A post about the secret.

Do you believe in the power of attraction? The ability to simply believe in the things you want, to think about them and allow the universe to bring them to you.

I do.

Sort of.

You may have heard of the international phenomenon™ of The Secret. A book about how you can ‘manifest’ the things you want in your life. I think this book is genius. Because, at it’s core, it works. This book, if somebody puts it’s principles into action, will see a positive change in their lives.

Let me preface the rest of this post with the fact that this book is filled with an intense amount of horseshit. Seriously. Ninety-nine percent of it is absolutely bonkers. It will still work for some people.

But not for the reason the book tells you. Let me explain.

You see, success and achievement are complicated (and nearly impossible to define) events. I certainly don’t have it figured out. I’m not a billionaire, and I also don’t look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club.

I’m not claiming that this is the answer to everything. I’m saying that there’s certainly a nugget of truth in there.

If you’re not familiar with The Secret, here’s a quick rundown:

This same idea of belief appears all over the place. “Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill has sold more than 15 million copies. “The Master Key System” by Charles F. Haanel also deals with these same motifs. It’s been in print since 1916. A more contemporary example: Scott Adams, a cartoonist famous for his comic strip Dilbert, wrote about the effectiveness of ‘affirmations’ in his book “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big”, which I actually consider one of the best ‘self-help’ books ever written.

Even prayer, the entire concept of prayer, fits in this category of consistent and repeated belief. For the record, I don’t believe in a god. What I’m saying is this idea is fundamental, and stood the test of time. It’s so easy to dismiss because it’s often wrapped in what looks like mysticism.

I’m obsessed with ideas that appear frequently, in many different places.

In The Secret the mechanism of action is described as the universe and the power of positivity and in prayer it’s described as God, and there’s all sorts of other reported explanations. Usually it’s totally unable to be proven.

I think these systems of belief work even if you don’t believe in them. This idea shifts the locus of control in your life from you to ‘the universe’ or ‘god’. And then it tells you that those things are working to your benefit. It puts you in a position to expect to succeed.

You have to understand the difference in quality of action that occurs when one expects success, and one expects failure. Think of the difference that makes alone! Not to mention the benefits of focusing on a task or a goal.

These tools of belief work. Not because of god or some mystical reason, but because it’s good to think about your goals often. It’s good to know what you want out of life.

There must be something there.