I met an interesting woman called Carol on the train a couple of 
weeks ago and we chatted about life, work and books. She then asked me if I had read "The Secret" and was amazed that I hadn’t.
I was intrigued and ordered a copy which has just arrived. It has six million copies in print, which is phenomenal.
The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, explains the centuries old law that is governing all lives. It reveals the secret to unlimited happiness, love, health and prosperity.
It believes that a number of exceptional people who discovered its power went on to become regarded as the greatest human beings who ever lived, including Plato, Leonardo, Galileo and Einstein.
In 2007, Byrne was listed among Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People in The World.
Is it just mumbo jumbo, or do you believe it?
Carol runs a successful business in Covent Garden and was radiantly happy. The Secret seemed to have worked for her.
Mumbo, Jumbo of the highest order.
The Secret is the latest and by far the highest profile example of the trend of self-help gurus making a living by offering their philosophies, concepts and strategies to help us, our marriages and our families.
However, by deferring to authorities may diminish our own critical thinking skills to grow and evolve on our own. In addition we run the risk of given up the freedom to build healthy lives, marriages and families based on our unique history and life experience. If we are not careful, we may overlook the value of our own life experiences along with the advice of friends, family and especially the elders among us.
Instead of looking outside ourselves for answers, one alternative may be a return to our (common) senses! Begin, to reclaim your natural ability to think for yourself. The common sense that was once readily available to all of us is still there free of charge and waiting to be applied to just about any challenge we might face in life… all you have to do is use it.
I would love to know your thoughts on it after you have read the book. I haven’t read it either!
I think I would have got this from the public library if I were you. Mind you, you probably would have had to wait forever to get it.
Nope I have not read it nor am likely to but await your thoughts.
[…] Discovering The Secret […]
I am very anti anything which appears to be a “self-help” type book. I prefer to go my own way and learn from my own mistakes. There is something too evangelical about most of these books for me. I have tried a few from time to time just because others have passed them to me and they always make me feel rather ill.
But yes, let us know what you think after you have read it. Well, except you will probably be too busy being ecstatically joyous to want to sit down at your laptop!!
Looking forward to your review, Ellee
I have read the first few pages and it’s all common sense; just radiate a positive presence and the laws of attraction say that you will attract positive factors into your life too. I don’t see what the big deal is. I wish I had thought of it!!!
I am sure you are right Ellee – its nothing in particular if you ask me…
Ellee, it’s no surprise to hear the The Secret is just plain common sense, that anyone can apply if they put their mind to it.
I agree with John Curtis (above) re the common sense factor. It’s amazing to me how many people don’t seem to have any sense of common sense! lol We’re all looking so deeply to the answers of life, that we tend to overlook the obvious. I think that woman who wrote the book is laughing all the way to the bank.
Possibly Mumbo Jumbo.
You would got more inspiration had you been able to listen to Rabbi Wittenberg on Tuesday lunchtime. His New Year sermon was brilliant.
So how did Rhonda get to be listed as Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in The World? Didn’t they regard it as mumbo jumbo too?
A friend gave me the book AND the DVD last year….he must have thought I needed it! Seriously though it’s one of those books that does no ham if all it does is remind us like the song does…
Only you
Have the power within you
Just believe in yourself
The sea will part before you
Stop the rain and turn the tide
Use the power within you
You needn’t beg the world to turn around and help you
If you draw on what is deep inside.
That would be harm!
Richard, so true, maybe you could write about it in your next book and turn it into a best seller.
It’s simply the old ‘power of positive thinking’ philosophy, and I believe there is a validity to it. Otherwise, Ms. Byrne (who shares my wife’s surname) is just a shrewd marketer. Wish I’d thought of it.
I will have to read it to see if I believe it!
We were given this DVD as a Christmas present last year. Whether it was because it was given to us by my (nutty) sister-in-law or because we regarded it as a bit rubbishy who knows, but we ended up selling it on Ebay for a fiver a few weeks later!! Still in it’s cellophane wrapper i hasten to add!
I believe it’s mumbo jumbo.
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..extra wait .. …