by Rhonda Byrne
WAKE-UP CALL
My life has always been about health. For nearly forty years, I have practiced deep meditation, exercised, eaten the “right” foods, and gotten eight hours of sleep. Therefore, it was quite a shock for me and my doctor when I was diagnosed with breast cancer one week before my sixtieth birthday.
For the next several days, I lived with the paralyzing fear that often follows such a diagnosis. And then, somehow “coincidentally,” I saw a newspaper article about The Secret. I sent for the audio CDs and listened – in the car, going to bed, while walking the dog. I realized that working all the time and not enjoying life, as my husband and I had been doing, was not something to be proud of, so we sat down and reprioritized our lives to create more balance.
The next thing I did was to return all the books on cancer that well-meaning friends had given me, and to stop searching on Med.com. I needed to stop identifying with breast cancer patients. Instead, on my daily walks, I started saying out loud, “I am filled with radiant health! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” In the shower, I imagined all my cells in perfect harmony, all systems integrated, all tissue healthy. I gave thanks for everything, all day – from the time I woke until I went to bed, repeating over and over how healthy I was.
I knew I needed about six weeks for this to work, and the hospital had said they would call to schedule my surgery in a few days, so I also used The Secret to create more time for healing. I repeated, “I have all the time I need to heal,” and the Universe listened! No one called, and after five and a half weeks, I finally called the hospital myself. Would you believe, someone had lost my paperwork!
But by that time, I could hardly feel any lump!
After my surgery, the doctor told my husband that it had been difficult for her because she couldn’t find the tumor and kept sending additional tissue to pathology to make sure she had the right spot! No one could explain why the tumor had shrunk so much. But I can!
I now live life enjoying every minute, and though I wouldn’t want to go through any of this again, I am so much happier for having learned the power of thoughts and the wonderful choices we get to make about our lives.
– Carol S., Syracuse, New York, USA
Healing through the mind can work harmoniously with medicine, as Carol discovered. When you undergo any test or treatment, imagine the outcome you want and feel that you have already received that outcome. When Carol went through with her surgery, she had already used The Secret to establish her total belief in a positive outcome – and that’s just what the Universe delivered.
The impact of stress and negative thoughts on our physical body over a sustained period of time results in disease. We can change negative thoughts through two different approaches. We can choose to flood our body with positive thoughts and affirmations about health, which prevents negative thoughts from existing at the same time. Or we can choose not to identify with negative thoughts. When we don’t give any attention to negative thoughts, they are depleted of energy and will dissolve immediately. Both approaches work, and both approaches involve not giving any attention to what you don’t want. And isn’t that The Secret, after all?
In the next story, Tina knew that her negative thoughts had to go if she was to attract the health that she wanted.
I BECAME INVINCIBLE
I was thirty-two years old and recently divorced when I was diagnosed with early menopause. I still remember my doctor trying to calm me down as he mumbled to himself, “This is the youngest I’ve ever seen.” I was in tears for days, weeks, months, knowing I would never be a mother. It was devastating. No words can describe the pain and the journey I went through. There was no cure, and there was no recommendation from the doctor. Trust me, I traveled around the world trying to find a cure, a reason, a way to turn back time and bring back my normal, regular menstrual cycle. I tried herbal pills, acupuncture, birth control pills, hormone therapy. You name it, I’ve been through it.
The truth is, deep down I wasn’t surprised. I’ve always been a very negative person. Before I was given the news, I had heard stories of women in their early thirties diagnosed with menopause, and I’d always worried that it would happen to me. Golden rule of The Secret: if you worry about something, it will happen to you.
After five years of trying one medication and doctor after another, I had something worse happen. I developed high blood pressure and calcium deficiency because I was aging rapidly. My kneecaps were constantly in pain when I walked too much. And I had to start taking blood pressure medication. I was only thirty-six, but I felt as if I were sixty-three. In fact, I woke up every morning thinking that I would probably die very young. I was depressed every single day.
I got married again, and my husband was very patient with my emotional ups and downs. He encouraged me to go out, exercise, and eat a healthy diet. At a certain point, I decided to stop all the hormone pills just to give my body a break.
One day after I had stopped all the hormones, I walked into the bookstore and saw The Power. I’d read The Secret before but told myself there was no point in following it because I was such a negative person. But somehow a strong voice was telling me that this book would be my only hope and only cure. And if none of the treatments was working, perhaps I should be my own doctor and treat myself a different way.
I read the book and was immediately hooked. I bought the audiobook and listened to it every day – on the subway, buying groceries, walking on the street, when I woke up on sleepless nights. I was in tears every time I heard that I should be able to do anything and get anything I wanted in life.
Then I began to practice positive thinking and imagination. I imagined myself having regular and strong blood vessels. I imagined myself taking no medication and still having normal, healthy blood pressure. I imagined myself running around without feeling any pain in my knees. And I imagined myself having a normal menstrual cycle. I felt love every single moment for the very first time in my life. I no longer felt depressed about little things. I felt blessed and happy to be surrounded by people I loved and places I enjoyed.
After three months, I stopped taking all my medications. After several more months without any medication, my blood pressure was normal. My knees were no longer in pain, and most unbelievable of all, I got my period.
My thanks to the entire team from The Secret for giving me the strength to overcome the challenges in life. You made me believe that I am strong, I deserve everything, and I am Invincible.
– Tina, Hong Kong
Isn’t it amazing to know that to improve your health, you simply turn your mind toward health? Let positive thoughts sweep you away. Let positive pictures of health fill your mind and body. Let feeling good and joyful be your focus, and as you turn toward these feelings, know that you have turned away from their opposites.
Receiving the Gift of Life
We have received many stories from women who had lost all hope of having a child, but after reading The Secret and putting its principles into practice, they were able to conceive. I believe that what these stories indicate is that there are no “hopeless” cases and that using the practices in The Secret can create positive outcomes in every situation.
BLESSED WITH MY SWEET BABY GIRL
My story begins when I got married to the love of my life. Our priority was to settle down first and then bring a child into our lives.
When we tried to have a baby, however, somehow things did not work out. So we decided to visit the doctor, who advised us to take certain tests. We went through a lot of medical treatments but were unable to find the reason for not conceiving.
Our parents, relatives, neighbors, and friends were asking for the news of a baby, and we had nothing to report. My married friends were being blessed with children, and there I was with tears in my eyes, praying for my little angel. I was very depressed and anxious.
One day my doctor said that if I didn’t conceive by the end of the year, I would have to start IVF treatment. That was devastating news
. The treatment was very expensive, and there was no assurance that it would succeed on the first attempt. Then one of my close friends insisted I consult an astrologist, whose advice might be helpful.
My husband and I made an appointment, and that meeting changed my life. We explained our health problem to the astrologist, who asked me if I had watched The Secret. I said I had. In fact, I had seen it several years before. “So,” the astrologist said, “if you already know The Secret, why are you coming to me with your problem? You can solve it on your own.” He guided us on how to use The Secret, and on that very day, I promised myself that I had the right to conceive naturally.
From then on, my husband and I incorporated The Secret into our routine.
First I bought the book and read it carefully. After reading it, I thanked God whenever I saw a pregnant woman, for the very sight of her. I started buying clothes for my baby girl. I collected pictures of the baby’s growth and saved them on my cell phone. I started using baby soap. I made a place for my child’s clothes in my cupboard. Each day my husband and I thanked God for our cute angel. Whenever my relatives asked me about good news, I told them, “Very soon,” with a smile on my face. I was doing this as if our little angel had already arrived.
Nine months after starting to practice The Secret, I took a home pregnancy test that came out positive. I had conceived without any medical intervention.
I had tears rolling down my cheeks! I was super-happy. My husband was happy too, that I had conceived without any medical treatment. My entire pregnancy went very smoothly, and nine months later, we were blessed with a sweet and healthy baby girl. Many people had been telling me it would be a boy, but I knew even before conceiving that I would be blessed with a baby girl.
So, to anyone who is having trouble conceiving, I just want to say, never lose hope and be positive. Just ask the Universe and believe that you have already received and you will be blessed with everything you wish for!
– Samita P., Mumbai, India
When Samita was feeling gratitude for other women’s pregnancies, she was feeling good about pregnancy, even though she was not yet pregnant herself. Whatever you are grateful for – whatever you feel good about – you bring to you.
In addition to being grateful and thanking the Universe for the baby girl she knew she would conceive, Samita included two more extremely important steps in her daily routine. She thanked God for every pregnant woman she saw, and she cleared space in her closet and began to buy clothes for the baby.
Samita’s actions of making room in the closet and buying clothes for her daughter helped her believe not only that she was going to have a baby but also that a baby was coming now! It’s been said that the Universe abhors a vacuum and will fill it immediately; you can see that in Samita’s case, that’s exactly what happened.
The things that come most quickly into your life are the things that you BELIEVE in the most. You can bring to you only what you BELIEVE, so you must BELIEVE to receive what you want.
– The Secret Daily Teachings
In the next story, Andrea wanted to manifest not just one but two much-wished-for pregnancies by using props and the power of visualization.
THE POWER OF VISION
It was the summer of 2003. I was on holiday, sitting on a golden sand beach with the sun shining when my mother told me the amazing news that she was pregnant with her sixth child. We both adored children and couldn’t wait to have a new baby around the house, as the youngest was now eleven.
However, three months later, at her first scan, our world crashed around us. The baby’s heartbeat was not there, and my mam had miscarried. We were devastated.
Over Christmas 2004, our dreams and nightmares were relived. My mam became pregnant again only to lose the baby at four months. The doctors said that at forty-two, she was too old and her eggs were not strong enough. We had given up hope and accepted the fact that we would never have another baby in the house.
Two years passed with both of us still yearning for that baby. Then The Secret came into our lives. At first I was a skeptic. Then my mother made me watch the DVD. After the first five minutes I was glued – something in my heart and mind just clicked, and for weeks I couldn’t stop smiling.
A few weeks later, I started to visualize. I got out an old doll I had for years, and every night before bed, I would lie holding it for ten to fifteen minutes and visualize my baby sister or brother in my arms, the baby’s heart beating against mine, their warmth and love embracing me. I also wrote on my calendar that on August 14, 2007, my seventeenth birthday, I would hold my real brother or sister. I didn’t know it, but my mother had written on her calendar that on my father’s fiftieth birthday, in September 2007, she would have her sixth child.
Just months after starting to visualize, I sat with a miracle in my arms. With her heart beating against mine, and her warm face snuggled into my cheek. My baby sister was and still is beyond beautiful, beyond perfect, and beyond belief. She is faith, hope, and love; she is the miracle of life.
Yet another story from my life shows how powerful The Secret truly is. At the age of twenty, I was diagnosed with some fertility issues. I was busy running my business, which I had opened at the age of eighteen, thanks to the information I had learned from The Secret. The diagnosis devastated me; I had always wanted to be a mother. I focused on my business, but a couple of years later, a lot of signs were coming into my life. I was diagnosed with further problems. I had to take action! So I began investigating my options and continued being grateful for my life and having the opportunity to love and teach so many wonderful children. I truly believed that I would find the right path. I began visualizing being pregnant and having a little baby (one that I didn’t have to hand back at the end of the day). The path that began to appear was different from those more traveled, but I knew it was the one for me.
I decided to go for fertility treatment and try to conceive. It was a difficult road and even harder traveling it alone. There were many obstacles and heartaches, but I knew I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I kept visualizing and staying positive, but I was experiencing something strange. When I tried to envision my future with a child, I couldn’t. My mind kept seeing two. Everywhere I went, I started to see twins. When I visualized, I saw twins. I tried to ignore it, but it was such a strong image in my mind that I decided to focus my visualization on twins. I placed a picture of twins on my vision board and I kept moving forward on my path to my dream. My heart thumped when I got the news that my second round of treatment was a success and I was pregnant, but the best news of all came at my eight-week scan. IT WAS TWINS!
I couldn’t believe it. Everything I had imagined over the past few months was coming true before my eyes. I was not only going to be a mother but a mother of twins. Now every single moment I spend with my boys is filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love. I am so thankful that I have been blessed with a true understanding that what you believe you can achieve.
– Andrea, Ireland
The reason visualization is so powerful is because, as you create pictures in your mind of seeing yourself with what it is you want, you are generating thoughts and feelings of having it now. You are emitting that powerful signal out into the Universe, and the law of attraction will take hold of that powerful signal and return those pictures to you as your life circumstances, just as you saw them in your mind.
How can it be that the mind has so much power to change physical things? Ancient traditions tell us emphatically that everything – absolutely everything – we perceive in the physical world is made of “mind.” They say that all matter is actually “mind stuff,” and that is why the mind can change anything.
Healing Your Child
Sometimes life can throw us a real challenge, and for parents, the ultimate challenge can be when their child’s health appears to be in real danger. The parents whose stories I am about to share decided to use the wisdom of The Secret to try to heal their child in the sa
me way they would heal themselves.
BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE
I had been given The Secret a few years earlier by a friend, and it sat in the cupboard as a must-read-one-day. I did start it one day but was distracted by one of my three kids. Later that night, I was on the Internet and came across The Secret again. Within days, I had read the book all the way through for the first time, watched the DVD with my husband, and started to write in my Gratitude Diary. I had turned myself from “It will never happen to me” to “It is all going to be mine.”
Two weeks later, my husband left for China on business. My youngest son, Liam, just seven weeks old at the time, had been born prematurely with pneumonia and had not been well. Two days later, he was up all night and then started losing color, so I rushed him to the hospital. By the time we got there, he had stopped breathing. He was in a very bad way, and a lumbar puncture confirmed that he had bacterial meningitis.
In the hours that followed, Liam’s heart stopped beating four times, and each time he had to be brought back to life. At that point the doctor told me that he was gravely ill and I should call my husband to come home.
It should have been an awful time and I should have been hysterical. But I remained calm throughout and believed that my son would be home and well very soon. I sat in the hospital with my mother on the first night, waiting for my husband to come back and listing all the things for which I was grateful:
I was grateful for my fast action in getting to the hospital.
I was grateful for the excellent staff looking after my son.
I was grateful for my friends who helped with support while my husband was on the fifteen-hour flight from China.
I never thought of the bad, just of the positive, and it made me stronger. In fact, as my inner strength increased, so did my son’s health. I would post daily updates on Facebook, and instead of saying how bad Liam was, I wrote about only the good things that had happened that day and what I was grateful for. At the end of each post I would write “THE SECRET.”