for fun alternatives to watching TV. Or search the following categories:Recently, I had the chance to see The Secret
What is the Secret?
The basic premise of “The Secret” is that we all create our experiences through our thoughts. Through the “Law of Attraction”, we draw experiences into our lives that match our thoughts. We literally manifest our thoughts into reality. It is a simple and empowering idea.
Unfortunately, there is a catch. If we focus our attention on our problems and the things that we don’t want, we create those realities, even though we do not really want them. If, for example, we worry about our debt and the bills we have to pay, we will create more debt, bills, and worry. If we focus on having money and being happy and grateful instead, we will eventually create that reality, at least according to the “Law of Attraction”.
If this law is correct, then it has some far-reaching implications for viewers of some of the most popular types of television shows.
Standard TV Diet - Murder, Violence, and Suffering
Consider the standard TV fare that the networks show on Prime Time TV. Dramas, such as “ER”, show horrific accidents, suffering, and death. Soaps, like “Desperate Housewives”, are full of lying and cheating. Then, of course, there are the “reality TV” shows, like “Survivor” with cutthroat competition and participants ritually banished from the show.
How many times in this past week have you witnessed a murder (even a cartoon one) or an act of violence on TV? How many cheating wives or husbands have you caught on the tube? How many lies and betrayals have you witnessed?
Could watching these negative scenarios on TV begin to attract them into your life? According to the “Law of Attraction”, it does not matter whether or not you want these experiences. If you think about them, you will draw these experiences to you.
The News — War, Disaster, and Suffering
When you turn on the news, what do you usually see? Tales of war, disaster, suffering, robbery, fire, rape, riot, or disease are the usual stories. Furthermore, these stories are frequently accompanied by dramatic, emotional language and graphic, disturbing pictures. Newscasters splash the problems in the most disturbing way possible; for example, showing pictures of dead, mutilated babies from the latest conflict.
Newscasters rarely show the joys and triumphs of the world. Even rarer will they show solutions to the problems about which they report. It is important to understand problems in depth in order to envision an effective solution. However, you have to give your energy to the solution, not the problem itself. According to the “Law of Attraction”, dwelling on the problem will only make it worse. I would imagine that millions of people all dwelling on a problem at the same time would create a powerful magnet to attract and grow that problem on a large scale.
Talk shows — Gossip and Slander
According to the “Law of Attraction,” what you think concerning others can also call those experiences into your reality. If you dwell on the problems of celebrities, like the dramatic break-ups, conflicts, and drug addictions, you may also call similar negative experiences into your life. Plus, critics on shows such as Entertainment Tonight, tend to be exceedingly negative and judgmental in general, whether it’s TomCat’s wedding or Madonna’s African adoption. Watching such shows is surely not going to help attract abundance and joy into your life.
Sports — Winners vs. Losers
If you are a sports’ fan, you may cry foul that I include sports as an impediment to manifestation. However, with professional sports, there is always one constant — losers. No matter what the sport, one of the teams or individuals will always lose. Whenever you watch a professional game on TV, you are watching someone lose.
But ‘losing’ is a part of life! Cry the fans.
Is it really?
When friends and family get together to play sports—instead of watching them on TV—the game can revolve around having fun, playing, and exercising. In these cases, everyone can ‘win’. For example, a dad can praise his daughter for making a great shot and share in her accomplishment, even if they are “competing.” That is win-win. With professional sports, those aspects of the game are largely lost.
Life can be a win-win game. However, it is difficult to create that reality when you are stuck on the sofa, watching losers.
Commercials — Lack, Need, and Imperfection
Most commercials operate by creating a sense of lack that can only be overcome by purchasing the advertised product. Remember, if you are watching the average amount of 4.5 hours of television per day, you are taking in an average of 50,000 commercials per year. That is 50,000 messages of “I am fat” “I am unloved” “my teeth are not white enough” “I am a failure” and other such non-sense that you are sending out to the Universe every year.
According to the principles of “The Secret”, those 50,000 messages would create that negative reality rather effectively. That may be a reality, which marketers would like to manifest. However, it is not a reality everyone else would likely want to manifest.
The Solution: No TV
In short, if you are working to create a better future for yourself and your family, turning off your TV may be the first step to creating the life you want. This may be the secret why many people find that their lives are surprisingly happier and more fulfilling when they give up the television entirely.
However, don’t spend too much time worrying about the problems you may have manifested with your TV habits. Start focusing on the solution now. Get rid of your TV.
About the Author:
Katherine Westphal is the founder of Trash Your TV! and the author of a revolutionary e-book system, The TV-FREE System. Get in control of your TV watching and create the life you want.
