THE NEGATIVE PRESSURE OF MASS CULTURE
It is time to look at some of the impediments to creating your own reality and getting what you want now. Dr. John Demartini of the Secret lists seven fears that people encounter when utilizing the principles of The Secret. These fears are: 1. The fear of breaking the moral or ethical standards of some established authority; 2. Fear that you are not smart enough; 3. Fear that you are going to fail; 4. It will cost you money or you will lose money; 5. Fear of losing a loved ones respect; 6. Fear of being rejected by society; and, 7. Fear that you do not have the physical strength, vitality or appearance needed to achieve your goals.
Dr. Dermatitis’s listing is appropriate but I am not going to address them in the same order and I have chosen to group or add to the list. Several of the impediments to creating your own reality can be grouped into what I refer to as “The Pressures of Mass Culture.” Our society in general and marketing gurus in particular, have pushed society into the direction of “sameness.” Being different and not following a standard and accepted routine in your life is viewed with disdain and ridicule. Let’s face it, most are born, go to school, get a job, raise a family, participate in accepted social groups, pay taxes, grow old, retire and struggle on a meager income. Most of your life is spent in debt and when it is said and done, the lyrics, “is that all there is my friend” comes to mind. During this rather boring life we are bombarded with an almost “brainwashing barrage” of negative messages on a daily basis in commercials and the news.
The next time you get a moment, actually sit and write down the messages you get from TV advertisers. I did that one night and was told by ads that I probably had acid reflux disease, bladder control issues or even prostate cancer, monsters in between my toes, slimy creatures in my nasal passages, high cholesterol, at risk for heart attack, neck, back and shoulder pain accompanied by arthritis. This was only in a couple hours. How many hundreds of thousands of hours of commercials invade our families minds from childhood to adulthood? How many times are we told that we are sick or getting sick? How many times are we told to buy useless junk? How many times are we told of the evil nations in the world that seek to destroy our way of life? How many movies or TV shows do we see that portray the struggle of so-called good versus evil? How many hours of horror, terror and violence infiltrate our homes and our thoughts? A woman wrote to me and said that she was sick of all the wars-the war on smokers, the war on drugs, the war in Iraq, the war against this that and everything. And then people come along and say, “Hey, create your own reality with positive thinking.”
The people of this country need an “intervention” to de-program the mind from all of this negative thinking. The issue is that “thoughts do become things.” So much talk of war is the breeding ground for war. All the talk of disease literally makes us sick. The constant demand to consume drives us into debt. Knowledge is not power, rather, it is the “use” of knowledge that gives us power. If you are having difficulty keeping a more positive attitude in this sea of commercial negativity you are not alone. However, realizing what is happening is the first step to take in eliminating a negative mindset. Use the knowledge about what you see around you and alter all of those negative ideas with the power of your own thoughts. If you must watch TV, laugh at the stupid commercials. If you are hooked on the news, find some positive in every negative report you see or hear. Once you get into the habit of being more positive about life, life gets into the habit of being more positive about you.
