens to you by your thoughts.

She presents her idea very well; the book has been beneficial to many people. She should be honored for this. Yet her idea is not a secret. It springs from many ancient philosophies, the New Testament, and The Power of Positive Thinking - as well as others.

Let's assume two people are trying for a promotion at work, and one of them gets the job by the use of The Secret. What about the other person who was hoping for the promotion? What if it turns out that the other person would have been better for the job?

Magnificent Obsession, The Power of Positive Thinking and The Secret all contain golden nuggets of truth. Yet, each has its limitations. We need to be careful, lest we simply use them as tools to increase our abundance at the expense of others.

My wife has a wonderful friend who is highly intuitive, gifted and very wise. Here we will call her "Mary." My wife called her on the phone. They greeted each other warmly. Then my wife asked, "What are you doing?"

Mary replied, "I am just being."

Just being! How refreshing!

A basic part of just being is to be yourself. That is, do not try to impress anyone. Be authentic. Do not pretend to be more than yourself. Apply the North Carolina State motto: Esse Quam Verdi (to be, rather than to seem).

Yet Mary meant more than that. She meant that she was not worrying about the future, not re-hashing the past, and not thinking about the things she needed to do. Nor was she planning anything. She was just being.

"Just being" can be compared to the condition of a car motor when the gear shift is in neutral. The motor is running, but the car is motionless: a condition of quiet readiness.

When Mary is "just being," she lets go of any anxiety about the future and any regrets about the past. She smiles at them both and says, "I can't do anything about the past, so there is no need to worry about that. And I will save the future for later; right now I am just enjoying today."

When Mary washes dishes, she enjoys the sound of water coming from the spigot, the joy of fresh water at her fingertips, seeing nice, clean pots, the click of the clean plates. The water and the dishes are her friends. For some folks, cleaning dishes is a chore. For Mary, it is a touch of heaven.

"Just being," when applied in a spiritual way, can help overcome depression. You sit down, breathe, and relax the body. Then you slowly begin to let go of what is troubling you. When a negative feeling comes into your mind, you acknowledge it, then let go of it. One way to do this is to say, "Hmmmm. That's a negative feeling. Hello, feeling. I have thought about you before. And, just for now, I am letting you go. I am just being."

Here is another experience: Joe is driving along a superhighway. A car suddenly pulled in front of him, causing him to jam on his breaks. Then, a few hundred yards down the road, the driver of the offending car had to stop for a stoplight. Joe pulled up beside that car, and noticed the car windows were open. He leaned out and asked the other man, "Are you all right?"

The reply from the other man was, "I'm sorry." It turns out the other man was in a rush to get home to a sick child. Here, instead of getting angry, Joe sent a blessing to the other man. When you are "just being," you are more likely to let go of anger.

In the same manner, "just being" can overcome fear. When that happens you may feel a joy that transcends all the darkness of this world.

The idea of "Just being" is promoted by Alice Bailey in her book, Glamour - A World Problem. When you are just being, you let go of the attachment to glamor. You let go of drama.

Ram Dass tells this story: A successful New York lawyer had cancer, and was in the hospital. He was in pain, and was angry about it. He was gruff, critical and mean-spirited to those around him. One of his relatives called Ram Dass and asked him to visit the lawyer - to see if he could alleviate the pain.

So Ram Dass went to the lawyer's hospital room. Several of the lawyers family and colleagues were there. The lawyer was fussy, and the people there responded in an obsequious manner. Ram Dass greeted the group, and then asked if he could put his hand on the attorney's foot.

"Well, that makes no sense, but I don't see how it could hurt," said the attorney. "Besides, no one else has done any good."

So Ram Dass sat down and put his hand on the man's foot. Ram Dass did not say anything, and the room quieted down. There was silence.

Suddenly, the attorney spoke up. "What have you done with the pain?" he demanded. "It is gone."

"I didn't do anything," replied Ram Dass.

Then, after saying goodbye to the group, he left. The others in the room followed him, all the while complimenting him. "You have performed a miracle!" one man said.

A few days later, the pain returned. Again Ram Dass was asked to visit the attorney. So he again went into the lawyers hospital room and put his hand on the attorney's foot. Again there was silence.

"It still hurts!" exclaimed the lawyer, "You are not doing a bit of good." After expressing his regrets, Ram Dass left the room. No one thanked him for coming and no one left the room with him.

When Ram Dass put his hand on the patient's foot, he was "just being." When he left the first time as a hero, he was still "just being." When he left the second time, and received no thanks or appreciation, he was still "just being." He was not attached to the accolades of the group; nor was he offended when the group snubbed him.

The theories of Magnificent Obsession, The Power of Positive Thinking and The Secret can bring wonderful relief. They can bring success, wealth, health and power. Yet they are centered in the ego. They are presented as a way to acquire things.

However, when you choose to "just be," you are not trying to effect the behavior of other people. You are turning your attention to you own behavior.

Even so, you are choosing a way of life that brings the world to you. Others will sense the aura of harmony and peace that will surround you. They will want to be near you. They will seek the light that shines from you.

When you remain in the heavenly state of "just being," you will no longer be in the ego. You become a part of the world. You become a part of all things: the air, the land the sea. You become one with birds, animals and creatures of the deep.

Then, at long last, you will have come home.

© Stanley Peele, 2008

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stanley Peele has been a judge for more than 38 years; and is presently an emergency judge. He is a mediator, counselor, newspaper columnist, writer, and visits people in the hospital and nursing homes. He has been married to his wife, Carolyn, for 48 years.

Stanley has also done spiritual counseling and healing work for 40 years, and wrote the book, "A Simple Guide To Spiritual Healing." In addition, Stanley has worked as a crisis counselor, helped found the Family Service Agency of Chapel, Janus House, Oasis, plus a Parenting After Divorce program, and a Big Brother-Big Sister program in Chatham County, NC. In 1977, Stanley helped start a Teen Court program, which failed. He also helped start, and still participates as a judge in the present Teen Court program - a program where the attorneys, defendant, jury, bailiff and clerk are all teens.

Stanley’s mission is to help people discover their soul's purpose. Other than that, he says, he really hasn't done much. But we at PLW beg to differ!