Thursday, January 11, 2007

What Whistler Wants


In one of my classes we were discussing the law of attraction. The basic idea is that if you think about something a lot you'll get it. I don't believe it. I may have mentioned this before, but when I was a kid, I was convinced that I was going to be teleported to some fantasy land any day. I would spend every night daydreaming about it, and I really believed it would happen. According to the law of attraction, all my attention and belief should have made that a reality, especially given that this went on for several years. I know I'm being unrealistic, but the law of attraction is kind of unrealistic.

However, the teacher of the day requested that we make a list of the things we want. I think this is silly. It's egotistic and vain and against all my ideas about what Really Spiritual people do. Really Spiritual people (and this is my bias) don't care about money, expensive cars, having a tasty sandwich for lunch, or scoring well on the GRE. They care about other people and God's will. Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I'll make that list, since I'm such an obedient student.

What Whistler Wants
  • time and desire to read lots of books (specifically, to finish Les Mis and start on or Atlas Shrugged or Walden Two)
  • a tasty sandwich
  • not money, and not to get married for another year (so far so good)
  • to be spectacularly healthy
  • for it to be green and 50-65 degrees outside (sweater weather)
  • to get rid of the clothes I never wear
  • to understand the things I'm learning in my classes and remember them for more than a semester
  • to find that postcard I had a stamp on and everything but fell out of my back pocket before I reached the mailbox (granted, I had forgotten all about it)
  • to be able to sleep less; to be more awake and alert with less sleep
  • to score in the top 5% of GRE takers and get into a grad school that is wonderfully famous and will pay me to go there
  • to get my honors thesis approved in the last two ways I need and then finish it
Oh yes, those are the things I want more than anything, and I'm sure if I had them all I would just be a caseless basket, a bundle of joy, and an amazingly awesome person. No, seriously, if I had all those things, I would probably just as awesome as I am now. Sorry guys.

4 comments:

Krebscout said...

I really like your perspective on things, Whistler friend.

N.F. said...

So, if we make the list--then what do we do with it? Post it on our bathroom mirror and repeat them to ourselves daily?

:)

Unknown said...

I thought you and your readers might be interested in this...
The Oprah broadcast of "The Secret" will be February 8th. Also, it will be followed by an International Law of
Attraction Teleconference. If you want more info go to http://www.lawofattractionteleconference.com.
Also, the more posts that Oprah gets on her message boards about a particular topic, the more inclined she is to
repeat the topic. So go to www.oprah.com and find the message board for “The Secret” to let her know that you
want more of the same!
Spread the word!

Anonymous said...

The Law of Attraction is similar to praying. You ask God for what you want, and if it is his will, it is given to you. This does not have to be for material things, although that is a popular wish for many people. Ever hear the quote, "Ask and ye shall receive"? That's in the Bible. Is that not the Law of Attraction? The Law of Attraction simply puts a non-religious (still spiritual) face on praying.
If you'd like more information on the Law of Attraction, please visit AbundanceEverywhere | Law of Attraction Action.