ex-l wrote: I am still conditioned against feeling comfortable with naturally "self-centered" material simplicities, rather Yogi austerities
Good on you ex-l: the existing materialistic paradigm of economic growth, rampant consumerism, and disposability, will destroy this 'civilisation' pretty soon, if nothing else gets us first. In material terms we all need to be satisfied with less, or at least with with what we already have, and we should glorify simplicity and sustainability, not glamour and excess.
But in spiritual terms we should all be asking for more - and it is ourselves we need to demand it from.
freedom wrote:Just not to focus on the negative so much, like the terrorists and all the fear sold to the public ...
I agree - the world needs more positive thinking. I enjoyed "The Secret", for its message that your future is in your own hands, you create it yourself. This is the opposite of the "surrender to Baba" sheep-like attitude, which encourages you to abandon responsibility for your self, and to become a cog in the machine. "The Secret" tells us to take responsibility for our selves, and to create a better reality.
Like ex-l, I do find "The Secret" too materialistic in terms of the desires in its examples, and I find it very American in that respect. But take the basic premise and apply it to your own desires, which I hope are higher level desires, and it becomes inspiring.