The Secret Behind "The Secret"

I have been a long-time user of "the Secret," or "the Law of Attraction" for years, and even began building my business on it's base principles. What's funny is, it was not until I learned of the move "The Secret," that I found a name for it. "The Law of Attraction" is a very powerful concept; however, I fear that it - like many things that the masses eventually catch onto - is soon on the verge of being either watered down from its true significance, bastardized in the same way people find something catchy, and try to make 20 million weak copies of their own version of the original, or both.

You see, we happen to live in a microwave culture of instant gratification where people want what they want NOW, but don't want to put in the work necessary to earn what it is they want. We live in a culture where 100 some-odd kids show up at a school sporting event, and EVERYONE gets a trophy or medal just for showing up, regarding whoever was the best at the event. People expect to get an A+ on projects that they only gave Cliff Notes effort for. These are the people who stand to weaken what the true meaning of "the Law of Attraction" is all about.

I read another blog that described the following in terms of how "the Law of Attraction" is used:

"How to use the Secret:
- ASK: the universe for what you want
- BELIEVE: act, speak and think as if you have already received it
- RECEIVE: feel the way you will feel when you receive it"

It is NOT this easy to use the Law of Attraction!

There is a KEY ingredient missing in the above caption between "Believe" & "Receive," and that ingredient is WORK. You must put in work to get what it is you want, and as long as people either forget or ignore that key ingredient they will not achieve the things they want in life. People can sit and want all they want, but rewards come to those who go after them. Remember ... there is scripture that tells us "Faith without works is dead."

The "HRJR philosophy" was birthed from "the Law of Attraction;" however, whereas people wish to believe that wanting, believing and wishing is all that it takes to get the things you want in life, I really would like to see what a person has to show for him- or herself if they just sit in a room; start from and with nothing; and do nothing for an entire year, but believe that friends and wealth will miraculously find their way to him or her. One year later ... that person will be alone and broke.

It just does NOT work that way. You can "ASK" the universe (or God - or who/whatever you deem your higher power to be) for the things you want. You can even "BELEIVE" that it will be yours ... in fact YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IT WILL BE YOURS! However, you must understand that you WILL be tested to prove your worthiness before you "RECEIVE" the things you want.

True champions and successful people don't just "become" such. They put in work. They reach their limits and then go beyond them ... and sometimes it's a painful process.

Look at what Jesus had to do in order to reach HIS level of success.

"The Law of Attraction" works ... but only if you work it!

Respecting the Craft

What do you think about singers and rappers getting leading movie roles? Do they deserve it? What do you think?

The late great Paul Robeson was called a "Renaissance Man." He was was a multi-lingual actor, athlete, operaticconcert singer, writer, and civil rights activist.

If a rapper wants to take their advance money or record proceeds and create their own movies - as have Percy Miller (Master-P) and Dame Dash, then so be it & God bless them ... HOWEVER ... Every artist who dedicates himself or herself to their craft hates to see anyone just slide in from the outside and run the risk of making a mockery of it.

Queen Latifah and LL Cool J are a couple of entertainers who got their start in Hip Hop, but are also considered serious actors. Both also committed themselves to being professionally trained out of respect for the craft of acting. Will Smith also got his start in Hip Hop, and was one of the first to really make a successful transition from rap music into acting. However - and he will be the first to admit - Smith was "playing" when he was rapping. His television show was his transition from playing to working ... and when he began working ... Well ... his work speaks for itself.

The one thing that links this all together is that there must be a true respect for the line that's being crossed. When there are people out there who are putting their entire being into their craft with little to no results, to see someone come along and catch a break and make a mockery of it ... that's dangerous.

The true talent is not in being on the screen or on the album or on the stage ... that true talent is making being on the screen, album or stage look easy.

Now ... Why have I shared this?

Well ... Entertainment, in all of its forms, is one of the most lucrative industries in American Society. It is one industry where it appears people become successful and wealthy overnight.

Appearances, however, are rather deceiving. You see the hundreds of shots Michael Jordan and Larry Bird made on TV, but few - if any - have seen the thousands of shots they missed in private practice. You hear the 10 or 12 songs that make it to your favorite CD, but you don't hear the other 40 to 50 some-odd other songs that weren't quite as up to par.

It takes work in order to be truly successful. Some people do land under a truly lucky star. Some people do catch a break that may not seem fair to the work others put in trying to attain a similar goal. Ultimately, people waste too much time focusing on the success and breaks that other people are experiencing instead of putting in the time, research; and most importantly, the work necessary to achieve their OWN personal success - and there is where the essence; dare I say - the secret, behind why those who are truly successful are truly successful, and why those who are not ... are not.

Regardless of the area or industry, success is a craft unto itself ... As is mediocrity ... and failure.

If you wish to cross the lines of failure or mediocrity into the arena of the successful ... you must respect the craft of the successful. The only way to become truly successful is to respect the craft of success and earn the respect of the successful.

Do this ... and when your time comes, you will be accepted into a universal fraternity that has no end.

2009 ... The New Era of Motivation!

Early in the month of December, I began counting down the days on my Facebook page. For the entire month, my home page read:

"H. Reed Jr asks, ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEW ERA OF MOTIVATION?! Countdown: 'X' Days."

After that I would write a small motivational line with whatever space I had left in the caption box. About half way through the month, people began asking me, "What is this 'New Era of Motivation' all about?" It has been a question that never got a straight answer ...

Until now.

Ever since I decided to become a Motivational Speaker, I have struggled with what KIND of speaker I would be. What would my style be? Well ... in my preparations to bring 2008 to a close and jump feet first into 2009, I have made my decision.

The New Era of Motivation shall be about and based on the following:

Aggressive Responsibility

Aggressive Accountability

Aggressive Commitment

Aggressive Networking

In order to succeed and excell in today's world climate, one must be aggressively responsible, accountable, and committed. You must also be willing to break out of your little shell and learn how to network and get to know other people so that you may be able to help them and or have them be able to help you. If you lack any of these traits; or are the least bit weak in exhibiting them, you will have no one but yourself to blame for the life of mediocrity you may cursing yourself to.

In short ... come 2009 ... I AM NOT PLAYING AROUND!! I wanted 2008 to be my breakout year, but God had some other plans for me. My skills needed honing and sharpening. The finest of steel must go through the hottest of fires, and believe me when I tell you that 2008 was a HOT year - and not "hot" as in the spectacular sense.

Additionally ... There is no room in this new era for excuses. Things do not always go as planned, and that's alright - however ... when they don't go right be able to give a reason to explain it as opposed to trying to have an excuse to try & get out of it.

That's just a taste ...

Buckle up ...

We're going on a WILD ride!

The Act & Art of Becoming Successful

"The act & art of becoming successful is not for the weak or faint at heart. You can either hate on the successful or succeed over the hateful."

What do I mean by that?

It has often been said that "success is a journey, not a destination to be reached." I also submit to you that success is a responsibility to be earned and appreciated, not a title symbolized by materialistic things. Jewelry goes up & down in value. Houses burn down. Cars depreciate in value the minute you drive them off the lot. So what does it mean to have these things if you have to maintain and replace them? This is not success. Being successful is being in a position to CHOOSE. Being successful is being able to CHOOSE having a $500K house that you might want, but being wise enough to buy the $350K house that you need.

However, allow me to dig deeper.I have been honored to meet and even befriend a few people who are successful - some are even well known celebrities. Here is my assessment: They are just as human as anyone else. What separates them from everyone else is the level of intensity in their work ethic. In a nutshell ... successful people work harder, thus they are rewarded higher.

It is the "HRJR philosophy" that wanting or proclaiming your success is not enough. Wanting or proclaiming you are going to have more or be more than you are does not automatically entitle you to become successful. What it does is draw to you the attention of the universe or whatever you deem your higher power to be. If you want to be successful, and you are so bold as to take a stand in proclaiming it, you begin being tested.

Successful people face their challenges as tests and they study, practice, prepare, and eventually overcome. Successful people do not allow fatigue, pain, and even rejection to stop them. Donald Trump overcame personal debt of over $900 MILLION dollars, and is now worth over $50 billion dollars. Singer/Actress Jennifer Hudson LOST the American Idol talent competition, but WON an Oscar a couple of years later.

The difference between the people on the stage (successful people) and the people in the audience, is that the people on the stage put in the work to be out there. What makes them more successful than others is that they do what the people in the audience don't or are unwilling to do. They put in the work to the point where they make it look easy. It is at that point that so-called "regular" or "average" people think they can do what they see. Some may even TRY doing it, but don't succeed. Others don't care to put in the work necessary - but continue waiting & expecting opportunity to someday come knockinng. This is how "haterism" is born.

There are less successful people than there are "regular" or "average" people because only a select few realize that you have to work towards being successful in order for success to find its way to you - and even FEWER people who actually put in the work necessary. There are playgrounds, high schools, and colleges all over the country that have thousands of talented athletes, but how many of them actually have what it takes to make it to the professional leagues? Dozens.

In the end, this is not a "black & white" issue. Success comes in varying shades of gray. There are varying degrees & levels of success. These levels and degrees are comparable to the combination of a person's desire and commitment to succeeding. For example, even the benchwarmers in the professional leagues are making high six-figure salaries.

So ... the choice is yours. You can either put in the work and get what you have coming to you; or you can do nothing, and continue to watch and be a spectator. You can either be the person paid to be on your particular stage or you can be the person in the audience who pays the person on that stage.

Coming Out of the Dark!

Hello Friends,

I know I've been gone for quite some time now, but hey ... we ALL have lives to live. Basically, I have been dealing with the pressures and stresses of the times the same as many of you. For some reason, there's a belief that those who have the heart and or talent to be more vocal than others must have everything going right in their lives. Let me tell you that nothing can be farther from the truth! If nothing else, those who face their fears and take a stand before the universe are the ones the universe actually comes after the most.

As I bring 2008 to a close; and I reflect on all that this year has put me through, I find myself to be a stronger man because I have survived it. I have taken on the responsibilty of being a motivator, a postive influence in people's lives ... an "Investor in the Human Spirit!" Unfortunately, in accepting such a great responsibility, the hardest obstacle to overcome is facing and overcoming my own demons. "There can be no testimony without a TEST!"

Anyway, I got my blog stat reports for the past couple of weeks and have watched my numbers slowly drop. That tells me that I have not been paying proper attention to YOU my readers. I understand that you may look to me for an encouraging word, and it's my responsibility to provide that for you. WELL ... it's time for me to step my game up!

Honestly, I have also been spending a lot of time doing some networking on Facebook. I have also been doing a lot of "mini-venting" by way of posting short quotes or thoughts that bore deeper meanings. Those quotes were accepted by different people in different ways. Some people were motivated. Some people thought I was being cruel. To those who were motivated, keep digging in and fighting harder. To those who were offended ... I'm not going to apologize for striking an uncomfortable nerve. Just learn to dig deeper and fight harder.

I'm going to focus on making sure there is something here for you to draw from at least twice a week. I ask that you forgive me for my absence, and have faith in my return! Here are some thoughts to keep you focused until we meet again!

"Some things ... MOST things that people 'leave in God's' hands, He gives right back to them for them to work out for themselves."

So many of my challenges for this year are close to being far behind me! God is great and will truly put no more on us than we can bear, but you must understand this ... God (or whatever you deem your higher power to be) will see you through, but you are the one who must work through it. There's a saying that goes "an idle man is the devil's playground." When you're just sitting around doing nothing, the devil is just having his way with you. He's making it seem to feel so good just sitting there doing nothing. Notice, I said "seem to" because nothing and no one ever gets better by nothing being done towards the goal of getting better.

We are like mice in a maze. God knows our destinations, but the twists and turns that we take to get to that destination - those are OUR decisions. Whether we find walls blocking our way or the path continues to open and unfold before us, that's beased on the decisions and choices that WE MAKE.

The "maze" that has been known to me as "2008" is coming to a close. I am just a few weeks away from a whole lot of new opportunities, but at the same time, I also know that there are challenges on the horizon. You can't step your game up and NOT expect there to be new challenges waiting for you! "Coming out of the dark" allows us to see the challenges ahead. "Coming out of the dark" stronger allows us to be able to face and overcome those challenges.

"Let's Play!"