The Secret & The Law of Attraction

If you haven't heard about The Secret they you've either been living in a cave or been in outer space. It was all the buzz in 2007. However if you don't KNOW what The Secret is, then I can't blame you. It's all a bit vague and unless you actually see the DVD or read the book (listen to the audiobook) it must be foggy as to what this 'secret' actually is. So I've decided to shed some light on the subject and take it out of the ridiculous that it has positioned itself into and into the realm of usefullness. Let me explain.

There once was a woman called Ronda Bryne who was well miserable. Then all of a sudden she wasn't anymore. In fact she got everything she could ever wish for. This was because she found an old book that told of the secret. So she decided to make a dvd and write a book about this secret, sharing it with all the world (well if you pay that is) and make lots of money. Her wish became true because lots of people can't resist a secret.


The Secret...

So what is The Secret. Well, the basic concept is that you get what you ask for. From the Universe that is. So if you are a negative thinker then you get negativity and if you are a positive thinker you get whatever you desire. This is a law, some call it The Law of Attraction (more about this below). You attract things all the time and that is the secret. Now all you have to do is think about what you DO want and you get it... get it?

So I just explained the concept to you in a paragraph, so what else is in this book, 90 min DVD you say? Well not that much. You see the concept is explained again and again and again by various people with example etc. I saw the DVD in September at a friends house. And I came to the conclusion that A. it was a lot of bullocks and B. it wasn't! What I mean is that the general concept was good, but the presentation very American. It reminded me of old fashion shop tv where they used to smile their whiter than white smiles and proclaim: "It's an AMAZIN' DISCOVERY". The Secret falls in the same category. The over the top positiveness makes you gag. See the announcement trailer via iTunes and decide for yourself!

If you follow the instructions of Ronda you will basicly end up like a loony. You have to act as if you already have what you are asking for. This can have pretty funny results... And it might work and you might 'have whatever you want', but another matter of huge proportions will pop up: will you be able to live with yourself? Not many intelligent people like to 'pretend' to be a complete idiot. Please read Emily Yoffe's article "I've Got The Secret". She tried it for two months and used this as a subtitle: "Human guinea pig: Humiliating myself for fun and profit". It's quite funny to read about her experience and informs you a bit more about what The Secret is all about. You can also listen to it.

The BIG problem I found with The Secret is that it's a lot of noise and very little information. And this is where we step away from the hype and approach the very usable basic concept to our own advantage. I got my hands on an audiobook of The Law of Attraction by Michael Losier. Which is also available in print. Where Ronda makes a hype, Michael just simply hands you tools to put in practise this Law (aka the secret).


The good stuff...

In the Law of Attraction Losier describes the concept in a more intellectual way than Ronda. He then proceeds with a four step plan. First you write down what you don't want. This is usually far easier then dicovering what you do want. With the 'don't want' list, you can now easily construct a 'do want' list, which is step 2. Then you use the 'do want' list and start formulating sentences in such a way that it's positive for you.

Example:
step 2: I want to have a healthy body (see blog post Healthy Living, update 1)
step 3a: I have a healthy body
step 3b: I am in the process having a healthy body

3a is negative, as I'm not yet healthy, even though I'm eating right and going to the gym... I've got a long way to go and so this feels like a lie to me, which is negative. 3b is a better way to say it. It is true, I'm working hard on it and so it's positive and inspiring. Next, step 4, is allowing. You will be surpised how hard it is to allow yourself to get what you really want. One example he mentioned struck home with me!

I am Dutch and in The Netherlands people are a bit funny when it comes to money. They can be really tight and really generous. Independence from others is a must and therefor I always felt odd if someone gave me something. Lets say someone wants to buy me lunch. Well I can pay for my own and then there is the feeling of being in depth to this person for such a kind gesture, etc etc. Must better and easier to just say no! Right? Well no wrong. You see if I can't even except lunch from a good friend, how am I going to 'attract greater wealth' (in whatever form: monetairy, health, friendships, etc is all wealth). Two days later my colleague bought me lunch and man did I enjoy it :D


A compilation about Losier and his work.

In The Law of Attraction Losier explains each step in detail and takes the whole concept of The Secret from the ridiculous into the realm of usefull tools. You can even download the worksheets from Losier's website. I'm still working on my 'healthy body' desire statement, but it will soon be complete and I will post it on my blog.

I hope that you now will be able to use 'The Secret' for your own benefit and not miss Bryne's bank account. Don't misunderstand I think The Secret is not bad, just a bit useless... If you want to spend some money invest in the book by Losier. Far more useful. And if you are broke, visit thepiratebay.org for a torrent (only plays in itunes, use searchterm: losier), but buy his book or additional material when you got money from using his advice. It's only fair.

Also see:
Kim Vallee's blog post on The Secret.
See The Secret visualisation film via iTunes
Micheal Losier interviewed by Oprah (radio), a good interview that explains his concepts very well.