What a lot of people either don't know or don't remember is that "The Secret" is hardly a secret at all. Basically what "The Secret" is, is clever marketing. Supposedly revealed by Rhonda Byrne who at a dark period of her life was given a copy of "The Science of Getting Rich" by her daughter, she managed to tap into the psychology of the masses and basically sell a "Secret" that was no secret at all. What Ms. Byrne did was simply to repackage a concept that has been around for centuries.

This is not a negative criticism of her work. I know for a fact that everything she documented in "The Secret" is true because in my own life there have been many examples of the Law of Attraction (the topic of "The Secret) at work. But that is for another article. This article is about what "The Secret" is and where it came from and what it can do for you.

As stated previously, the concept of the Law of Attraction has been around for centuries, possibly even since man starting painting on cave walls. What follows are a few modern interpretations of what Rhonda Byrne revealed in her DVD.

The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles

This is the book that Rhonda Byrne's daughter gave to her to help her through a tough time. It's not the most famous book on the Law of Attraction there is, but it is possibly the one that's easiest to follow.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Now, this probably is one of the most famous prosperity books on the market, even though few seem to recognize it's value as a Law of Attraction document. Hill spent a good amount of time interviewing prosperous men and came up with thirteen keys to success which if followed, can create a life undreamed of previously.

The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel

A classic course in the New Thought movement. Haanel himself followed it and became a success at the age of 46 when he published this book.

So how do you use the Secret? There are many different interpretations of what it says to do but they all pretty much say the same thing. In essence the steps are as follows.

1. Ask

   Ask the Universe (or God or Cosmic Consciousness or whatever name is comfortable to you) for what you want. It's really as simple as that. Asking involves seeing what you want in your mind in as much detail as you possibly can. This can be done through visualization, though some people have a hard time visualizing. I find myself that writing a detailed description of what I want is a giant help.
   

2. Receive

   This is probably the most difficult step to deal with as it basically means to assume that you already have what you have asked for. It basically means that what you have asked for is already in your present "reality." Some claim that all you have to do is, well, nothing but for me it's too easy to think that all you have to do is concentrate really hard and what you ask for will fall into your lap. I generally disagree with this statement. It's my feeling that there is work involved. Yes you must sit still for a time but when your intuition guides you to take some action, you must go and do that action. This will bring you closer to your goal quicker than simply wishing it into your existence.
   

3. Allow

   Following on the heels of the previous step is the step of allowing and what this means is not resisting. It can be summed up this way. Suppose what you want is to be more attractive to women. So you follow the first two steps and have visualized yourself as, well, a babe magnet. You've asked and received what you desire but suppose you and a buddy are walking down the street and a pretty girl passes you and your buddy says, "Hey man, I think that chick is checking you out." You reply in the negative "No she wasn't, Someone like her wouldn't go for someone like me." What do you think happens? You've negated the first two steps. Using this rather sexist example I hope I've illustrated that even if you feel you don't have what you've asked for it's better to pretend that you have until you have what you desire. Fake it til you make it, as they say.

I hope this article has helped to explain that "The Secret" really isn't that much of a secret at all. By doing a little research, you can find that there are many references to this so called secret, many more than I've documented here. I encourage the reader to go out and find some for him or herself. And use what you've found to create a world that is happy for yourself.