The Real Secret

6th Sep 2010 | Comments Off on The Real ‘Secret’ The Real ‘Secret’ At the weekend, Oliver Burkeman highlighted the exciting sequel to ‘The Secret‘ â€" ‘The Power‘. Not, sadly, a homage to the legendary Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor but instead just some extra bollocks on the magentic attraction of constructive considering etc and so on. The trouble is, this rubbish is straightforward to ridicule however the essential concept â€" that we can alter the content of our ideas â€" has widespread following. Career coaches are notably responsible. They promote the promise that you can also uncover your ‘real’ values and strengths, identify a ‘true vocation’ and that following a lifetime of meaning and objective will make you happier. Positive Psychology has carried this meme far into our brains. Don’t get me mistaken; strengths, values, meaning and purpose are all essential concepts to explore as a part of career change. But seeing them as a way of reaching happiness is a dangerous fable. Wanting to be happier in life sounds seductively achi evable. All we need to do is feel joyful ideas more typically, and adverse thoughts much less usually. In follow, this should imply changing adverse thoughts with pleased ones, and avoiding conditions that give rise to unfavorable feelings. This can be nice, except for the somewhat inconvenient evidence that implies trying to regulate the content material of our ideas DOES NOT WORK. Avoiding unfavorable ideas is prone to improve the power and frequency of those thoughts. And avoiding conditions which give rise to adverse thoughts results in experiential avoidance â€" a method that is associated with depression and other psychological health issues. When confronted with a profession choice we want to feel happier and have extra meaning in our lives. But sarcastically, life juxtaposes the 2 to confuse us. Pursuing a more significant course of action is likely to provide rise to unfavorable emotions, no less than in the short term. But what you get in return is a life in which you can look your self within the eye, and do the issues that actually matter. And that’s the true Secret. Career Change Tags: Dealing with troublesome thoughts and emotions, Flexible pondering: using ACT in career change, Positive psychology, Step 1: Understanding stuckness « Walking Away Love after love »