The Secret by Mavis Khan
Dear kids and former kids,
I have a secret to tell you.
Nobody meant to keep it from you,
It's just that it's been one of those things
that's so obvious that people couldn't see it.
Like looking all over for the key that you have in your hand.
The secret is that you are already a completely whole
perfect person.
You are not damaged goods,
You are not incomplete,
You are not flawed,
You are not unfinished,
You do not need remodelling,
Fixing,
Polishing
or major rehabilitation.
You already have within you everything you
need to live a wonderful life.
You have
common sense,
Wisdom,
Genius,
Creativity,
Humour,
Self-esteem,
You are pure potential,
You are missing nothing.
The only thing
that can keep you from enjoying all that you already are is a
thought.
One thought,
Your thought,
Not someone else's thought,
Your thought.
Whatever thought you are thinking at the moment that feels
more important to think than feeling grateful,
Alive,
Content,
Joyful,
Optimistic,
Loving and at peace.
That's the only thing that's between you and happiness.
And guess who's in charge of your thinking?
Guess who gets to decide
where your attention goes?
Guess who gets to write,
Produce,
Direct and start in the moment you're in the middle of?
You,
Just you.
Not your past,
Stored thought,
Not the future,
Did you ever notice that it never ever shows up?
Not your parents,
They all think their own thoughts,
Or your friends,
Ditto,
Or school,
Or television,
Or situations,
Or circumstances,
Or anything else.
Just you.
Thinking is an awesome
capability,
Like any capability.
It can be used whether as a tool or as a
weapon against ourselves and others.
And just
like with any other tool,
We can tell whether we're using it for or
against ourselves by how it feels.
When we think against
ourselves or others,
We get in trouble.
When we
don't,
We usually stay out of trouble.
Feelings exist to warn us away from using our thinking to create
trouble in our lives and to guide us back to our natural,
Healthy ability to live our lives to the fullest.
Let me repeat that.
Feelings exist to warn us away from using
our thinking to create trouble in our lives and to
guide us back to our natural,
Healthy ability
to live our lives to the fullest.
So please remember that your thoughts
are not always telling you the truth.
When we're in low moods,
Feeling down,
Our
thoughts are not to be trusted,
Our IQ drops.
When our thoughts pass and when we lighten up,
Our thinking is once again creative,
Positive,
Our IQ goes up.
The only way you can feel badly about yourself and your life
is if you think badly about them.
It's up to you.
Every single minute that
you're alive,
It's always up to you.
This is the best,
Most liberating secret I've ever learned and I want you to know
it too.
With love,
Mavis.
Footnote.
Mavis Khan worked with young offenders in the
United States and on leaving her job she wanted to give
those she worked with a gift.
She recalls not wanting to give socks or
some other trivia,
So instead she wrote this letter and gave
each individual a copy.
