Summary of “The Secret”: Rhonda Byrne explains how we can use the law of attraction to attract everything we want in our lives, and shows us how to control our thoughts.
By Rhonda Byrne, 2008, 238 pages
Chronicle and summary of “The Secret”:
Introduction
The author Rhonda Byrne starts by explaining what the circumstances were when she wrote her book:
- The way she discovered what she calls “The Big Secret”:
Rhonda Byrne tells the story of how, by accident, she ended up reading a 100-year old tome, when she was deeply depressed. The discovery of the Secret was a revelation for her: - Her need to share this Secret:
For Rhonda Byrne it became essential to spread this Secret around the world. So, she set off on a search for contemporaries who knew about it and collected numerous testimonials. This research resulted in: - The production of a film called “The Secret”,
- The publication of the book, following the success of the film.
This book is co-written with twenty-four professors who all testified on the subject of the Secret. These testimonials illustrate Rhonda Byrne’s ideas throughout the book.
Part 1 – The Secret revealed
1.1 – The Secret, is the law of attraction!
The law of attraction means that it is ourselves that attract all the things that happen to us via our thoughts and images that we have in our mind. This way, what we nurture in our mind, we will attract in our life.
According to Rhonda Byrne, the greatest professors of all time confirm that the law of attraction is the most powerful one in the Universe.
The law of attraction:
- First appeared at the beginning of time: it has always existed and always will;
- Determines the ultimate Universal order, every instance of our lives and everything we experience;
- Shapes our whole life and works through our thoughts;
- Is activated through our mind (ex.: fortunate people feed their minds with thoughts based on affluence and wealth and don’t allow any contradictory thoughts in)
- Responds to our thoughts, whatever they are.
1.2 – Birds of a feather stick together
According to Rhonda Byrne, we are:
- Blessed with immense magnetic power: one that has no equal in the world and comes from our thoughts;
- The mirror image of our dominant thoughts, which attract what we think of most: once we think of something, we systematically attract parallel thoughts;
- Able to change our whole life: it is about projecting what we want most in life into our mind and to create a dominant thought from it, in order to attract it into our life.
This principle is summed up in three words: Thoughts become reality.
1.3 – Attract good rather than bad
Thoughts are magnetic and have a frequency. All your thoughts are sent into the Universe and, just like a magnet, attract everything on the same frequency. Everything that is sent out, comes back to the source, that’s to say, you.
This, according to Rhonda Byrne, is the only reason people don’t get what they desire, they think of what they don’t want instead of what they want.
- The Law of attraction is a natural law:
It is also as impartial and impersonal as gravity itself. It doesn’t distinguish between good and bad. And it captures our thoughts and sends them back to us in the form of life experiences. The law of attraction quite simply gives us what we think about. - The law of attraction is the law of creation:
Quantum physicists tell us that the whole Universe emerged from thought. When we become conscious of this great law, we become aware of the incredible power within us: thinking our life and creating it. Because we think non-stop, we can create our life non-stop. - The law of attraction is total perfection:
It is precise and exact. Just like the law of gravity, there are no exceptions in the law of attraction.
Life is in our own hands. We can consciously choose our thoughts and thus change our life.
We can remodel our whole life by simply changing the way we think.
1.4 – The power of your mind
From today onwards, we should become conscious of the power our thoughts entrust to us. Your thoughts shape your future life. What you think about the most, or what you concentrate on the most, will manifest in your life.
- Everything on this planet is subject to the law of attraction
What distinguishes human beings, is that they have a mind capable of distinguishing. They can choose their thoughts freely. They have the power to think intentionally and to shape their whole lives thanks to their mind. - The fear of negative thoughts
Often, when people start to understand the Big Secret, they are fearful of any negative thoughts that might come to mind.
Rhonda Byrne explains that if we are scared of having negative thoughts, we will only end up feeding this fear and these negative thoughts will multiply. She suggests that from now on we only think about positive things. Besides, it is essential to tell the Universe that all our positive thoughts are powerful and all negatives one are insignificant. - Meditation
To help us master and calm our mind, one can use meditation.
The statements in this book from all the professors all refer to daily meditation, without exception. Meditation can in fact be powerful. It soothes the mind, helps us control our thoughts and revitalises our body. According to Rhonda Byrne, three to ten minute a day is enough to exercise control of our already very powerful thoughts. - Be the master of your thoughts
To become conscious of our thoughts, we can also express this intention: “I am the master of my thoughts”.
You are a human transmission tower and you broadcast a frequency via your thoughts. If you want to change anything in your life, change this frequency by modifying your thoughts.
At the end of this first part, Rhonda Byrne suggests we decide what we want to be, do and have. We must then imbue our minds with these thoughts and emit the corresponding frequency. By doing this, according to the author, the projection will become our life.
Part 2 – The Secret simplified
2.1 – Past problems are also the result of the law of attraction
Often, when people first hear about the fact that we attract our own circumstances, they think of all the past tragedies that resulted in so many deaths. They therefore, find it incomprehensible that so many people were able to attract such events to themselves.
For Rhonda Byrne, there is no doubt. According to the law of attraction, they tuned into a frequency that corresponded to these catastrophes. This doesn’t necessarily mean they thought of these events in particular, but their thoughts were on the same frequency as the circumstances:
If people think they can end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they that cannot exert any control over external circumstances, these thoughts live on the axis of fear, separation, and powerlessness, and if they are persistent, they can effectively make it so that people do in fact find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
2.2 – Appeal to your feelings
As it is impossible to control all our thoughts, Rhonda Byrne suggests an easier way to make the law of attraction work: appeal to our feelings.
Our feelings are, in fact, excellent tools to shape our lives. They tell us very quickly what we think:
To find out how you feel, ask yourself what you’re feeling. Emotions are valuable tools that provide instant information on the nature of our thoughts.
It’s very simple:
- Negative feelings (depression, anger, resentment, guilt) make you feel bad;
- Positive feelings (excitement, joy, gratitude, love) make you feel good.
Therefore, for Rhonda Byrne, it is important to grab the moments when you feel good and feed them. Actually, every time we feel good, we attract more good things for ourselves.
Rhonda Byrne suggests we use our feelings intentionally. To do this, we can simply give more intensity to our emotions. This will transmit a more powerful frequency and thus promote the manifestation of an event.
2.3 – Tips to modify our mood
Here, Rhonda Byrne gives us various tricks to change our mood when we don’t feel good:
- Focus intensely with the intention of improving our mood: to do this, just close your eyes, focus on what you feel inside, and smile for a minute.
- Listen to a beautiful piece of music or sing: this can be your favorite track for example.
- Think of something beautiful, a baby or someone you love deeply: soak up these images, keep that thought alive in your mind and prevent any other thought from changing it.
- Make a list of a few secret triggers, always available, that can instantly change your feelings and frequency:
- Marvellous memories
- Future events
- Funny moments
- Nature
2.4 – Love – the greatest feeling!
For Rhonda Byrne, there is no greater power in the Universe than the power of love. This feeling is the highest frequency we can emit.
Also, the greater the love we feel and emit, the more power we give to others and ourselves.
If you could wrap each of your thoughts with love, if you could love everything and everyone, your life would be transformed.
Rhonda Byrne even tells us that some of the greatest thinkers of the past refer to the law of attraction as well as the law of love.
Finally, in this second part, Rhonda Byrne emphasises our power and freedom thanks to the Secret she shares with us. Indeed, once we understand and control our thoughts and feelings, we are able to shape our reality.
Part 3 – How to use the Secret
To begin this third part on the Secret, Rhonda Byrne suggests we imagine ourselves being the character of Aladdin asking the genie for what he wants (i.e., in the context of the law of attraction, to the Universe).
3.1 – The creative Process
You are a creator and creation is an easy process thanks to the law of attraction.
Rhonda Byrne describes how to use the Secret’s creative process to create what we want, in three simple steps:
- First step: ask
It’s about choosing what we want. It’s the moment for us to determine our desires clearly and precisely. Once we have formulated these desires in our minds, we ask. - Second step: believe
This step is about believing that we already have what we want. We have to have total and absolute faith. “Belief” is underpinned by what we do, say, and think, as if we have already got what we asked for.
When we do this, the law of attraction sets in motion the circumstances, the people and the events that will allow us to receive what we ask for. - Rhonda Byrne suggests:
▪ play at pretending
▪ use visualisation (visualise that we already have what we want) - Third step: receive
It is not a question of believing intellectually in anything. We must maintain a feeling that corresponds to this belief in order to have enough power and thus generate what we want in our lives. In short, we must feel it!
Don’t delay. Don’t hesitate. And don’t doubt. When the opportunity arises, when the impulse is there, when an intuition challenges you, act.
For Rhonda Byrne, it’s simply about trusting one’s instinct:
It’s the universe that inspires us. It’s the Universe that talks to us, by tuning in to the reception frequency.
3.2 – The Secret and your body
In this section, Rhonda Byrne puts the creative process in place for the benefit of those who are overweight and would like to lose a few kilos.
The two Secret ideas on the issue of weight
- First idea:
If we concentrate on the idea of losing weight, we end up attracting thoughts linked to this idea. In fact, we will sustain thought that will ensure we constantly need to lose weight. - Second idea:
We need to understand that this excess weight is the result of our thoughts. Food doesn’t make us gain weight, unless we think it is responsible for it.
Rhonda Byrne also insists that our ideal weight is the one which we makes us feel good. There is no other option. - The Secret’s creative process in three steps
So, to attract this ideal weight and perfect body using the Secret’s creative process, you have to follow these three steps:- First step: ask
This is about clear determination of the weight we want to be. Then, we have to project into our mind, an image of ourselves having achieved this ideal weight. - Second step: believe
It is essential to believe we are already at this ideal weight. We have to visualise ourselves receiving this ideal weight. We have to really feel it. - Third step: receive
In order to receive we must be comfortable with our body, not find fault with it, praise it, bless it, or think it’s perfect.
- First step: ask
- Be entirely present when you eat
For this, Rhonda Byrne suggests and exercise where we concentrate on our chewing. She says that if we concentrate and eat in the moment, the food will be perfectly absorbed in to our system and as a result our body will become perfect. According to the author this worked for her own overweight issue.
To summarise, in order to lose weight, we must not concentrate on the idea of “slimming”. We need to concentrate rather on our ideal weight: how nice would it feel to be your ideal weight.
3.3 – How much time does it take?
For the Universe, the notions of time and size don’t exist.
In reality, the notion of size is of no importance in the Universe […]. The Universe does not need time to create what we desire. For the Universe, it’s just as easy to create a dollar as it is a million dollars.
Therefore, to attract something that we think is enormous doesn’t take any longer or isn’t more difficult than attracting something that we think is infinitely small.
Meanwhile, when we start to ask for little things it is easy to see the law of attraction in action. For Rhonda Byrne, when we powerfully project our intention to attract something small, we become conscious of our power to attract. We will get more ambitious and aim higher.
3.4 – Create your day in advance
According to the Secret, if we create our day in advance by thinking about how we want it to unfold, this allows us to intentionally shape our lives.
Part 4 – Powerful processes
4.2 – Gratitude
According to Rhonda Byrne, gratitude is a fundamental element of the teachings by the great masters who have come before us. She confides that after all that she has read and experienced in her life by applying the Secret, it is the power of gratitude that prevails:
If you do only one thing after you have discovered the Secret, choose to express your gratitude to the point where it becomes a lifestyle.
Rhonda Byrne explains that the moment we start to look at what we have differently, we attract more good things. According to her, thoughts and feelings that don’t recognise this, are negatives emotions (jealousy, resentment, dissatisfaction, feeling incomplete). This is why gratitude is so crucial if we wish to enrich our lives.
According to the Secret’s approach, to start a life transformation, Rhonda Byrne advises us to:
- Work up a list of things that you feel you are grateful for;
- Feel grateful for all those things that contribute to your well-being:
- Feel gratitude for what you already have
Rhonda Byrne even encourages us to express our thanks in advance so that we can “turbocharge” our desires and send a strong message to the Universe. To do this, based on the first step of the Secret’s creative process, we can, for example, write down our requests on paper and start each of our sentences with “I am so happy and grateful now that….”
4.3 – Visualisation
- Recommendations to follow for visualisation
Visualisation is also a process that has been taught by all the great masters, past and present. It is:
The process by which we create a mental image of ourselves that has already come to fruition.
If the visualisation is this powerful it is because we create mental images of ourselves already possessing what we want, and this will generate thoughts and feelings associated with the materialisation of our desires.
When we visualise, Rhonda Byrne recommends: - Always think deeply about the end result
We should generate these powerful thoughts and emotions they way they would be if we already had what we want. The law of attraction sends this reality back to us, just the way we have imagined it. - Feel the corresponding emotion:
Our feelings should experience this materialisation without worrying about “how”. Our mind and our entire being see this event as already in place. - Put a lot of movement into the images you project:
This is because maintaining a static image in your mind can be more difficult.
By projecting an image into our mind and feeling it, we put ourselves into a mindset where we believe that it represents something we already have. We therefore confirm our trust and belief in the Universe. - A visualisation exercise to create our future
When we define ourselves based on our current situation, we condemn ourselves to live the same thing in the future.
To avoid this, Rhonda Byrne suggests we do an exercise first put forward by Neville Goddard during a lecture called “The Pruning Shears Of Revision” in 1954. This exercise involves reviewing the events of our day, every evening before going to sleep. If an event or a moment didn’t go as planned, we need to visualise it differently, through a positive prism, the way we would have liked it to happen. By doing this, we delete the frequency that we had tuned in to during the day and we transmit a new signal and a new frequency for the next day. We therefore intentionally create new images which will prescribe our future.
4.4 – Action
- Do away with the slightest doubt
When we let the slightest doubt enter our mind, the law of attraction will match it with a similar thought. It is why, the moment this doubt appears, we need to get rid of it immediately, throw it out and replace it with: “I know that I will get what I want now”. - Create a visualisation table
Rhonda gives our imagination free rein on a visualisation table:- Put in illustrations of all the things you want from life;
- Place this table up somewhere where you will see it every day;
- Sense that you already have these things;
- Feel grateful when you get them, then take these images out of the table in order to insert others.
- Concentrate on wealth to attract money
It is impossible to attract more money if we concentrate on poverty.
From here on, Rhonda Byrne suggests we use our imagination to assert that we already have the money we want.
Among other things, we can:
- Play at being rich and feel better with regard to money;
- Feel happy now;
- Visualise the arrival of cheques in the post;
- Think prosperity;
- Give money (when we display generosity and we feel good when we share our money, it’s as if we already live an easy life);
- Every time we see something we like, say to oneself: “I can get it. I have the means to buy it”;
Finally, Rhonda Byrne insists that in order to take full advantage of the law of attraction, we must make it a lifetime habit, not a one-off thing.
Part 5 – The Secret and money
5.1 – Fill in the blank cheque sent to you by the Universe bank
As Rhonda Byrne already explained previously, in order to attract money, we must focus our thoughts on wealth, on the fact that we currently have more money than we need.
According to her, it is impossible to get more money in life if we dwell on the fact that we don’t have enough of it, as we end up maintaining thoughts based on deprivation.
Inspired by Jack Canfield’s testimonial, who saw money flow in when he imagined having received a cheque for $100,000, the Secret team created the Universe Bank’s blank cheque.
In fact you can download this blank cheque from the internet, put your name on it and the required amount. Then, every time you look at this cheque, Rhonda Byrne suggests you let yourself be flooded by the emotions you would feel if you already had this money. You should imagine yourself spending it. You can then think about all the things you would buy and do, and just how marvellous that would feel!
5.2 – Attract abundance
According to the Secret’s approach, if a person doesn’t have enough money, it’s only because they stop money coming to them, with their thoughts.
It’s why, in order to attract abundance, Rhonda Byrne recommends we nurture our thoughts based on abundance rather than poverty.
5.3 – Concentrate on prosperity
When the bills stack up and we don’t know how we are going to pay them, it is essential according to Rhonda Byrne that we don’t continually think about it, for fear of attracting yet more bills.
To break this cycle and to feel better about money, we have to find a way to concentrate on prosperity, despite all these bills. To do this the authors suggest we:
- Invent games: for example the author describes a game with her bills that worked for her and changed her life (she imagined that each of her bills was a cheque).
- Start by saying and feeling: “I have more than I need”, “ there is money everywhere and it is coming towards me”, “ I am a money magnet”, “I love money and money loves me”, “I get money every day”, “ thank you, thank you, thank you”.
5.4 – Give, in order to receive
Giving is a powerful way to attract more money in our life for various reasons:
- When we give, we affirm that we have an easy life;
- A gift that comes from the heart is one of the most rewarding things we can do: the law of attraction will pick up on this and give it back to us 100 times over.
This is why we need to start gifting, especially if we think that we don’t have enough money to give it away.
Part 6 – The Secret and interpersonal relationships
6.1 – Our actions need to reflect our desires
When we want to attract something into our lives, we have to be sure that our actions don’t contradict our desires.
We have to behave as if we are receiving what we have asked for, do exactly what we would do if our wishes had been met that very day, and act in a way that reflects this expectation.
6.2 – Everything starts with us
Rhonda Byrne explains that when we feel insecure, we block all love. If we do not treat ourselves the way we would like others to treat us, we cannot change things.
It is therefore essential that we start by looking after Us. If we radiate love, the whole Universe will devote itself to our happiness. For this, Rhonda Byrne advises:
- Make yourself happy above all:
Everything starts with Us. If we don’t look after ourselves first, we won’t have anything to offer others. - Reorientate our thoughts and concentrate on everything that is marvelous about Us:
We have to look for what is positive about Us and concentrate on our qualities. Thus, the law of attraction will reveal itself even more. - Love everything and everyone, concentrate on what we love:
It is essential that we feel love. Joy is found on the same frequency as love, the most powerful and almighty frequency there is. - Treat yourself with love and respect:
This is how we attract people who will also give us love and respect. Conversely, if we are insecure, we will confront more situations and people that will hurt our wellbeing. - Be sure that our thoughts, words, actions and environment do not contradict our desires:
This is especially important if we are looking for a loving relationship. - Concentrate on what we recognise in others, and not what we begrudge in them:
To enjoy a harmonious relationship, the author advises us to focus on the qualities of the other person. Doing this will attract even more of them.
Often, we give others the opportunity to provide our happiness. However, most of the time, they don’t match up to our expectations. Why? Because only one person is responsible for our happiness: ourselves!
Part 7 – Le Secret and health
In terms of the Secret, our body is the product of our thoughts.
Medical science is starting to understand to what extent the nature of our thoughts and emotions influence our physical make-up, as well as shape and function of our bodies.
7.1 – The placebo effect
The placebo effect is a blatant example of the law of attraction. It is a powerful phenomenon. When patients really think and believe that the pill they swallow is medicine, they receive what they believe in and are cured.
7.2 – Laughter is the best medicine
In this section, Rhonda Byrne gives us the testimonial of a woman who got cancer and used laughter to cure herself (everyday she watched funny films). Within this story, the author addresses three extraordinary powers:
- Gratitude over cure;
- Belief in the realisation of our desires;
- Laughter and joy to rid our body of sickness.
She particularly emphasises laughter which frees us of negativity and is at the source of miracle cures.
7.3 – Nurture perfection-orientated thoughts
By thinking, we can create perfect health, the perfect body, the ideal weight and eternal youth. In fact according to Rhonda Byrne, all you need to do is constantly nurture your thoughts along the perfection and happiness axis.
It is why, if we feel slightly unwell, there is no need to talk about it. According to the law of attraction this will only make things worse. It is thought that imprisons sickness in our body. We maintain it by recognising its presence and giving it attention. In the same way, if we listen to others talk about their illnesses, we add energy to their health problems. It is much wiser to divert the conversation to something more positive and orientate our thoughts to wellbeing.
Besides, beliefs around ageing are also a product of our mind, according to the Secret. It is therefore essential to free our conscience from these thoughts and to concentrate on health and eternal youth.
7.4 – Nothing is incurable
Nothing is incurable according to Rhonda Byrne.
In this section, the testimonial provided by Morris Goodman, known as the miracle man (he managed to live a normal life long after doctors told him he would soon life live in a vegetative state), demonstrates, according to the author, the immeasurable power and unlimited potential of the human spirit.
Part 8 – The Secret and the world
8.1 – Resistance is futile
According to Rhonda Byrne, resisting something is like trying to change pictures after they have been broadcast. It’s futile. It is rather better to look inwards and transmit a new signal with thoughts and feelings to create a new picture.
In addition, by resisting what has just appeared, we only add more energy and power to images we don’t like. All we do is attract even more of them, as we are powerfully linked to them through emotion. So it is impossible to help the world by concentrating on negative events. Instead of focusing on the problems of the world, we must focus our attention and energy on trust, love, abundance, education and peace.
Mother Theresa was brilliant. She said: “I will never participate in an anti-war rally. If you’re organizing a peace rally, invite me”. She knew. She understood the Secret.
Contained in the Secret, is the idea to divert our attention from what we don’t want (and all the emotional burden that comes with it) and focus on what we want to experience.
Conversely, by concentrating on good things, we feel good. As a consequence, we attract more good things in the world and into our own life. So, once we feel good, we elevate our life and elevate the world!
8.2 – The Universe is abundant
The truth is there is an abundance of everything. Creative ideas abound. There is more power, more love and more joy than is needed. And all this starts to manifest through a mind that is conscious of its own infinite nature.
Here, Rhonda Byrne declares that:
- The things we can attract into our lives with our thoughts, are limitless as our ability to think is limitless;
- The Universe offers up everything to everyone, through the law of attraction.
So, all we need to do is draw from a bottomless well, using our thoughts and feelings. We will never be lacking in good things, as there is enough for the whole world. Life has been conceived for abundance.
The essence of this law is that we must think abundantly: see abundance, feel abundance, belief in abundance. It is therefore essential not to allow any thought based on scarcity to enter our minds.
Moreover, it is important to praise and bless all that the world has to offer (including our enemies). In this way, we eliminate all negativity and discord, tuning in to the highest of all frequencies: love.
Part 9 – The Secret and You
9.1 – We are on a plane of energy that is evolving to an even more vast energy plane
Rhonda Byrne describes how studying quantum physics helped her to better understand the Secret, at an energy level:
In simple terms, all energy vibrates at a frequency. Being energy yourself, you also vibrate at a frequency, and it is your thoughts and feelings that will determine this frequency, at all times. All the things you want are made up of energy and they also vibrate. Everything is energy.
As a result, we attract energy the same way a magnet does. We are capable of creating an electrical current between us and all the things we want.
In reality, every human being manages their own magnetic energy. No one else is better placed to think and feel more efficiently. And so, the frequency they find themselves on is created by their own thoughts and feelings. Energy cannot be created of destroyed, it just changes shape. Consequently, the pure essence of one’s self has always existed and always will.
9.2 – The unique Universal Spirit
We are the creators of the Universe
In this section, Rhonda Byrne reveals that the Universe comes from thought, so not only are we the creators of our destiny, but also of the Universe.
Quantum mechanics confirms this. Quantum cosmology confirms this. The Universe emerges essentially from thought and all the matter around us is merely a projection of thoughts. At the end of the day, we are the source of the Universe, and when we understand this power after experiencing it firsthand, we can begin to exercise our authority and begin to multiply our achievements.
Some of the greatest masters have described the Universe by saying nothing exists other than a unique Universal Spirit and that Unique Spirit is everywhere. In “The Secret” Dr. John Hagelin, a quantum physicist, says:
If everything is this unique Universal Spirit and it exists everywhere, then it is entirely in You.
For Rhonda Byrne, this signifies:
All possibilities already exist. All knowledge, all discovery and all future invention is contained in the Universal Spirit as possibilities, waiting for the human spirit to draw upon them.
We have access to an unlimited reservoir of ideas: the Universal Spirit
All knowledge, discoveries and inventions are possibilities in the Universal Spirit. They are merely waiting on the human spirit to reveal themselves. We are able to draw upon this bottomless well of ideas through our conscience and our imagination. So, in the end, everything is in our conscience.
We are One
We are all connected, and we are all part of the unique energy Field, or the unique supreme Spirit.
So, when we fight with someone, we are fighting Ourselves. We have to get rid of this concept of competition from our mind, which comes from a mentality fed by shortage, and the idea that supply is limited. Instead we should become a creative mind, and concentrate purely on our dreams and visions.
9.3 – We are not our past
Letting go
Concerning our past, Rhonda Byrne suggests we let go, regardless of what happened. Indeed, according to the Secret, if we hold grudges against a person or blame them for something they may have done in the past, we are actually hurting ourselves.
You have to free yourself from one’s past difficulties, our cultural and social beliefs.
We are unlimited beings and the law of attraction is limitless
According to the Secret, aptitude, talent, gifts, and power that are all found at the centre of each individual, are all limitless. Therefore there is no limit to what the law of attraction can do for you. You have to dare to believe in your ideal, and think of this ideal as a fact, already achieved.
In his work “The Master Key System”, Charles Haanel believes in an assertion that contains absolutely everything that human beings could wish for:
I am complete, perfect, strong, powerful, magnetic, harmonious and happy.
9.4 – The real secret of power is the awareness of power
“Remember to remember”
All of our power is in the knowledge that we have the power of the law of attraction, and our ability to always keep it in mind.
So, it is essential to be even more aware. One way to do this is to stop and ask yourself: “ What am I thinking about this very moment? What am I feeling right now?”.
With these questions, we become more conscious because we have brought our mind back to the present.
When you obtain a deep understanding of the law of attraction, you start to make it a habit to ask questions and by doing this, you get an answer to each of them.
In fact, the Universe has gifted us answers all along our life, but we could only pick up those answers when we became conscious. The channels that these answers can use, are unlimited.
We have to love ourselves
To love oneself completely, we must concentrate on the “presence” that is within us:
Take a moment, sit down and stay still. Concentrate on the presence of life that inhabits you. […] It will start to reveal itself to You. It is a feeling of pure love and bliss, it is perfection. This presence is Your perfection. This presence is Your authentic nature.
All the imperfections that have scarred our life will disappear, as they cannot exist in the light of this presence.
Part 10 – Le Secret and life
What we want to do with our lives is up to us. What we do with the knowledge of the Secret rests entirely in our hands. The power is entirely ours.
For Rhonda Byrne :
- We will discover our magnificence
We are the heart of a glorious era. By eliminating all restrictive thoughts, we discover the real magnificence of humanity, in all domains of creation. - Everything we do is good
The author gets us to imagine everything we could do from today onwards, knowing now that we are the creators of our destiny. With the law of attraction, what we are, starts today! - All we have to do is be happy!
The author encourages us to do the things we like, as this will bring joy. In fact, for her, the essence of the Secret is to be happy now. And for her, it is the only thing we need to do.
Book critique of “The Secret”
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne can change the reader’s life who will discover the law of attraction, and how powerful a message it conveys. Also, in my view, The Secret is a very inspiring book, but it left me with mixed feelings.This book is very positive while also having, in my opinion, certain limitations.
The limitations of the Secret theory
The book sets out a method that is simply to think positively, ask, believe, pretend and wait for our desires to appear (Aladdin’s lamp is given as an example). However, I don’t think it’s just a matter of asking in order to receive. There are two points that I feel are missing to see our wishes come true:
- The internal transformation required to acquire mental positivity, the mindset (and not just “pretending” as the author suggests);
- The actions required to bring her ideas to life, to create opportunities, to build her vision (the author only mentions actions to address visualisation and meditation).
On the other hand, one could challenge Rhonda Byrne when she talks about the law of attraction being the consequence of our thoughts, in all situations. Certainly, the way we think and see the world creates our reality, but what about people who are victims of wars, genocides, natural disasters, etc.?
Finally, I think the law of attraction, put forward by Rhonda Byrne as a miracle cure, could make someone who suffers from a disease feel guilty, or for those for whom the law of attraction does not work: would it then be their fault if they can’t make it work?
The positive aspects of “The Secret”
Despite its limitations, “The Secret” has much appeal. If we are receptive to the concept of the law of attraction, then this book can provide much enthusiasm and can change your vision of life. The author’s exaltation communicates her positive philosophy and projects great energy.
“The Secret” is a book that
- Motivates and gives hope to those who have lost it.
- Makes you want to believe in your craziest ideas: knowing now that we are masters of our destiny, we think anything is possible!
- Creates a dynamic that can launch something impulsive and get us to question what we really want in life.
- Encourages us to take back control of our thoughts and recentre ourselves around what is important and positive.
Although it has a lot that is redundant, the narrative is very easy to read, punctuated by testimonials and inspiring quotes.
In any case, “The Secret” is one of those books on personal development that you have to read!
Strong and Weak Points of the book The Secret
Strong points
- A strong message on the power of positive thought and intention that can change the life of someone that believes in the theories of the law of attraction;
- A motivating, positive narrative, one that makes you feel that anything is possible!
- Simple and inspiring to put into practice.
Weak points
- A lot of redundant content throughout the book;
- A feeling that some ideas needed to be more nuanced: the state of mind rather than “pretending”, turning to action as well just waiting, etc;
- On some points, the message is guilt-ridden and suffers credibility-wise.
A Short Practical Guide to The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
What are the 10 important points in Rhonda Byrne’s book The Secret?
- Man is the result of his thoughts; the rich attract happiness and wealth through positive thoughts while the poor attract poverty through negative thoughts.
- The art of attracting happiness instead of unhappiness.
- The power of our thoughts.
- Understand what distinguishes human beings from other living beings.
- The fear trap of negative thoughts.
- The power of meditation.
- Our feelings shape our lives.
- The secrets to changing our mood when we don’t feel well.
- The power of love.
- The three steps of using the Secret’s creative process to create what we want.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of the book The Secret
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Why was the book The Secret so successful when it was launched?
Every human being aspires to happiness and a happy life on earth, in this context, the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, with a simple idea like the Law of Attraction, came at the right time by being one of the best-selling personal development books of the last ten years because it is the consensus of the common people and all socio-professional classes without any distinction.
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What is the secret revealed by Rhonda Byrne in her book?
The secret that is revealed through this book is the law of attraction, which means that we attract everything that happens to us in life with our thoughts and the images we hold in our minds. Thus, what we feed in our mind; we attract in our life.
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Who is the book The Secret for?
This book is addressed to everyone, to all human beings who aspire to happiness and well-being in life, in particular entrepreneurs, civil servants, shopkeepers, craftsmen, the unemployed, students, the sick, debtors… in short, all human beings living on this planet earth.
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What is the simplified message of this book?
To answer this question, Rhonda Byrne bases herself on the dramas of the past, which are also the consequences of the law of attraction. For her, there is no doubt that, according to the law of attraction, they have tuned into a frequency corresponding to these catastrophes. This does not necessarily mean that they thought about these particular events, but the frequency of their thoughts corresponded to the frequency of the circumstances.
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How do I use this book according to Rhonda Byrne?
Rhonda Byrne describes in three simple steps how to use the creative process of the Secret to create what we want. For her, it is simply a matter of trusting your instincts. It is the Universe that inspires us. It is the Universe that communicates with us by tuning into the frequency of reception.
Positive Energy actions versus negative Energy actions, as seen in The Secret
POSITIVE ACTIONS | NEGATIVE ACTIONS |
Love | Hate |
Being brave | Being afraid |
Cultivating friendships | Ridiculing others |
Acting with joy | Being angry |
Being grateful | Believing we are owed everything |
Acting generously | Being stingy |
Who is Rhonda Byrne?
Born on March 12, 1951 in Melbourne, Australia, author Rhonda Byrne is the mother of two children (Skye Byrne and Hayley Byrne). She has been an Australian television producer and author since 2006. She is also the author of numerous books, including the bestseller The Secret, which is a wonderful personal development book translated into more than 52 languages with almost thirty million copies sold worldwide, where it develops the concept of the law of attraction.
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