Category Archives: ENG 1101

The Secret and The Law Of Attraction

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During the last two sessions last week we watched three videos one on “The Secret” and two parodies about the secret. From watching “The secret” 20 minute video a lot of questions aroused that i needed answers to. Various claims were made but there was no supportive evidence to back up these claims that were made.Rhonda Bryne not once was present in the video yet she had visionary people etc backing up the theory of the secret and the law of attraction. To persuade people into buying into her theory. The law of attraction will give you what you want every time. You become what you attract the most, you become what you think about the most. Whatever your thinking and feeling creates your future/ creates your life. Rhonda Bryne is stating that for example if you consistently think of a fancy car all day and night it will appear in your drive way in the morning which isn’t logical, very unlikely. If there’s something an individual desire or wants they have to take the steps  into making it a reality ( go and get it).I understand the message of the video ” the secret” but i do not necessarily agree with it. The parodies were against the message of the secret  making jokes of it the secret is one big joke. Society and Life isn’t based on thoughts not everyone gets what they want every time just because they thought of it life does work that way. Life is like the roll of dice you never know what your going to get .

It depends on what you believe.

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The past week our class watched a video that explained the concept of “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. In this video, the idea that is being portrayed is the law of attraction. Meaning, that whatever your thinking is, no matter who you are, whether is positive or negative: it will happen and you will have it. We also watched two parodies about this video. The first parody suggests that the words, music and tone of the original video are exaggerated with sophistication. Moreover, the experts that are shown in the original video are replaced by the first parody with people who are irrelevant to the topic. The second parody is making fun of the ideas of Rhonda Byrne that were presented by her in an Oprah show. This parody brings up the fact that Byrne is just a normal person who is not a scientist. Therefore, there is no reason for her to have credibility in her claims. Moreover, the parody focuses in challenging the idea of the law of attraction by showing examples of personal and public issues in which the law may not work.

I think that the concept of the law of attraction is true, to a certain extent. Our thoughts definitely have an influence in our actions. Therefore, whether you have positive or negative thoughts: your actions will be the same according to it. I agree with the first parody that emphasizes in the fact that the video of the secret is exaggerated with the presentation of the content. However, that is just a strategy that is used to sell. Whether the audience believes its content or not, it is all up do them. It’s like buying Proactive (or anything else). The commercials show that the product is for everyone but in real life it may not necessarily be true. Also, let’s keep in mind that there is something called the “Placebo effect” which is when an individual has improved in his health after receiving a “treatment” that may not necessarily cure the disease he has. This improved health is because the individual was TOLD that the treatment will cure him. The brain of the individual used the idea of the “treatment” that will cure him, and it healed itself. So, why wouldn’t there be a possibility that our way of thinking influences what happens in our lives, if our brain is so powerful. Our brain is the one that responds to things that happen. Whether our responses are good or bad, it’s up to us.

In the second parody, Pamela who was left by her husband wants him back. However, he doesn’t want her and Pamela does things that she assumes will be effective to get her husband back. These are competing desires. I think that in this case a person must acknowledge and respect the desires of others, and work around them to look for a way we can still satisfy our wants but without disrespecting other’s desires. Pamela could have set her mind to look for a different husband and maybe she would have found one that made her as or more happy. Moreover, when they use the example of Olessi, it exposes that using the law of attraction may be difficult in this situation. Which is true. However, the way it may be applied might be different. The issue might have started with negative thoughts and actions of people. The solution to the issue may not only require positive thoughts to the solution but also positive actions. Which is the same as how the problem started, with thoughts and actions of people. The difference in these two cases is that in one the law of attraction is used individually and the other as a community.

The Secret

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In class we watched and discussed a documentary novel called, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. The whole concept of her novel is about how people hold their own happiness in their minds. Of course some people will agree while others beg to differ. Although there are different ways to take this new information in, I don’t believe it’s possible. In my opinion I don’t think it’s realistic to achieve happiness just from changing your thoughts. Happy thoughts won’t solve your troubles, although thinking about more positive things will lighten up your mood more than thinking about negative things that will obviously do the opposite. Thinking about rainbows and butterflies won’t pay your bills, put food on your table or get you out of debt. Byrne’s believes that through thinking positively you can control your destiny. I for one think that what’s meant to be will happen and find it’s way with or without our approval or thought on it. If that were the case I’m sure people wouldn’t be as sad as they are, people with depression have happy thoughts and are still depressed. In the documentary they also claim that people attract what happens to them. If a person goes through a traumatic experience such as losing a parent due to cancer, they attracted this tragedy? Should they have had a happier thought to prevent it? Not everything that goes on around you happens because of whats on in your mind. Monitoring them won’t determine whether you’re happy, mad, sad or whatever the case may be.

We also got to see two parodies of the documentary. Although they were both insinuating the same idea of how it was funny that people thought our minds control the universe, they also showed how the people that spoke throughout the documentary hid behind these fancy titles and job descriptions. They made really bold claims but didn’t support it in any way. They thought that their job titles would give them enough credibility to make those claims and assumptions but without supporting their selves they were just people declaring opinions. In the Saturday Night Live parody with Oprah Winfrey they show Oprah, Rhonda Byrne and a believer who uses this method. She goes on to explain how her and her husband had separated due to him being interested in a younger woman. She tells everyone how she starts to think positive thoughts how she’s going to get her husband back. The woman ended up with a restraining order and awaiting trial. Which brings back my idea on how just thinking positive thoughts can’t solve all of a person’s problems. If a person is currently feeling down thinking more positive thoughts can help bring up their mood but it will not bring them ultimate success and happiness. It’s more of a temporary mood lifter. In the second parody they shed more light on the speakers and how in the documentary they make them seem more educated or or entitled than they really are. They show how they are just ordinary people making speculations instead of showing proof of what they are saying.

The Secret. Understood or Perceived?

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I’m not here to proclaim that this video depicting Ms. Byrnes’s book is factual or otherwise, or that it’s the “End All Be All”. However I can tell you from experience that, positive thoughts in the universe yield positive results It’s almost surreal to actually witness one’s positive or negative thoughts manifest themselves and come to fruition. Not so much thought specific, but more “you think good and good things will happen”. That’s it! Similiar to Arlene, a lot of the bad things in my life I didn’t ask for, however I was totally prepped for negative results because my mindset was far from positive, progressive, or proactive.

On the flip side however, I began to understand that my mindset is just as important a prerequisite to how I conduct myself, in conjunction to the actual results of my actions is paramount. Keep in mind I’m not speaking thoughts specific to immediate results, I’m speaking about the overall integrity of positivity and positive thoughts in the universe. Past or present, positive energy yields positive thoughts and overall positive results. Even when there’s the gray area of day to day human existence.

response to the “secret” and parodies

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I understood the message of the film “the secret” but I do not agree. “what you think is what will happen?” “law of attraction” people dying from natural causes, I doubt they thought about actually suffering and dying that way. okay “yes’ you should always have a positive mindset at all times but that doesn’t mean that everything in life will coincide with your thoughts.This is life!!! you expect the unexpected. Everything bad that’s happened in my life, wasn’t even a thought. I didn’t want to attract those things but they’ve happened. and what about the good things that I’ve been thinking about my whole life, well they haven’t happened. Am I to be blamed because I didn’t think positive enough?!

The SNL sketch confirmed everything that I’ve been thinking about the “secret”. Its a big Joke!! Pamela Hedley seemed delusional trying to use the “secret” to get back with her husband. Rhonda Byrne seemed as if she was the puppet master, pulling on the strings, letting Pamela think that she was actually in the right state of mind, committing foolery because it was all done in positive thinking. Thinking positive about Pamela actually getting back with her husband caused her to do negative acts, thus getting a case held against her. So positive thinking should include acting accordingly. Not do whatever by all means. The character Olessi from Sudan ate the book, so i really didn’t understand his role in the film. The book should be made a parody of because its a load of crap; inaccurate and unrealistic.

The Post 24 Calamity introduced that everything is a cause and effect. but things separate us by class, social, economic and race etc… Everything is blatantly obvious. You want something, you go get it. that simple. The tittle of the characters were totally contracted to the knowledge of what we see on the screen then what we expect. Nothing had a connection. So called experts making claims but they weren’t experts at all. Using fancy labels to seem as though they had more knowledge than they actually had. again introducing that “The Secret” is a load of crap. cockamamie ideas presented by people who think they know what they’re talking about because of their educational tittle and or background.

The Effects Of Being Positive

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“Want to know a secret?,” Rhonda Byrne might ask her readers and many others who want something. On Tuesday, I don’t actually understand the secret since we only saw like the first twenty minute of the documentary and the fact that I was kind of unproductive that day.  I eventually got the idea of the secret is to be positive and positivity will lead to what we desire. On Thursday, I arrive to class hoping we don’t have to do much. I just didn’t feel like going the first place. I thought about it for a few minutes and I decided to go. After a few minutes in class, I was told that we will watch a SNL skit. I love SNL, I watch it every Saturday or on demand if I can’t watch it that day. In the SNL skit, Byrne is impersonated as someone who lives in her own little world. It’s seem to be a fantasy where thinking positive leads to what we desire. The funny thing is that the skit is about Oprah giving interviewing Byrne and a reader of the book, “The Secret.” The reader use the secret in her life, but is it actually working? Well, she seems confident, but I feel like she isn’t being realistic. She is in process of a divorce and due to Byrne’s secret, you got to be positive. The reader really want to save her marriage and apparently staying positive is doing her no good.

In my opinion, I disagree with the “Secret” The reason why is that Byrne used many examples related to someone being rich. Let say I am a billionaire and I want a buy a mansion to live in during the summer time only, then I could get that if I be positive. I also believe that thinking you want something doesn’t mean that I can get it. I want a 4.0 GPA. I know for sure I can’t get that. I could stay positive, but that wouldn’t help me get it. I would eventually be upset if I didn’t get that GPA, even though I was so positivity and confident that I would get it.

Due to the fact of my unproductiveness in class on Tuesday, I can say I regret that. I feel like I didn’t take in all the information from the documentary but only took in the SNL skit and the other parody information leading to what I believe in what Byrne meant when talking about the secret. I know that parody is meant to take something serious and make it funny. That why maybe I interpret the “secret” wrong. I hope I am well prepare on Tuesday for further discussion on this topic and hope to get a more detail idea of the secret.

Can thinking something really come true or not?

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While we watched these videos about “The Secret” and these parodies it got me thinking about how can by you thinking positive things it can actually come true. I have had this feeling before that when things aren’t going well in the morning I keep feeling like nothing will. When I start thinking I’m going to be late somewhere everything starts going slow the bus takes long or the train. I start getting these negative thoughts so around me I feel everything doesn’t go well.

The film “The Secret” I don’t think is entirely true because just because you focus on something so much doesn’t really mean that you will get it right away. You have to work hard for what you want things can’t just come easy to you. I feel like by what you do with your life surrounding yourself with good people and doing things for others good fortune can come for you. Like it was said in the film “Law of attraction obedient when you think real hard on something you want you’ll get it think something bad you’ll get that to. It’s all about how you think and your surrounding that let you accomplish things.

The parodies that we saw in class are showing us that just because these people say that your thoughts cause feeling or that thoughts become things you shouldn’t always believe what they say. The Oprah parody is a depiction of Rhonda Byrne is seen as like this dumb idea. Instead of actually thinking something you think it will come to you. You should actually be thinking about the consequences that come from this. Like the women that did one of the sketches she believed so much I will get my husband again and instead got a restraining order for being crazy.Or that by thinking thoughts is not just gonna help you get something but what you actually do about it can make a difference. Also showing us that if you want something go out and buy it. Their telling us the opposite of “The Secret” that just because you think something it can come true. Instead you have to do something about your life to get the material things you want or anything you really want in life. The parodies show the truth behind “The Secret” and make us think that it’s not by what you think but what you do.

When you want something you go through several stages and obstacles in your life to get what you want. You either take the help you get and really work hard and study for what you want to do in life and get all the things you want. It’s almost like when you make a wish on your birthday it’s by what you can maybe do to get what you wished for rather than believing you’ll just get whatever you wished for handed to you.

ENG 1101 Essay #1 Extension: Final Draft Due NEXT Tuesday (10/28)

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Hi folks:

I hope that you had good weekends. I’m just writing with some “happy” news for you: I have decided to extend the due date for Essay #1, to give you another week to work on your revisions (by now you should all have either met with me or receive your comments back via e-mail … if you didn’t, please make sure to check your e-mail again). The final draft is now due next Tuesday (10/28), instead of tomorrow.

You will be doing important in-class work this week, so please make sure to come to class and have a wonderful time with each other and the professors who will be covering classes. I’m heading up to Canada (for my two conferences) this morning, and will return in time for next Tuesday’s class.

Remember, you should be using this deadline extension to re-think your argument (many of you need to re-read the texts and analyze/think more critically through them), revise, edit, and proofread your essay, and you can also visit the City Tech Learning Center to get more one-on-one help with revising your essay. Just a friendly reminder that your updated Reflection Cover Letter for the final draft should take all of this work (including peer review and individual conferences with me, if you had one) into account.

Please “reply” here to let me know you read/understood this message, and have a great week. Happy revising!

Cheers,
Professor Belli

10/16/14 Class Notes

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Today in class we discussed how to put all essays ideas and evidence together in a formal way to convince the reader of your own opinion.

HomeWork for Tuesday 10/21:

*Essay #1 Final (for grade) Draft , Email professor Belli the Word Document File Before class, also submit the portfolio folder in class

*Remember, proffesor Belli will not be in class next week but the essay is still due and class will still be in session (there will be a subsitute with work for the class) , If you have not received the proffesors revision of your first draft, email her so that you are able to pick it up tommorow, or so the proffesor can scan it to you

*Reminders* Email proffesor Belli the final essay draft correctly: ( Your Name, Essay1, Final Draft ) She will respond “thankyou” if she has received it correctly

The portfolio folder should include:   Cover letter and final draft, previous draft and peer review sheets, also any related free writing that you may want to include. (free writings do not have to be typed.)

Tone:

it is how you approach the reader about your idea.

Many have been making the mistake of sounding to chatty, or like they are talking to a friend. Keep in mind you are writing a formal essay, caps and exclamation points (!!) are inappropriate.

Third Person:

Many are having difficulties staying in the third person, remember “in my opinion” etc.. is in 1st person,

Using the third person will make you sound confident about your idea and you will better convince the reader, for example “This is the case …” This way you are convincing the reader to see the idea through your eyes.

Topic Sentences:

Keep in mind that the topic sentence should be specific. It should consiste of a fact and why is it significant. Topic sentences should 1. Introduce the main claim, 2. Relate to the thesis, 3. Connect to the previous paragraph

The transition handout can be of much help.

After you finish your final draft make sure to double check your arguments. Write down your topic sentences in a seperate sheet of paper and read them. Does it make sense? Do they flow with each other? Does it make sense? After that proof read, read it outloud and slowly.

Incorporate Evidence:

After quoting remember to analize it. Why is the quote significant to your paragraph? Does it belong there? Does it relate? What is your point? It should show the reader what you are trying to say. Good ways to start analyzing is “This statement shows, this example portrays…” etc

Quotes, texts, and topic sentences should not start with because. The evidence handout can be helpful.

Cite/Signal:

The essay should be in the present tense and so should words when introducing quotes. For example  “proffesor Belli argues/talks/asks…” After including a quote you should cite it like this: (last name of author and page number) no comma in between. If you have already introduced the quote with the authors name then you do not have to include it while you cite it, just include the page number.

 Works Cited Page:

This page should include the articles you stated in your paragraphs, it should be at the end of the essay.

Color Coding:

This is a technique to help you get your ideas together. It is using a color to highlight a certain idea and another color to highlight another idea. You would do this throughout your essay and see if you have any ideas that are the same in different paragraphs. This technique can help some people do better organize their paragraphs. This video can be helpful to explain color coding aswell.

Titles:

Many people did titles and others did not. The professor wants us to try the two part title. It is having a catchy frase a colon (:) and then something else, preferably your point on the essay. Try your best on completing the title as asked –>    _______ : _______

 I hope everyone finds my notes to be very helpful, if any questions please contact me through open lab message.

Good Peer Review

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After days and hours spent on my essay I was proud of the outcome. I really thought my essay was really good. I was a little nervous in giving my essays to my peers because even though I was proud of my essay, I new it was not going to be good enough. I am not the best essay writer, but then again who is (?). The important thing was that I tried my best and its only a first draft. The fact that I was going to have feedback and have my essay reviewed actually calmed me down. Even being proud of my essay I am open to my peers comments and thoughts.

When I got my essay back I was ready to see all the mistakes I had done. After my peers explained their comments and revision, I noticed my essay can be better. They showed me simple mistakes I did like typos. They showed me that I did not introduce my quotes from the texts and articles. My peers also showed me that I had a few ideas in one paragraph. Another helpful tip my peers showed me was their opinions on the structure of my paragraphs. My peers, Meena and Jocelyn, showed me ideas on how they think my essay would sound better. They showed me that I could switch up some sentences so my paragraph can run smoother. Overall my peers liked my essay and the main idea, they just pointed out plenty of things I should fix in order to make the best out of this argumentative essay.

After this experience of talking to my peers about my essay, I felt good. I liked the experience because I had the opinion of two other people who are willing to help me better my essay. I also like the experience because my peers helped me look and point out the mistakes I did not notice even after rereading my essay. I liked this peer review and would look forward to it again. I think peer review is a good way to make a very good and interesting argumentative essay.

For my essay 1 revision, my next steps are as follows. I will reread a few times over my peers corrections and revisions. Then I will start making an outline or draft including my peers editing. I will do this in a manner were I get all the ideas out on paper. This will help me to figure out which way I like better including my peers ideas and revisions. After I get everything out and organized I will type up my essay and have my boyfriend read it. I will also reread it again myself to feel satisfied with it. Finally I will print it out after I feel satisfied.