The Secret of 'The Secret'

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." ~~ Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

There has been so much hype around the Secret. As I mentioned, I do believe in the fundamentals of the law of attraction (which is what the Secret repackages in a slick marketing production).

Brilliant piece of marketing, that 'The Secret'. A new spin on an old idea that has been around for a while and developed by a number of people. But it's so appealing isn't it? Just wish hard enough and someone will walk through your door with a check for a million dollars, or a new sports car, or beautiful new house, whatever blows your skirt up. I'll have 3 million please!

I'm paying attention to how this is working in my life at the moment because, well, who wouldn't want to create a bunch of money in their life just by thinking and wishing hard about it?

I think in practice it's a little more subtle than that.

When I was first conceiving this notion of simplifying life by downsizing possessions and routines and I was in the grip of wanting to make a documentary, I was VERY focused on it. I journalled about it, talked to friends about it, blogged about it....truly it was the number one thing on my mind, I was absorbed.

AND, here's the Secret part, people were showing up right and left to help make it happen. People to rent the house, people who knew documentary makers and were willing to introduce me to them, people willing to let me move in with them. It was a little scary how the solutions to things were showing up in quick succession.

Then, once that was in place and I became focused on moving and all the cleaning and packing that entailed, those solutions and resources were not as present. Although, come to think of it, I think boxes and stuff to clean out and pack was miraculously reproducing.....and it did seem as though the more I focused on it, the more boxes and cleaning out to do there was :) Very funny, Universe, not exACTLY what I had in mind.

Now that phase is complete I am anxious once more to get very focused on my plan to see if that kind of energy begins to gin up once more.

My theory is the Secret is really a rough equivalent to 'focus'. When you are absorbed by an activity or idea, you can't help but manifest more of it. You are throwing lots of energy at it, your energy is not going other places. If we all focused on making a million, and we did the things/made the decisions/gave up other things someone who wanted to make a million would, we might eventually end up with a million.

There is a book called Think and Grow Rich that was published decades ago, sometime close to the Great Depression I believe. Napoleon Hill, the author, believed that constant auto-suggestion (per Wikipedia, which is a marvel, doncha think?) was a critical piece in 'brainwashing' one's self into believing something would manifest. That, combined with persistence and a refusal to be slowed down by obstacles, would make 'It' happen.

Essentially, you acted as though 'It' already were true. I've had this work a few times in my life, the latest with undertaking this life experiment I'm on. I don't think it's all about money either. I think it's about anything you want to manifest in your life.

So, stay tuned for reports from the frontline on this.....