"the secret" is no secret

What’s “The Secret”?

That can actually pertain about the book that contains it, or what is contained in the book. I heard about it back in college and was immediately curious. I’m drawn to these certain kinds of books not really for its’ “self-help” element but because of the wisdom and inspiration I can actually get from them. Honestly I am a bit put off by the hardcore self-help ones. Depending on the treatment, of course.

I wanted to buy one for myself (”The Secret” book) but then it’s too expensive for me. Haha. There was an e-book I found somewhere (peace out to the author and crusaders against piracy), so I was able to browse a few pages. I’m not really a big fan of reading a big bulk of soft copy material, so I wasn’t able to finish it. But good thing I was able to reach the part wherein Rhonda Byrne revealed what “The Secret” is, the “Law of Attraction”, that is. Yahoo, good for me, no? )

A few years later, which is now, 2009, and just a while ago I was able to watch the movie version of the book. Point blank, there’s nothing really much new about what it presents. Even one of the speakers attested to that. I’ve heard about being grateful for your blessings so that they would be continously outpouring - in the mouths of priests, of parents, of teachers; the concept of visualization was presented earlier by Og Mandino in “The Choice” - which can actually be related with the concept of Imagination; the helping hand of the universe that which will conspire to grant your heart’s desires is very much present in Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist”; and Peter Pan’s “Think Happy Thoughts”. So basically it’s an organized kind of hodgepodge of all these well-accepted and respected truths and facts about life and living, assembled in such a way that is even related to Quantum Physics!

Was I inspired by it? Maybe I can say yes because it reinforced in me these truths and value systems that I live by to which I owe my disposition. I have an issue with its concept though. There’s too much emphasis on “thoughts” and its power. Yes it’s important that we empower our thoughts and think optimistically about life because it does make a good difference, but we shouldn’t have too much dependence on it as if it has some kind of telekenetic power. We really have to work our way so that we can realize and achieve whatever we thought of. Not that this wasn’t mentioned, it actually was, but not much.

You may want to try watching if you want to indulge in some self-help or philosophical exercise or curiousity-feeding. Other people may be bashing it because of its approach, but there are just two ways at the end of the it: either you believe it or you don’t. Either it gets to you or it doesn’t. Either you live by it or you don’t. Understand it first before you judge.