The Secret (The Secret, #1) in Overdue Podcast

May 27, 2019 Sarina M rated it liked it

Shelves: self-help

It is hard to gauge my reaction to this book as so much of it is complete bullshit. However if you sift through, the message really is that belief, positivity, gratitude, perspective, confidence, meditation, love, visualizing your goals, and (mostly) feeling you have control over your own destiny, can greatly change a person's life for the better.

The Secret is a religion. If you buy into the religion you can take it at face value, in a literal sense (as so many people do with religions), or you It is hard to gauge my reaction to this book as so much of it is complete bullshit. However if you sift through, the message really is that belief, positivity, gratitude, perspective, confidence, meditation, love, visualizing your goals, and (mostly) feeling you have control over your own destiny, can greatly change a person's life for the better.

The Secret is a religion. If you buy into the religion you can take it at face value, in a literal sense (as so many people do with religions), or you can think of it metaphorically, and live by its values.

If you take this at face value it can appear to be total and complete bullshit. The Universe is a cognizant entity that shapes itself based on the emotions of human beings and will give a person back whatever vibes they give off? magically? You want a new car and the Universe will send you one? Give me a break! BUT, I felt a lot better about this Universe idea of Byrne's, as I started to think of it as a metaphor.

The Secret is a metaphor for changing someone's perspective. It doesn't matter if the Universe is friendly, malevolent, or neither; it only matters what an individual person chooses to believe. The Universe in this book is more like an enticement to get people to change the way they think. If someone believes that their thoughts change the way the world around them behaves, then they have a lot of incentive to think positively. If someone thinks positively, this will not only change how they feel about the world, but how they live and behave. What is the meaning of life? Whatever each person chose for themselves.

If someone goes through their day (or their life) believing that the Universe is on their side, and their thoughts / perspective matter, then they are more confident and content. They have (or believe they have - which is just as important) control over their lives.

Even after figuring out my metaphor, there were a few aspects of this book I really didn't like. I didn't like how this book promotes materialism and narcissism. I didn't like how Byrne insinuates that every bad thing that has ever happened to anyone is that person's fault, and that circumstances have nothing to do with how our lives play out. I didn't like the focus on finite goals. I didn't like how this book acts like feeling depressed is a choice everyone can make or is something that is not an inevitable fact of life. I didn't like the blatant lies in this book. This is basically the opposite of Buddhism. Let your desires overtake you, consume yourself completely in desire, believe your desires will come true, live your life as though your desires are already truth, and your desires will come true.

Even so, and even though so many of the wants/desires in this book are so far from my own (really, a new car is what someone thinks will make them happy? *eyeroll*), I do think that a lot of the unhappiness in the world, and in my own life, is caused by negative thoughts. If I tell myself a negative story about my life, it doesn't matter how great my life is going, I will believe I have a shitty life. If going forward I am more conscious of my own thoughts (no pun intended) and try to notice and change negative thoughts as they come in, maybe my life will be way better. I am excited to try! ...more

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Dec 30, 2022 James rated it did not like it

This book could be summarized as "only good vibes".

The Secret is possibly the worst book I've ever read. I wasn't actually surprised by this after hearing the Overdue episode about it, but I was shocked at what is actually says. Apparently you just need to imagine hard enough that checks will come to you in the mail and they will... From where? The universe itself. WTF. Also just remember that if you're robbed or raped it was your own fault for allowing those things to manifest. ...more

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