Shhh! What I’m about to tell you will unlock the secrets of the universe and give you everything that you’ve ever wanted – or at least that’s what the filmakers of the 2006 self-help documentary The Secret claim will happen if you just, believe. A few weeks ago, a co-worker walked through the newsroom door raving about a movie she had seen over the weekend and said that I JUST had to watch it.
She had sparked my curiosity with her ever-so-vague description of the film, so I thought what the heck and took home the DVD version of The Secret and decided to give it a shot.
Within five minutes of the movie, I was bombarded with a confusing montage of testimonies from hard-core “believers” who live by the “secret.”
If you aren’t already familiar with the concept, then I bet you’re bursting at the seams, just dying to find out – so I’m going to tell you.
The foundation of the “secret” is a concept that states that the law of attraction is the answer to all of life’s questions.
Defined, the law of attraction claims that a person’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs and actions are said to attract corresponding positive and negative experiences and the theory is praised by the majority of New Age philosophers.
Basically reality becomes reciprical of your constant flow of thoughts regardless if they are good or bad.
One example portrayed in the movie depicts a man who’s stuck in traffic and will more than likely be late for work.
Inside his mind, he keeps thinking that he will never make it there on time and ultimately hits the car in front of him, causing a wreck.
The film claims that if he would have been thinking positive thoughts, like “I’m going to make it to work on time,” then he would have avoided the collision.
As I continued to watch the DVD, I found the filmmaker struggling to authenticate the validity of the “secret” by claiming that popular historical figures such as Thomas Edison and Martin Luther King Jr. all lived by the concept, and many of the personal accounts highlighted reminded me of late-night infommercials like those get-rich-quick schemes.
Many of the film’s “believers” not only hoped for good health and happiness, but for money.
The three main components of the “secret” are: ask, believe and receive, and this theory has been dubbed by prominent media figures like CNN’s Larry King as “the power of positive thoughts.”
But for others, belief takes a backseat to criticism. Here’s a quote that was posted on the Web site BeliefNet.com has to say:
“To some this seems laughable like the tooth fairy or Ouija boards. To others it’s downright offensive – where does God fit into this do-it-yourself existence?”
Personally, I’ve always described myself as an open-minded person, but I’ve also always believed in a higher power – a power more infulential than what goes through my mind everyday.
I believe that our paths are predetermined and whatever challenges we face are simply meant to be.
Now don’t get me wrong – I’m all for positive thinking and honestly think that we have the freedom to take refuge in any faith that we choose to as long as there is a genuine belief at work.
In a nutshell, the “secret” is a lot like Cinderella’s glass slipper – it’s not not going to fit on everyone, but if you can take any part of this theory and use it to improve your well-being then good for you – I’ve always been an advocate of happiness.
Now you tell me – do you believe in the “secret?”
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