The Secret

Introduction

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a 2006 self-help book that explores the pseudoscientific “law of attraction”, which claims that positive or negative thoughts can bring about corresponding positive or negative experiences in a person’s life.

• It suggests that we are the most powerful magnets in the universe, attracting thoughts that can become reality.
• Those who fear losing wealth often end up losing it, and when we dwell on something that makes us unhappy, similar negative thoughts gather, making us even more upset.

The book teaches that our current life is a reflection of our past thoughts, both the good and the bad.

• By focusing on what we truly want while dismissing negative thoughts, we can shape a more positive future.

You can have, do, or be anything you want.

Unleashing The Power of the Secret

The law of attraction responds to your thoughts - good or bad - without distinction.

• We are like human transmission towers, constantly sending and receiving on a specific frequency from the Universe, which then turns into our reality.
• The law of attraction does not recognize what you do not want; it responds to your dominant thoughts and calls them into existence.
• In other words, when you speak words of negation, the law of attraction still receives the core idea.
• “I do not want to be delayed” becomes “I want delays.”
• “I cannot handle all this work” becomes “I want more work than I can handle.”

Whether we realize it or not, we are thinking most of the time, whether reading, watching, recalling or driving.

• The law of attraction is always at work, shaping and creating both our present and our future.
• The only time we are not thinking is when we are asleep, so it is wise to make sure our last thoughts before bed are positive.

By understanding the law of attraction, you can become more aware of your thoughts, choose them carefully, and even enjoy the process.

• Fortunately, a single affirmative thought is hundreds of times more powerful than a negative one. This means it is not about completely eliminating negative thoughts.
• Meditation can also help quiet your mind and give you greater control over your thinking.
• Your feelings - whether good or bad - immediately reveal the frequency you are emitting to the universe. As a result, your feelings attract similar ones in return. So when you feel down, try shifting your emotions by listening to music, singing, or recalling beautiful memories.

The Creative Process

The law of attraction is always present and always listening to everything you think, speak and act.

The universe is like the Genie in Aladdin - it treats your every wish as a command. The Creative Process described in The Secret, which draws from the New Testament in the Bible, offers a simple three-step guide to creating what you want:

Step 1: Ask - Be clear about what you truly want, then place your request to the universe once.

Step 2: Believe - Think of it as already yours, belonging to you, and in your possession. Otherwise, the thought of not having it will only attract more of not having it.

Step 3: Receive - Begin to feel the joy and excitement as if it has already arrived by visualization, because those happy and positive feelings place you in the frequency of what you desire.

Now, use the law of attraction to design your life in advance, right down to the very next thing you are about to do today.

• Gratitude is a powerful way to shift your energy and draw more of what you desire into your life. When you appreciate what you already have, you naturally attract even more good things.

Money

To attract money, focus on wealth.

• You cannot draw more money into your life if your attention is fixed on the lack of it.
• Setting a goal of “getting out of debt” will only keep you tied to debt, because your focus remains on what you do not want.
• Instead, shift your attention toward prosperity, even when bills surround you.

Make it your intention to notice the things you like and affirm to yourself, “I can afford that. I can buy that.”

• This simple shift in thinking helps you feel better about money and aligns you with abundance.

Giving is also a powerful way to invite more wealth into your life.

• When you give freely and with joy, you send out the message: “I have plenty.”
• And the universe responds by bringing more of that abundance back to you.

Relationships

If you want to attract a relationship, make sure your thoughts, words, actions and surroundings do not contradict your desires.

• Every action begins with a thought.
• Thoughts shape the words you speak, the feelings you experience, and the actions you take.

Your first responsibility is always to yourself.

• Your actions are thoughts in motion.
• If you fail to treat yourself with love and respect, you are sending out a signal that says you are not important enough, not worthy enough or not deserving.
• But when you treat yourself with kindness, love and respect, you naturally attract people who will treat you the same.
• Sacrificing yourself for others often comes from a mindset of lack - a belief that there is not enough to go around, so you must go without.

Instead, focus on the qualities you love about yourself, and the law of attraction will reveal even more wonderful things for you to appreciate.

• When you feel poorly about yourself, you block love and draw in situations that confirm those negative feelings.

In relationships, place your attention on what you value in the other person, not on complaints.

• Highlight their strengths, and you will see even more of those qualities shine through.

Health

The placebo effect is a powerful example of the law of attraction at work.

• When a patient truly believes a tablet is a cure, they receive what they believe, and they will be cured.

In the same way, “thinking perfect health” is something anyone can do privately, regardless of external circumstances.

• Disease cannot live in a body that remains in a healthy emotional state.
• Illness is sustained by thoughts, by focusing on the condition, and by giving it your attention.
• If you feel slightly unwell, avoid talking about it, unless you wish to invite more of the same.
• Likewise, giving your attention to others’ illnesses - by listening, repeating, or magnifying their stories - draws that same energy toward you.

World

People have a tendency to look at the things that they want and say, “Yes, I like that. I want that.” However, they also focus heavily on the things that they do not want - sometimes giving them even more energy - by resisting or trying to eliminate them (poverty, war, violence, and so on).

• But, what you resist, persists.
• Instead of directing your energy toward the world’s problems, place your attention on trust, love, abundance, education, and peace.
• Convince yourself of the truth you wish to see manifested.
• Praise and bless all things in the world, and you will dissolve negativity, reduce discord and align yourself with the highest frequency - love.

The universe is abundant.

• There will never be a shortage of good things, because there is more than enough for everyone.

You

Quantum physics teaches us that everything is energy, including the universe, our galaxy, our planet and each of us.

• In simple terms, all energy vibrates at a frequency. Your frequency at any moment is determined by what you are thinking and feeling.
• When you focus on what you want and align your thoughts and emotions with it, you emit that frequency, which then magnetically drawing it toward you.

By contrast, someone who dwells on the dark side of life - reliving past misfortunes and disappointments - unintentionally calls more of the similar misfortunes and disappointments into their future.

• Let go of past difficulties, cultural conditioning and limiting social beliefs.
• Holding on to grudges or blame only harms you.
• Remember, you alone have the power to create the life you deserve.

A powerful shortcut to manifesting your desires is to see them as unquestionable facts - already real, already yours.

• Whether you think you can or think you cannot, either way you are right.

Life

You are the one who gets to fill the blackboard of your life with whatever you choose.

• If you have filled it with baggage from the past, wipe it clean. Erase everything from the past that does not serve you, and be grateful for the experineces that brought you here. You can have a fresh slate and start over, right here, right now. Find your joy and live it fully!
• All you need to do is choose to feel good, to be happy in this moment. The more you tap into the power of the secret within you, the more that power will flow through you.

As we release limiting thoughts, we begin to uncover the true magnificence of humanity in every aspect of creation.

Summary

The concept of the law of attraction was not first introduced by The Secret, but had been explored in earlier works, notably Think and Grow Rich.

Every thought we hold is a silent force, quietly steering the direction we are heading. When we are filled with passion and hope, our actions naturally align with steps that lead toward a positive outcome - and the same is true in reverse.

• Instead of dismissing the law of attraction as mere pseudoscience, we can recognize that we become who we define ourselves to be, and the world is shaped by how we choose to perceive it.
• For every misfortune we face, there are countless others enduring far greater hardships.
• So, let us remain grateful, and find joy in what we have.