The Secret
Winston Churchill once said, "You create your own universe as
you go along".
Thinking about that for a moment or two can lend to may
interpretations, one in particular being that of The Secret by
Rhonda Byrne.
In the Secret, this quote, along with several others,
are tied (or haphazardly cobbled) together to illustrate what this "secret" is - the secret to
a life of happiness, health, and wealth.
Full disclosure, when I was given the Secret years
ago, and began to read it, I thought it was a little corny, a little quirky, and it
wasn't at all the life-changing revelation I was expecting. Some elements of
the Secret I have incorporated into my life, and I believe that I am the better
for them, but much like the quotes of the "greatest people in history"
that Rhonda Byrne leaned on to support her "secret", I found my own
interpretation in the pages of this book.
The primary tenant of the secret is the Law of Attraction. We all
operate according to and with the law of attraction, and the law of attraction
is controlled by our thoughts. Yup, that’s right. Stay with me, because I too
considered turning away on page 2 or 3 thinking - what?
Think about this for a moment, literally think, because we know
that our thoughts have frequencies, frequencies that can and have been measured.
Those who follow this “secret” believe that your life is a physical manifestation
of the thoughts that go on in your head. Your thoughts act like a magnet, like
attracting like, bringing your predominant thoughts, whether conscious or
unconscious, into reality.
Again, not life-changing, we have heard about self-fulfilling
prophecies and such. But what if it is true? What if you can create what you
wanted with the power of your thoughts? Couldn’t hurt to try right?
This is the point where interpretations of the Secret seem to diverge
into 2 primary camps. Some believe that all they have to do is think happy
thoughts, think of what they want, practice gratitude, visualize and try to
feel the feelings of having what it is you want. All of these things are true and
can be found in the pages of the book.
So, you are focusing on what you want, great.
You don’t need to know how you are going to get what you want, you
just need to believe. Ok.
I can do that.
What seems to get left behind, or perhaps missed (especially by
those who have criticized the Secret), is another primary step in the process
of creating your universe - Acting on what you want! Well yeah, of course you
are going to have to get up off your keester at some point!
The universe does not just :poof: deliver what you want on your
doorstep. When you are focusing intently on what is you want, something you
want to achieve, whatever it is, eventually, the opportunity will come, the
inspiration or idea will form.
You don’t have to know how you are going to achieve what
you want, focus on what you want and the how will become clear on the
way there, you just have to be ready to act.
More to come in the next installment, including those who think
the “secret” is more like a poorly-kept lie.
In the meantime, feel free to check out the (kinda of a?) documentary!
Again, it is a little corny and a little quirky, but worth 90 minutes. It’s on Netflix!
CHurchill didn't just need the Law of Attraction, he needed American military assistance too. And there's no doubt, the quality of affirmation ("We will fight on the land, we will fight at sea, we will never surrender") is powerful. But there's a danger lurking in this "secret": we might be tempted to blame unsuccessful people for their failures to "attract" success, when we ought to acknowledge the large element of contingency and luck in every successful life.
ReplyDeleteA good commentary on The Secret is a film called "What the [Bleep] Do I Know?"...