May 16, 2006
The Problem Movie
This is not an actual movie review (haven’t had time to see any lately) but rather an article I wrote last year that many people seemed to be able to relate to. I hope you enjoy . . .
The Problem Movie
“The other day I got out my can-opener and was opening a can of worms when I thought, what am I doing?!”
Jack Handey
Problems. Problems. Everywhere we turn there are problems!
The modern world and its monster media make darn sure you hear about problems. Every hour of the day. Every day of the week. Every week of the year. Bloody wars. Suicide bombings. Gruesome murders. Killer storms. Throughout this non-stop bombardment of negative news we have our own problems to deal with. Money
problems. Relationship problems. Health problems.
Life is problematic!
Let me ask you this question. Are you always worrying about your problems, dwelling on how bad things are and constantly thinking about the worst possible outcomes? Even if you’re not wrapped up in your problems, do you still from time to time create what I call a Problem Movie. You know, imagining the worst possible
outcomes to your problem, letting them flash across the screen of your mind like your cable news channel? To a degree, I think we all do this.
One of the basic, immutable Laws that govern this amazing Universe is the Law of Attraction. I’ve written about this many times simply because I have been so profoundly impacted by it, in both positive and negative ways, in my five decades of living on the planet. James Allen (1864-1912), author of what most modern day self-development experts feel is the ‘bible’ of positive thinking, “As A Man Thinketh”, sums this law up most succinctly:
“A man is literally what he thinks.”
Centuries before however, the Bible tells us so, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”. Proverbs 23:7
So I ask this, if we know the Law of Attraction to be true, then why do we allow our problems and the negative thinking associated with them to invade our lives even a little bit, let alone dominate them as some people do? Afterall, no one controls our thoughts and thinking but us, right?
I don’t profess to know the complete answer to that question. Nor do I know why so many of us can’t seem to tune in enough to the bad news networks or read page after negative page of the daily newspaper. But I am learning more about human nature as I grow older.
For instance, I have a small group of clients that use my Spirit Coaching services and a certain few individuals who have chosen me to try to help them confront and move forward from their problems. While most do exceptionally well because they are open to learning and applying what amounts to some pretty simple concepts, some I have not been able to help whatsoever because, well, they seem to derive so much more benefit from being able to tell me (and others) about their (long list of) problems and how much they suffer from them than they ever would from finding a solution to, and eliminating them. I recall stating this very sad fact in a recent article, but I’ll say it once more, these folks really do LOVE their problems!
I see a similarly interesting phenomena with the new series of health related products I have helped to create. A small percentage of customers simply need to prove their theory that change is difficult. They do this by running their Problem Movies over and over and as a result they do not follow our program, choosing instead to remain steadfast to their misinformed belief only to remain a smoker, or overweight, or unhappy. Another failed attempt and yippee! - another problem created! These
people will continue to own and grow their problems until they eventually learn that change does not have to be difficult. Some may never learn.
Ok, I’ll admit that I feature Problem Movies a little too often in my own life. I catch myself writing the scripts and directing the scenes that I would never want to become my reality. Heck, what sane person would ever want what they’re thinking most of the time to become their reality?
Here’s a very recent example of how I allowed the plot I created in my mind to turn into my reality.
I had no sooner written my last line of web and promotion copy to use for our Long Term Katrina Relief effort when I entertained the thought - what possibly could happen ‘this time’ to sabotage yet another noble effort by a lot of caring folks to help people. Yes, I went so far as to project the same kinds of obstacles that had been put into my path previously with such charity projects. In other words, what kind of villain was I going to cast in the movie I had just set into motion? Right, old fears rearing ugly faces! Wasn’t a long thought but it surely was potent!
We no longer had clicked send to launch this project to hundreds of influential and possible promotion partners and then to tens of thousands of potential donors, when we began to experience major server issues. Nobody could access our website! And this challenge went on for days.
But hold on, there’s a sequel.
Once these server issues were finally fixed we discovered another - any links to the donation site would automatically and mysteriously “redirect” to the main business website of my partner, and originator of this project, jl scott. Another technical snafu. No wonder we weren’t getting any donations! I was by then working on other things, and jl was packing up to move north and out of the path of Hurricane Rita, so neither of us took notice right away.
In the normal scheme of things, when a link is broken, you will receive a polite email from someone letting you know of the problem. What happened next, I was not prepared for, but should have expected.
Into my Inbox came this rhetorical assault on the integrity of our Long Term Katrina Relief project, even calling it a scam! This subscriber of mine came loaded and gunnin’ for bear as he attached this constitution-length document, full of untruths and venomous assertions that he threatened to blast all over the Internet via discussion boards and lists including the sending of press releases if I personally didn’t “fix” this. There was nothing to fix but a server glitch to get the website appearing again. This misguided soul must have put a lot of effort into making the movie that produced such an overture. I could only imagine how much good he could have done to help our cause with all the time and energy he spent trying to tear it down!
Needless to say, we took care of this incident quite quickly but simply stated, I was equally responsible for the receipt of that email as it was me who put those kinds of negative thoughts out there, projecting a fear-based outcome and setting into motion the very incident I just described. The Law of Attraction is indeed a very powerful force!
I’ve always loved what Shakespeare had to say about thoughts:
“Make not your thoughts your prisons.” Have you too spent time in your life as a willing prisoner?
Back to our problems. We all have them and always will. I’ve often likened life to a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs and twists and turns and moments of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror. No matter where we are on that ride and what problems exist in our lives, we always have the choice of how and what we think. We are always the writer and director of our own movies.
It goes without saying that burying your head in the sand and ignoring a problem will never solve it. But neither will creating and then running and rerunning a Problem Movie, fraught with fear-based outcomes that are self-fulfilling by universal decree. If the opening scenes of a Problem Movie start rolling on the screen of your mind be quick to take a commercial break, change the reel and start another. One perhaps where a solution has been found whether you have found it or not, or, one that doesn’t star your problem at all! Remember, you control every thought you have and every thought you have dictates your reality!
Anyone for popcorn and a good movie? Great, because you have my heartfelt wishes for a lifetime of Happy Endings!
© Rick Beneteau
Rick
Filed under: General Ramblings, Inspiring Articles, Movies that Moved Me
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.