Just The Way It Is

Back when I was reading The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel, one passage in particular made quite an impression on me. I already wrote an article about the Master Key System, but to summarize, the book essentially talks about the Law of Attraction and how to make use of it (as well as a couple of other esoteric laws) to attract prosperity and wellness into one's life. The Master Key System inspired Rhonda Byrne, who eventually wrote The Secret.

The particular passage I'm referring to reads as follows:

"We see no imperfect results. We see nothing but perfection. Perfection means that the Law operates with immutable precision. Spiritual law always works perfectly. If the individual thinks constructively, results are constructive and harmonious. If he thinks destructively, he reaps exactly what he sows. The Law works perfectly. We see no imperfect results whatever. We may freely choose what we think, but the result of our thought is governed by an immutable law."

That passage subtly changed the way I view life. It's empowering because it means we have the power to change our circumstances. But it can also be disturbing because the implication is that we are responsible for the current state of our life. If we look at the state the world is in right now, if we accept the notion of taking responsibility for our situation, it's quite apparent that collectively we haven't been thinking very good thoughts.

It may be hard to accept how we could have been responsible for having a shitty boss, shitty finances and everything else that is seemingly out of control, but according to the Law of Attraction and the Law of Cause and Effect (Karma), it all makes sense. We can't blame God, our parents or anyone else.

A big part of the difficulty in accepting responsibility is that we can't always trace the cause and effect relationships of our circumstances. We only notice the immediate cause and effect. So if a kid drops a stone on our head as a prank as we're passing by, we know how to react. But if a coconut falls on our head as we're passing below a coconut tree, we wonder how we deserved such bad luck.

Most of us are not aware of the sacred contract we made before we incarnated in this life, the contract that lays out all the different opportunities and challenges that will work themselves out in this life. But whether or not we remember is not of prime importance. How we respond is the key that will define our future. Of course, the effectivity of one's response depends on how well one understands the different esoteric principles and laws that apply, in the same way that a thorough knowledge of the laws of physics can allow one to build a better airplane or computer chip.

Fortunately, there are many spiritual systems that teach students how to recognize and work through the laws that govern this school called life. It is now entirely up to the person to decide on whether to proceed on such a path or not. Although there are still many who still don't believe in anything that their eyes can't see or that their hands can't touch, this is slowly changing as more and more people come to the realization that there should be more to life than a punishing work schedule, economic uncertainty and devastating natural disasters.

Life is already perfect, just the way it is. We just have to recognize it and claim it for ourselves.