The Secret That’s Not A Secret

Ok..ok…ok…ok…

I know I’ve been missing in action, but I promise you I’ve been working on a few things, mainly in the creative writing realm with my manuscript and perhaps the makings of another story. I look forward to sharing some news and updates soon. Add in other everyday life stuff, including my daughter’s upcoming birthday this week and I’ve been doing yet another balancing act with life.

I do feel like I have to share something in light of a recent quest a friend sent me on last week. It centers around a secret that really isn’t a secret. I’ve been a bit mentally blocked on how to actually muse about it, but basically it’s this…

She asked if I had read the book The Secret or even seen the DVD. I hadn’t done neither. So she suggested that I go to the website for The Secret, and view the free clip of the film that’s 20 mins as THE SECRET would be revealed. Then I was to hop onto You Tube and look up the Oprah show where she had the cast of The Secret on her show. It’s broken down into five clips. I took my friend up on this quest, but I have to admit that I cheated. I actually researched what the book/movie is about before performing the actual tasks assigned to me. When I completed the quest my friend and I were up way past midnight Friday into Saturday talking about it.

I’m not sure if any of you have read the book or seen the film. As I told my friend, I would see the book all the time in bookstores, libraries, etc only to pass it by as I assumed it was something along the lines of The Davinci Code. My father has the Davinci Code and we’ve sat down together to look at the movie. It still confused the hell out of me as I did miss a few parts and points. Of course The Secret is nothing like the Davinci Code. Actually The Secret is really no secret at all. I feel like Oprah when she told the cast that she had been doing the secret for years. I’ve been doing the secret off and on for years. Why is this a secret? All I can say is good PR strategy on the author and her team’s part for making it such a mystery to pique interest.

Ok…so what is THE Secret? If you haven’t read it nor viewed it I’m going to tell you. Don’t feel bad that I’m spoiling this, because really again… it’s no secret and more than likely you have been exercising this for years. Plus, as I stated it’s revealed within those first 20 mins of the film.  However, if you still rather not know you can stop reading this post……… NOW!!!

Basically the BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG secret is this. Author Rhonda Byrne shares that the universe is governed by the natural law of attraction. Therefore, we are what we attract. Both the book and film are something like guides to show how we influence and attract both positive and negative energy into our lives. Well Duh!!

Yet, the book’s main drive (as well as the cast of experts that are featured in the film and on Oprah) is that we ultimately have the POWER to attract all that we desire in life; happiness, wealth, healthy relationships, etc. The process to achieve what we desire is broken down into three parts; asking, believing and receiving. Now this is why I say that many of us, including myself, have been exercising this all along.  The process is based on a Christian principle of faith. Through prayer, allowing our faith in God to intercede and stand firm on the belief that God is listening and will answer, we receive. It may not be on our terms, but what we pray for comes into fruition.

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” – Matthew 21:22 (KJV)

Of course Byrne and her fellow cast don’t put it in the exact Christian terms, but through affirmations, projecting thoughts consciously and subconsciously, we’re putting into action a natural magnetic energy that the universe will respond to.  Naturally I was a bit suspicious as the free minutes of the film played on and watching the old clips from the Oprah show as the testimonies rolled on.  It seemed that everyone received what they desired or wanted and was living an abundant life in happiness. It’s something that I desire and I’m sure that everyone else does as well.

Before viewing the Oprah clips, immediately my mind was like;

“Why aren’t these people saying that it’s more than just prayer and affirmations? Yes you must have faith and belief that it will work out, but you also have to do some kind of work to set it into motion. The universe or God is not some kind of genie in a lamp!” 

Yes, I thought this! I wondered about a margin of false hope. I thought back to last summer when I interviewed for an assistant editor job with a wonderful publication. It seemed like an awesome opportunity. I wasn’t an avid reader of the publication, but I was very familiar. As I prepped for my interview I felt my confidence grow and I envisioned how it would be a nod towards added career growth. Sure it was waaaaaaaay across town and some adjustments had to be made to get my daughter to school, but I figured I would cross that bridge when I got there. True, I was use to working in a busy and bustling downtown area, where for lunch I had options outside of bringing my leftovers to work. Where the publication is located it’s quiet. Sure there’s a grocery store on its complex as well as a couple other little shops, but it’s not a downtown area. It’s quiet suburbia, but I could deal with that.

A day before my interview I was sent an email that said I didn’t have to dress formal as the office atmosphere was laid back. Still, in the height of summer heat in D.C. I wore a black pants suit, with a blue and white pinstriped blouse. I met with the publisher and one of the other editors. The interview seemed to be going well. They asked me questions. I asked them questions. They wanted to know how could I help take their publication to another level of exposure. I told them. I even looked at the cover of the current issue of the publication and expressed how it could have had more “pop” ( I didn’t use that term) with a change to the font. The ladies were very impressed, even complimented my writing style based on the samples they had seen and my portfolio they reviewed during the interview.

I was shown around the office and and shown the process on how they layout each issue of the publication. I was even given an editorial calendar to take home and study. I was one of over 100 applicants that had applied for the job and one of a little over ten (I think…the number was small) to be interviewed. My interview ran for a good two hours as it felt more and more like a “welcome, you’re hired!” vibe.   Naturally, I went home feeling I had nailed it. The feedback was warm with them wanting more. Since my graduation, I had prayed that I would land a job that would allow me to be creative, utilize my journalism skills and build on them and provide a sense of financial security and freedom to help me get to the next level. I believed with my faith that the job was mine. I actually CLAIMED this job! That’s how strongly I felt about it. Then this happened…

A month went by and I received no word about the job. Finally, I sent a follow-up email inquiring about the position again and reiterating that I was still interested in the job. The next day I received a response; a half apology for not getting back with me, they hired another person and the person started the job on the day I sent my follow-up email.  Talk about being crushed. I cried. I was sitting at a pool, awaiting my daughter’s swimming lessons and letting tears roll. The secret (law of attraction) had worked against me, or did it?

When I finally looked at the cast on Oprah, they mentioned all the things I questioned, with one stating that it’s not about sitting back, envisioning and asking and expecting while doing nothing. He did stress that you still have to keep moving and work towards it while setting these affirmations. It’s almost like a balance. You envision it. Ask for it and as you work towards it you are attracting the necessary energy (other people and resources).

In the same respect we can also attract the negative that is happening around us. One of the examples that the person gave was if a person says they need help getting out of debt or need to be relieved of the debt they have; the word “debt” is the negative factor. As Oprah states it’s just like the people who say “if I can only make it to the next day,” or the “just making it” people, they will only go so far because their energy is projecting the “just making it” attitude.

The other thing that came up is timing. Actually this came up in the film. Timing is everything and just like Christians believe God answers prayer,but perhaps just not at the time we like for Him to. The same with this. As presented in the film, if we received all that we thought about and at once, then we would be in trouble because it would be too much.

Perhaps timing is golden and very key in my life right now. As I expressed before, I’ve been helping to care give for my grandmother. This takes a lot of energy. I struggle everyday to find a balance in helping my family care for my grandmother, perform my motherly duties, still find a creative outlet for my writing and even pitch new ideas on the journalism side to generate some kind of income. Honestly, I still struggle with this as I do need income and I thrive on my writing, but I know family comes first. Thankfully, my grandmother is showing signs of improvement so the duties are lessening.

I know with me, I still need to tweak a few things in my life, including my thoughts to help keep me focused and on a path to happiness. Perhaps one of the biggest points that was made in the Oprah clips is this; whatever you desire you can have it, but overall whatever you ask for should not be self-serving. It should be about how can I service others. It’s along the lines of the more you give the more you receive and it helps you along the way to your goal…your desire.

Sure, all of this may leave room for some skepticism. However, whatever your spiritual belief, The Secret is pretty much based on that universal code of ask, believe and receive. Sometimes it’s a hit – as with my friend who once had a high gas bill, prayed and meditated about it, called to resolve it only to find it had been paid. Sometimes it’s a miss – as with me and the job I wanted, but perhaps, ultimately it wasn’t the right one for me at that particular time.

 As I said… I had been exercising this off and on for years, so yeah… this is not a secret.

I would love to know you take on this.

Tagged: growth, life, Oprah Winfrey, Rhonda Byrne, spirituality, The Secret

Posted in: regular