The law of attraction in Rhonda Byrne's The Secret

Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. 2006.

Purpose of Book

The Secret is a self-help book about the law of attraction, which is essentially the "secret" referred to in the title. According to the author, the law of attraction is something that has been referred to time and again in religious, mystical, and spiritual literature. The purpose of The Secret is to retranslate the core concepts of the law of attraction, to make it an accessible concept for modern readers.

Key Points of Advice

In The Secret, the key points of advice include focusing on the positive rather than on problems. Also, Byrne advises engendering a feeling of gratitude. Gratitude helps keep the mind focused on the positive, with the ultimate goal of attracting more positive things. The general idea is that "like attracts like." Focusing on lack, illness, poverty, or anger will only attract more of the same. On the other hand, focusing on abundance, health, and love will attract those elements. In order to achieve one's goals, it is important to create a cognitive and emotional framework based on this fundamental law of attraction.

The Secret is divided into several short chapters. The first half of the book is roughly about the basic underlying idea, that the low of attraction is the key to success. The second half of the book shows how "the secret" can be applied to various aspects of daily life including health, money, and relationships.

Application to Stress Management

The Secret offers the tools by which to encourage the type of thinking that can create positive, healthy responses to external stressors. Although the book lacks specific techniques such as guided meditation or prayer, it does help the reader to reframe the way stress is perceived. Instead of reacting to stress with a sense of defeat, self-pity, or anger, the reader can instead focus on what can be learned and what is being learned from any challenging situations.

Recommendation

The Secret is a much more valuable book than it appears to be on the surface. By drawing from a variety of established spiritual traditions, the author allows the law of attraction to speak for itself. The law of attraction is one that is not necessarily a New Age concept but one that has meaningful applications in business, mind-body health, and improving one's reaction to stress. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give The Secret an 8 because there are a few other books that convey the same ideas, but few that do so in such an accessible and brief little package.

Reference

Byrne, Rhonda. The Secret. New York: Atria, 2006.