The secret book that never fails
‘The power to anything you want is inside you’ - Rhonda Byrne
When I started with my PhD earlier this year, few senior colleagues and friends offered me a word of advice-‘It is not about how many papers you read towards your research, it is more about how many times you read the same paper a number of times to get into the core of the concept and issues revolving around it.’ This goes the same with the golden book ‘ The Secret’ authored by Rhonda Byrne and first published in 2006. You have to read it over and over to understand it, absorb the information received and implement the learnings in life.
It was during my executive training days at my current organisation more than a decade ago that I got to watch the documentary of this book as part of an on-job learning module and I got introduced to the life-transforming phenomena explained in the book. My first instinct after watching the book was to get hold of the physical copy. Being truthful here, it was one of the costlier books those days, and I had to wait for it to come down to my budgetary expectations. I vividly remember having a passing glance at the book which used to be arranged neatly at the book stand, at the Metro Train Station in Delhi, while commuting back from the college everyday. Soon, I could manage to get the book and then reading and re-reading it changed my outlook totally. Some key takeaways relevant always are:
Law of Attraction: The book talks about the Law of Attraction which means that repeated thought on something converts it into reality and action. The important thing here is not just thinking of something, but also taking concrete action towards making it a reality. It says that our thoughts become our words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits lead us to our destiny. It is all about realigning one’s thoughts and genuinely putting efforts towards what you truly desire and turning it into a reality. The law has secretly been used for centuries by the greatest people in history such as Plato, Shakespeare, Newton, Lincoln, Emerson, Edison, Einstein, and many more. The same thought has also been mentioned in the teachings of Buddha and Swami Vivekananda, great humans from India.
Ask, Believe, and Receive: Rhonda Byrne has suggested a 3-step process to make the law of attraction work in favour of yourself. ‘Ask’ is being very specific in what you want out of life. Many coaches have emphasised upon the habit of writing your goals and referring to them frequently. Vague questions and goals without timelines are wasting valuable time and efforts. ‘Believe’ is having an unswerving faith in your goal and is about having confidence as if you already possess the thing you desire. ‘Receive’ is imagining how you’ll feel once you accomplish your goal. This helps in channelising the actions and allocating resources in the right direction. “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24).
Taking cognizance of your feelings: In other words, being mindful. The book helps us in
learning how to pay close attention to our feelings because our feelings reveal our thoughts. If someone feels good, they’ll have good thoughts and hence the right actions. When someone feels sad, angry, frustrated, depressed, the book suggests shifting the focus from problem to solution. The sooner this shift in focus occurs, the sooner one starts feeling better and attract it more.
We are the creators of our destiny: The book accentuates the fact that we are in full control over the vision we have for ourselves. We are the masters over our lives, and everyone must take responsibility for the choices and decisions they make towards their own lives.
Practice gratitude always: The book highlights the fact that the power of gratitude stands above everything else. A big part of ‘The Secret’ is having an attitude of gratitude every single day and being thankful for what we already have. This also helps as it shifts the frequency of the mind towards the ‘don’t haves’ to the ‘haves’ of our lives.
The book has valuable inputs from many great authors, speakers and coaches like Bob Doyle, Jack Canfield, Michael Beckwith, Mike Dooley, Lisa Nichols, Ben Johnson and many more, who have given practical insights and examples, illustrated frequently throughout the book and which makes the book essentially unputdownable.
Since its launch, the book has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 50 languages. And I know the reason why. ‘The Secret’ has been written in a very lucid manner and the reader is able to associate and engage right from the start. Since then, it has been my go-to-book for self-healing and inspiration to keep moving and emerge better in some possible way every-day. Every single page of the book is valuable and carries meaning. You have got to read to experience it.Besides having an unmatched print quality and pages with creative artwork at required places, The Secret is 200 pages of sheer joy, a delight to read and can be a great gift as well.