Self-Help Spirituality New Age

The Secret (Summary)

by Rhonda Byrne

A man deeply in debt started visualizing checks coming to him in the mail. He would imagine the amounts and feel the joy of receiving them. Within weeks, unexpected checks started arriving—tax refunds, overpayment corrections, small gifts—totaling tens of thousands of dollars. This isn't a miracle; it's the result of applying a hidden universal law that governs everything from wealth and health to relationships.

The Universe is Your Catalog

The law of attraction works like a cosmic catalog. By clarifying what you want, focusing your thoughts on it, and feeling the emotion of having it, you are placing an order with the universe, which then conspires to deliver it to you.

Jack Canfield, a contributor to the book, wanted to earn $100,000 in a year. He created a fake $100,000 bill and taped it to his ceiling. Every morning he would wake up, see it, and visualize the lifestyle it would afford him. That year, he earned $92,327. But more importantly, the focused intention gave him the idea for the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' series, which made him millions.

Feel Good Now to Get What You Want Later

The law of attraction responds primarily to your feelings, not just your thoughts. To attract positive outcomes, you must generate feelings of love, joy, and gratitude in the present moment. Feeling good is not the result of success; it's the cause of it.

The book recommends creating a 'gratitude rock.' Find a small, smooth stone and keep it in your pocket. Every time you touch it, think of something you are genuinely grateful for. This simple, repetitive act shifts your emotional frequency and reprograms your mind to focus on abundance, thereby attracting more things to be grateful for.

The Creative Process: Ask, Believe, Receive

Manifesting your desires follows a simple three-step process. First, you must clearly 'Ask' the universe for what you want. Second, you must 'Believe' with unwavering faith that it is already yours. Third, you must be in a state of feeling good to 'Receive' it.

A man created a 'vision board' and placed a picture of his dream house in the center. He visualized living there every day. A few years later, after moving across the country, he found the perfect house for his family. While unpacking boxes in his new office, his young son brought him the old vision board. He looked up and realized, in shock, that the house he had just bought was the exact same house from the picture on his board, which he hadn't seen in years.

The Universe Hates a Vacuum

To attract new and better things into your life, you often have to make space for them. This means letting go of old possessions, limiting beliefs, or negative relationships that are holding you back. Nature abhors a vacuum and will rush to fill the space you create.

If you want new clothes, the book advises you to go through your closet and give away all the clothes you no longer wear. By creating empty space on your hangers and in your drawers, you are sending a powerful signal to the universe that you are ready and expecting to receive new things to fill that void.

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