What they won't tell you in The Secret
Monday, March 19, 2007 - posted by hellomynameisscott at 5:52 AM
I’m pretty much obsessed with The Secret.You can’t argue it. It really is a cool movie.
Smart. Poignant. Inspirational.
And of course, deliciously hokey.
Which isn’t to say it’s bad. Just because something is hokey doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. I’ve personally applied several visualization tips from The Secret and seen some incredible results in my personal and professional life.
But, (and this is a BIG butt, here)…
The people in The Secret make it look EASY.
Which is kind of misleading. Because it’s not easy.
You can’t just “think” your way to success.
You can’t just make a vision board and expect stuff to happen.
Honestly, I think if The Secret were true to life, it would be a ten-hour movie.
AND, nine hours and forty-seven minutes of those ten hours would be all those good looking, impossibly positive, super successful people telling the camera about:
o All the grunt work
o All the long hours
o All the insufferable crap
o All the family members and friends who didn’t see them for months at a time because they were working so hard
…COMBINED with their mental and spiritual prowess to create success.
That would be a little more believable.
IN SHORT: 90% of success isn’t seen.
People like Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Jack Canfield, (insert rich and successful person here)…
…work their ASSES off!
But you don’t see that. That’s not what they show on FOX. Or ESPN. Or The Secret.
You see the 10.
You don’t see Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer in the world, when he’s practicing for six hours a day.
You just see his 350-yard drive.
You don’t see Donald Trump, the most successful businessman in the world, when he’s working 18-hour days.
You just see his buildings sell for millions.
And you don’t see Jack Canfield, the most successful author in the world, when he’s secluding himself in a cabin for nine months to write his next book.
You just see his name on the bestseller list.
So, next time you turn on the TV, flip open Golf Digest or hear someone talking about how cool (and how easy) The Secret is, just remember one thing:
Nobody sees the 90.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What do you think about The Secret?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS...
Tell us your secret...here!
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
add to del.icio.us * digg it! * email this post
Labels: get them to come to you, it's not luck, working really hard
Scott,
Once again you have said it so simply, so directly that you make a lot of the big name bloggers (who are looking to discredit The Secret) look like novice writers. A great and positive post!
Every one of the speakers in The Secret has now said it in interviews and on blogs. The missing ingredient is what Joe Vitale calls "inspired action."
Thanks again.
Robert
Hey Scott, I think you are creating an artificial division between thought and action. The Secret is simply about the law of attraction. Whether you're thinking positive or negative, the "action" available to you is going to be a product of your thought and feeling. You seem like a pretty disciplined guy. So you want credit for all your effort and hard work. OK. But, that's not the only path. If you believe in hard work, that's what will get you there. If you believe in magic, that's what will work. I wonder if Tiger Woods considers the time he spends practicing, work.
Scott,
I too have applied some of the visualization tips for The Secret and have seen results. I spend 15 minutes or so everyday in my hot tub and try to "see" what I want my day to look like and what types of things I would like to have happen.
I think it brings the positive things to the front of my mind and possibly pushes out the negative things.
Interesting that you bring up the vision board. After our conversation in Denver at the NSA Winter Workshop, I spent a bit of time on your website.
I even went to your media room and watched the clip you have posted. I took away two very important nuggets from the clip.
1. Write something every day
and
2. Is everything you know written down?
I had to answer no to both of these statements and decided to do something about it.
The first result is:
The Care and Feeding of the Micro Business User
I am working on posting something everyday and I have started to write down many of the things that I know.
Thanks for the inspiration.
My Secret - I only pretend that I know it all(don't tell my kids), though I still have a lot to learn. Also, you never know who you are going to learn from, so keep exploring.
Marc Wolfsfeld
I agree with Paul up there- it doesn't have to be 90% "hard" work. I prefer the Abraham-Hicks term, "inspired action"-- and when it's inspired and comes from a place of *knowing* you're going to succeed, it's not work.
Action is absolutely necessary, but it does not always have to be "hard work." In fact if it is too hard you are probably not using The Secret correctly and are stuggling more than you need to. Also, if you are applying The Secret correctly, things can come quickly and easily. You definatly can't simply sit on the couch all day dreaming without taking any action, but you don't necessarily have to work 18 hour days either. Let me ask ya this, have you ever had something positive happen in an instant without really trying at all? I have.
I think the secret of The Secret is that there is no secret. Usually the answer is right there in front of us if we stop long enough to focus, then act on it.
Most of us (myself included) spend too much time procrastinating, debating or distracting and then missing what was already obvious.
My secret is to write things down. That somehow triggers the action in me and within the universe. It makes my vision tangible. Staying on the couch thinking about things keeps them abstract.
Scott, I totally dig The Secret. I've been using the principles for about a year or so and I've seen great results in my business. I've definitely had inspired thoughts, which lead to inspired actions, which has made all the difference.
I don't think the folks who made The Secret are hiding anything. I really think it's implied. If someone watches the movie and honestly thinks they can sit around watching cartoons all day but still makes a vision board, visualizes, etc. that they will have whatever life they want is delusional.
It does take work, but I believe one of the major points of the movie is that HARD WORK alone won't counter-act a negative mindset, so combining hard work with negativity makes one spin his wheels and struggle and feel exhausted. It's like driving with the emergency brake on.
In contrast, combining hard work with the right mindset opens up the channels for the Law of Attraction to take over and produce the results you want because your vision, thoughts, beliefs and ACTIONS are aligned.
~Monica
I have been resisting watching The Secret mainly because of the trailer. It really irritated me and turned me off. It's so full of NLP tricks that I don't trust it.
I'm reminded of a Millionaire Mind seminar I was at where I felt the message they were giving was hugely undermined by the fact that the speaker was talking first person about stories someone else had written (and likely crafted instead of being true).
I agree completely in the concept of what you focus on expands, but the The Secret to me just seems like another way to make people feel better about their lives and make money off of that.
And to those who refute the "hard work" part of Scott's posting: hard work isn't a bad thing. For example, if you are a gardener, getting your garden ready in the spring is hard work, but it's thoroughly enjoyable. I'm sure the successful people Scott has mentioned have enjoyed much of the hard work they've done to get where they are. But I'm also sure at times that they have thought "what am I killing myself for?"
At its core, the secret works. You get what you pay attention to. When I am focused, I'm more likely to work harder, and more likely to reach my goals. When I am distracted and focusing on problems, those problems tend to get worse because I am feeding them with my energy.
What bothered me about the movie was that they seemed to highlight a lot of material things. I don't think people really want pretty necklaces but rather a better quality of life.
I've been doing this kind of work for years (well, before The Secret came out). And I have had incredible stuff happen, miraculously, and without effort. I think it is great that you are into The Secret, but there is a whole realm of education on the subject beyond the movie, and I highly recommend that you continue learning before you decide what is true or not true about the subject. Also knowing what I do know about you, you would truly dig diving deeper.
I for one have used the "Secret" for years. It is nothing new, it is just a new way of explaining it. Yes, it is 90% work in the sometimes hidden background, you are correct. Nothing comes from just thinking and visualizing, you have to put forth a lot of effort while doing that visualization, or the dream you have will never be realized.
a p.s. to Paul Ambrose - yes, I am sure that Tiger Woods does think of all that practice as work. If he just thought of it as play, he would not have improved enough to have acheived so much in his career. There is a lot of discipline and concentration involved, just as there is in many careers worth having. Of course, he does have a bonus - the world's biggest "cubicle"!
Thanks Scott for a great website, I always look forward to your emails as well.
There is a danger in thinking that someone else's path is not correct just because it's not the way you would do it. My life is filled with miracles and magic. Possibly because that's the way I believe it should be. Scott would probably say I work "hard" (or at least a lot). 10 to 12 hour days are my norm. But, I love my work and can't wait to get to each new project. So, it seems more like play to me, driven by my insatiable curiosity.
Sports metaphors: If you think that discipline and concentration are the secrets to success, I suggest the work of Tim Gallway, or better yet, "Golf in the Kingdom" by Michael Murphy, wherein you will find that the metaphysical game is what counts. I believe Tiger Woods lives the magic.
Oh, and I love this conversation. Thanks Scott.
It's interesting, it seems The Secret has really hit a chord with a lot of the men this year - and a lot of the women have been saying they've been doing this stuff for years.... as have I....Deepak Chopra in the early 90's had some great books and videos....and anyone studying metaphysics knows these theories have been around for a very long time.
It's great to see the ideas of The Secret are reaching a larger audience.
We are a reflection of our belief system. Which is why language is so important. The language we use affects our beliefs and our beliefs affect our behavior.
My secret - do the work it takes to change the language in your life that distracts from who you want to be. Get rid of the sarcasm and the humor you think is so clever and witty but is at someone else's expense. Stop seeing yourself from outside of yourself and look within more. Stop being such a show off - and looking for kudos from the outside. If you truly do the work on yourself - you'll let go of all of that nonsense and your focus can go back to the outside world but without requiring anything in return. And it is at the moment that the returns will come.
The real achievers know this - they don't read the "news" about themselves - they stay focused to the tasks - they are not seekers of fame - they are on their own personal missions - they don't look outside as much as give to the outside - they have a different focus...and a different language.
If your focus is always on what other's are thinking about you or doing better than you are - you are missing the mark. Bring the focus back inward first - then let it go forward. Trust yourself.
Test it out - you'll see what I mean.
I really enjoyed the movie. It gave me a lot to think about. I believe your work should give you joy. That doesn't mean its not hard. You can work hard at something you love or work hard at something you dislike.
It's like Scott's nametag. Some people like it and some might not. Some understand, some do not. Do what works and have an attitude of joy in all you do.
The "hype" surrounding The Secret and the Law of Attraction are annoying, but at the same time, the basic principles of focusing on the positive ("power of positive thinking") are nothing new - just repackaged for a new audience.
I've seen many instances in my life where focusing on the negative has brought me more negative, so I make an effort now to focus on desired positive outcomes while, yes, putting in lots of work as well.
What bothers me is that there are too many people who misunderstand the Law of Attraction and give bad (and dangerous) advice to others based on their confused ideas . . . like the woman on a forum who told another woman who is being abused by her husband that if she "thinks" she's going to be abused, then she will be, because she's "bringing it on herself."
Some people are so gullible and looking for a magic pill to solve every problem. There is no such thing.
I have seen the movie The Secret and i find it interesting. But i have read many reviews on it that the principles in the movie are not true. But for me, i think it is very true. The only thing is that the law of attraction works even we don't believe in it.
Now there will be a new seminar launched called the secret seminar. I think this will be a follow up discussion about the movie.
Scott,
Don't you think that "The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield is the perfect companion book to "The Secret?"
Donna
I've been listening to interviews that Bill Harris has conducted with all of the "masters of the secret", and each one of them, without question, has expressed their frustration with the fact that the movie leaves out the ACTION part of the Secret.