Tuesday, October 05, 2010

The Secret

Sitting in a comfy armchair, drinking a lovely cup of tea with some quiz program or another on the telly, my eye happened to stray to the bookshelf beside said chair. I glanced over the various titles, most of which I've either read or hold no interest to me (gardening really isn't my thing) and my eye happened to settle on a curious little book. This book, titled 'The Secret' was given to my mother when she was awaiting surgery several years ago. At the time, when I asked her what it was about, she laughed and said she very nearly threw the thing across the room. Apparently it was full of some new-age hippy stuff. Since then, it has been referenced in various TV shows, films and articles, predominantly as the basis of some joke. It seemed my mother wasn't the only one not allured by the new-age hippy promises the Secret made.

It will come as no surprise that I was all too ready to believe and accept the general consensus when on reading the back of it, it promised that once I knew this elusive secret I could have and be anything I want in life, including wealth, love, happiness.

Hang on....the book was telling me that not only has this secret been around for hundreds and hundreds of years, but also that it is very simple and when I learn it I can have anything I want in life? There has to be a catch. On questioning my mother further she informed me that it was about positive thinking.

Ah.

It went out of my head and I though about it no more, except to laugh at it when referenced in some sitcom. Until today. Today, I picked it up and began to read. Be careful reader - I am about to reveal to you the secret which for hundreds of years has resulted in many people, including Shakespeare, Plato, Einstein Calileo and even Beethoven achieving their success. Are you sure you're ready?

The great secret to eternal happiness and success is:

LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE

Well, it's certainly simple. And based in scientific fact as the author is very keen to underline over and over again. She is also kind enough to reveal to us the key to using this law to our advantage. If we think about something, that thing is attracted to you. Yes - by thinking about being wealthy, the universe endeavours to put wealth in your way as wealth will inevitably be attracted to you. conversely if you think bad things, like poverty, then poverty will be attracted to you. It seems my mother was entirely right - it's a book about positive thinking. But what about people to whom bad things happen all the time? Surely they don't go around thinking about being poor? Well, the author has the answer to that also. 

It seems it doesn't do at all to think about what you don't want at all. It's no use at all going around thinking "I don't want to be poor." as it's still thinking about being poor. Negation does not exist with this secret. In other words, you have to find ways to make your negative 'don't wants' into positive 'wants' eg: rather than think "I don't want to be poor" we must think "I want to be rich" or, rather than "I don't want to miss the bus" we must think "I want to catch the bus" and so on and so forth.

The author does of course litter her book with as many experts and examples of The Secret working as she can, and though uplifting where the examples are concerned anyway, it is really hard to shake my cynicism.

However (yes, against my better judgement, there is a however), I have decided to give this positive thinking thing a shot. It is after all based in actual science, and I would like to think that there is a greater power at work in this universe. Plus, as a person just out of college, living back home struggling to hop onto a career ladder, I really have nothing to lose.

So no more negatives. All positives and...oh yes...there is that last thing. We must be proactive. You see, you can think about winning the lotto all you want, but you still have to play it to be in with a chance. Funny that. Which is why I really am going to give this thing a go: 'The Secret' really is no secret at all. It is not something that has been kept hidden from the masses for hundreds of years. It's a bit of common sense with a positive outlook added on. It's something that has been told to us countless times, by friends and more often than that mothers and grandmothers. If you think about it for a minute, you'll be sure to think of lots of occasions where you've been told not to cry about spilt milk and take that puss of your face and get off your arse and DO it, whatever 'it' may be.

Nonetheless, I am going to follow this frame of mind and actions as set out in 'The Secret' to the letter. For a few weeks at least. So here goes:

I do want Mr X to fall madly in love with me and sweep me off my feet.
I do want to land a most excellent job and have a glittering career.
I do want to have my own house, my own car, several dogs and possibly a horse.

I'll let you know how I get on. 

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