Growing up in a Christian family, I was exposed to a lot of Christian literature. Very little of it really struck a chord with me. But one author really stood out and had a profound influence on me. Merlin R Carothers, the pastor with the most unique philosophy in the world. This is a man who grasped an idea very much ahead of its time. His revolutionary message really isn't limited just to Christianity. In a sentence: the world is wonderful and good, and our place here is to revel in the beauty of it all, and-- this is the main part-- be thankful for everything. Whether good or bad, bless everything in this world with gratitude. Like a weed, this idea doesn't look all that impressive on the surface, but when you practice it, it has a way of working its way deep into your mind and drastically shifting the way you view the world.
Merlin makes a point of emphasizing being grateful for everything. Your family died in a horrific car wreck? Hallelujah! You got laid off, your spouse ran off, and your house burned down? Thank God! Thank God for cancer, praise heaven for corruption and vice, three cheers for poverty and hunger!
When something happens in our life, we have the choice of viewing it as a blessing or as a curse. This is entirely subjective. There is no universal arbiter to define these terms. When something is a blessing, the status of "blessingness" is not a tangible thing existing somewhere in the physical world. You can't put it on a scale or under a telescope. It's a status in your head. Likewise when something is a curse. Certain things tend to be classed one way or the other by concensus-- winning the lotto is a blessing, losing a friend is a curse-- but this "boon or bane" decision is ultimately arbitrary, and you can choose your labels freely.
Choose to view everything as a boon, and you are presented a very different world. At first, when you begin training your inner Merlin, it takes deliberate effort, and you feel silly. "Hmm, late fee for missing the electric bill.. have to remember to be thankful for this.. thanks for this late fee!" However, as time passes, it becomes automatic, and you really see things more positively. Not because you're forcing yourself to-- your very personality transforms into a more positive and optimistic one.
When I read the main Merlin Carothers book, Prison To Praise, it transformed me in more ways than one. Not only did I become innately more positive, I also bit into the proselytization with which the book is laced. This speaks for the power of the book: all my youth, I was constantly being proseletized to, by my parents, my parents' church, my high school, by whatever entertainment slipped through my parents' filter. None of it touched me at all. I was a Christian by upbringing, in the same sense that I was American by upbringing. It was a sports team to cheer for as it competed against the Arab Muslims. There was certainly never any spirit or power there.
But when I read Carothers-- I was junior high age at the time-- it ushered in a brief period of institutional Christianity in me. I was really serious about it. I even tried to convert my two best friends, in a tear-filled confrontation which I'm very glad they haven't brought up since. Heck, one of the scariest things I did as a kid, I actually made a feeble attempt to talk Jesus to my friend's psychic dad. Just before that, he was making noise about forbidding his son from hanging out with me because of my sudden radicalism, but after I confronted him, I think he recognized I was temporarily confused. Heh, he was a psychic, maybe he foresaw me writing this very article ;)
Thankfully, I didn't end up a bible thumper. Merlin Carothers led me through a very different and new phase in life, and it's one I disagree with now, but I'm glad I took it. I've come to recognize that the more "phases" I go through, the more I grow as a person. It's reality expansion. I wouldn't care if the Big MC had converted me to Scientology, Flying Spaghetti Monster, or even the ultra-crazy Fujitaisekiji. It was a learning experience and gave me that much extra reference experience, thus making me a more intelligent person in the end. Besides converting me temporarily into a fan of his religion football team, Merlin also taught me about the power of praise, and that's a lesson that's benefited me all my life.
Order Merlin Carothers' Prison To Praise online.
FURTHER READING
I gave a Toastmasters Speech titled Unconditional Thanksgiving, which talks more about giving thanks for absolutely everything. I talk more there about the theory behind the philosophy.
Raised by Christians, I have a lot of knowledge about Christian trivia. People who know me today can actually be startled by the depth of my knowledge of my parents' theology. Since I'm not a fan of the football team myself, though, I tend to have very different opinions than most Christians. Read, for example, my article on Sex Before Marriage.
For another book review, read my review of Steve Pavlina's Personal Development For Smart People.
Merlin makes a point of emphasizing being grateful for everything. Your family died in a horrific car wreck? Hallelujah! You got laid off, your spouse ran off, and your house burned down? Thank God! Thank God for cancer, praise heaven for corruption and vice, three cheers for poverty and hunger!
When something happens in our life, we have the choice of viewing it as a blessing or as a curse. This is entirely subjective. There is no universal arbiter to define these terms. When something is a blessing, the status of "blessingness" is not a tangible thing existing somewhere in the physical world. You can't put it on a scale or under a telescope. It's a status in your head. Likewise when something is a curse. Certain things tend to be classed one way or the other by concensus-- winning the lotto is a blessing, losing a friend is a curse-- but this "boon or bane" decision is ultimately arbitrary, and you can choose your labels freely.
Choose to view everything as a boon, and you are presented a very different world. At first, when you begin training your inner Merlin, it takes deliberate effort, and you feel silly. "Hmm, late fee for missing the electric bill.. have to remember to be thankful for this.. thanks for this late fee!" However, as time passes, it becomes automatic, and you really see things more positively. Not because you're forcing yourself to-- your very personality transforms into a more positive and optimistic one.
When I read the main Merlin Carothers book, Prison To Praise, it transformed me in more ways than one. Not only did I become innately more positive, I also bit into the proselytization with which the book is laced. This speaks for the power of the book: all my youth, I was constantly being proseletized to, by my parents, my parents' church, my high school, by whatever entertainment slipped through my parents' filter. None of it touched me at all. I was a Christian by upbringing, in the same sense that I was American by upbringing. It was a sports team to cheer for as it competed against the Arab Muslims. There was certainly never any spirit or power there.
But when I read Carothers-- I was junior high age at the time-- it ushered in a brief period of institutional Christianity in me. I was really serious about it. I even tried to convert my two best friends, in a tear-filled confrontation which I'm very glad they haven't brought up since. Heck, one of the scariest things I did as a kid, I actually made a feeble attempt to talk Jesus to my friend's psychic dad. Just before that, he was making noise about forbidding his son from hanging out with me because of my sudden radicalism, but after I confronted him, I think he recognized I was temporarily confused. Heh, he was a psychic, maybe he foresaw me writing this very article ;)
Thankfully, I didn't end up a bible thumper. Merlin Carothers led me through a very different and new phase in life, and it's one I disagree with now, but I'm glad I took it. I've come to recognize that the more "phases" I go through, the more I grow as a person. It's reality expansion. I wouldn't care if the Big MC had converted me to Scientology, Flying Spaghetti Monster, or even the ultra-crazy Fujitaisekiji. It was a learning experience and gave me that much extra reference experience, thus making me a more intelligent person in the end. Besides converting me temporarily into a fan of his religion football team, Merlin also taught me about the power of praise, and that's a lesson that's benefited me all my life.
Order Merlin Carothers' Prison To Praise online.
FURTHER READING
I gave a Toastmasters Speech titled Unconditional Thanksgiving, which talks more about giving thanks for absolutely everything. I talk more there about the theory behind the philosophy.
Raised by Christians, I have a lot of knowledge about Christian trivia. People who know me today can actually be startled by the depth of my knowledge of my parents' theology. Since I'm not a fan of the football team myself, though, I tend to have very different opinions than most Christians. Read, for example, my article on Sex Before Marriage.
For another book review, read my review of Steve Pavlina's Personal Development For Smart People.
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