How the Secret Changed My Life

by Rhonda Byrne

  A NEW BEGINNING

  It began when I was suddenly and unceremoniously made redundant from my job as head of department with a TV company. As the main breadwinner, I knew our house was at risk if I didn’t find another well-paid full-time job very soon.

  I am a positive person, but the redundancy knocked me for six, and I lost my confidence. I knew it was all about the job being redundant and not the person, but it felt like it must have been because of something I had done wrong.

  When I’d been job-hunting for three weeks, I saw The Secret reviewed in The Observer. It felt like something I would enjoy reading, and I made a mental note to buy the book when it was published, but along with several other must-dos, I didn’t.

  Then, by “chance,” I was coming back from yet another interview that clearly wasn’t going anywhere when I picked up a copy of The London Evening Standard that someone had left on the train. I started reading, and there was an excerpt from The Secret. I had not had a good day, and this felt like a nudge from “upstairs,” so as soon as I got off the train, I went straight to the local bookshop to buy a copy.

  As soon as I got home, I began to read and started the visualization exercises. I told the Universe I was ready to receive. Just as I finished reading the book at 5:30 p.m. (I had not put it down), the phone rang, and it was the deputy managing director of the company I wanted to work for – not a personal assistant, not a recruiter, the deputy managing director – asking me if I would be kind enough to attend an interview with him and the CEO the next day at 9:30 a.m.!

  I was quite amazed and excited and dashed out of the house to meet my partner at the bus stop to tell him all about the book and the call. On the way home, a friend we hadn’t seen in a while, who worked at the local Italian restaurant, popped her head up from over a bush and invited us to come into the restaurant for a bottle of champagne – for no reason at all.

  That night I imagined the drive to the interview, the interview going well, and the job being mine. The drive was fine. The normally heavy traffic was light. The interview was good but very long. The offer letter arrived the next day, and the package was 20 percent better than what I’d had at my old job!

  I stayed happily in that job for five years and then moved on. The Secret stayed on the shelf until, out of the blue, my partner of nine years left me. I was devastated. In my heart, I didn’t feel it was over. I took The Secret down from the bookshelf and began to read and reread it. I also downloaded the film and played it on my daily commute, visualizing us happy together.

  Visualizing was really hard. It felt wrong that we were apart, but I couldn’t say why.

  About fifteen months after leaving, my partner came home. It was wonderful, and we took things gently. My work was manic, and he was there for me. Seven months later, at one o’clock in the morning, I found out why my soul knew he had to be home.

  Without any warning, I had a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest.

  My partner performed CPR until the paramedics arrived and stayed with me while I was in an induced coma for three days. He has been there for my full recovery.

  I knew, and I visualized him home. I followed my truth. And now? Once again The Secret is working for me. See it, believe it, make it happen.

  After my cardiac arrest, I knew things had to change – I am still working as a full-time TV producer and I love it, but I am also training to qualify as a clinical hypnotherapist and cognitive behavioral therapy executive coach and speaker, which I’ve always wanted to do but never thought I could.

  But I saw it, visualized it, and made the time for the foundation course and the professional course (evenings and weekends), as well as the time to study, practice, and qualify.

  My partner and I are still together with our two grumpy eleven-year-old rescue cats and our nine-month-old very happy puppy.

  It does work: smile and you can’t be sad. Be grateful and thankful and generate more good things in your life!

  – Kate L., London, England

  Each time Kate visualized what she wanted, the Universe responded by delivering exactly what she asked for, even down to her partner returning home. Because we can never override another person’s freedom to choose for themselves, Kate’s partner had to want the same thing in order for it to manifest. Kate and her partner were clearly a match!

  THE VIEW FROM LIFE’S CROSSROADS

  I am overwhelmed with inspiration – inspiration to share my story as it once was and as it is today. The peace of mind I now have from the understanding that I am creator of my story has and will continue to transform my life. I am experiencing a level of gratitude right now that I have never felt before this moment.

  I am thirty-one years old, and I am a recovering heroin and cocaine addict.

  Three and a half years ago I was, by many people’s standards, living an exceptional life. I had found the love of my life and conceived the most inspiring and beautiful person I have ever known, Tayven, my son. I was living in a beautiful home. I owned two great vehicles and a Harley-Davidson. I was living what many would call the American dream.

  It was through my lack of gratitude for the amazing things I had in my life that I “lost it all,” or, as I now say, “gave it all away.” We have all heard the saying many times that “a person doesn’t know what he has until it’s gone.” I now like to say that a person knows what he has; he just is not grateful for it until it’s gone.

  Looking back, I am amazed that I ever felt any level of success. Yes, I became very good at acquiring material things, but I never took the time to appreciate what was really important – my ability to create them and all the other circumstances I had experienced. I felt no gratitude for the people who supported me in creating these things, or for the opportunities that were literally thrown in front of me to create an astonishing existence.

  I am so very grateful for the new perspective on life I have gained as a result of giving up everything I have ever loved and worked for. Only through “starting from scratch,” as they say, can I truly see how blessed I have been.

  I was released from jail after serving a year in custody. I am now a convicted felon after being found in possession of heroin and cocaine. You see, I not only felt ungrateful for the things and people in my life, I also felt I was entitled to experience them while I was intoxicated.

  I spent much of the first six or so months of my incarceration blaming outside people and circumstances for my situation. It wasn’t until I read The Secret and started adopting its principles of looking inward to change and taking ownership for my life that it truly started to transform. This amazing book found its way into my life at the most opportune time. I was quite literally standing at a crossroads where my life could have taken two dramatically different paths.

  After four near-death overdoses, a pulmonary embolism, and a year of my life behind bars, I can truly say thank you, not only to the amazing team who created this book but also to the Universe for bringing into my life exactly what I was asking for. Even though what I was asking for was not pleasant, it was granted. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have survived, and for the chance to start asking for the right things in my life.

  I am a perfect example of what an amazing experience using The Secret can be for anyone brave enough to look at their own life – the result of what they have attracted into it. I want nothing more than for all of mankind to experience the level of optimism and gratitude I am feeling today.

  – Avery H., Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

  Gratitude: The Life-Changer

  For some people, gratitude seems to come naturally. It takes others longer to appreciate the key role that gratitude plays in the law of attraction. In the end, however, no matter the difficulty of the situation in which you may find yourself, practicing gratitude will help you find a way out.

  UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GRATEFUL

  I can’t really explain it. I had wanted to understand what The Secret really meant about being grateful for
everything you have and for everything you want. I wasn’t sure I would be able to do it. For two weeks after I bought them, I read the book and listened to the CD over and over. I’ve wanted so desperately to try to understand what they were saying and to manifest my own destiny. I didn’t realize you couldn’t receive anything until you were grateful for what you already had and what you would be receiving.

  Things changed all of a sudden when I woke up to my alarm clock one morning and was a little frustrated that I had to get up so early. Immediately, I changed my mood to one of happiness and got out of bed. I was walking in the garden and began to feel the wind against my face and the grass between my toes, and I began to say thank you. I began to thank the Universe for the gift of being me, for my house, my family, being able to enjoy the outdoors. I began to say thank you for everything I could think of, including what I wanted to manifest. I did the same thing for the next two days, and now I finally understand what it’s like to be deeply grateful for everything that surrounds you.

  I don’t have to stop what I’m doing and think about it. I just feel gratitude and happiness and love radiating from me. I used to get angry very easily, but since discovering The Secret, and even more now that I am grateful for everything, very few things upset me, and when they do, I pull myself back and remember that only on a frequency of love, happiness, and gratitude will I receive what I want.

  This feeling that beams and radiates inside of me – this feeling that I’m deeply grateful for everything – is one that I wish everyone could learn to feel. The whole world shines. I often see butterflies fluttering in my garden. I am grateful for the birds chirping outside my window, for the wind that blows through my hair, for knowing that what I want is already mine, and for everything. I finally understand that once you are grateful for what surrounds you, you feel peace and love inside, which can only bring you what you want.

  – Elizabeth M., San Diego, California, USA

  To create your tomorrow, go over your day tonight when you are in bed, just before you fall asleep, and feel gratitude for the good moments. As you fall asleep, say, “I will sleep deeply and wake up full of energy. Tomorrow is going to be the most beautiful day of my life.”

  – The Secret Daily Teachings

  HOW GRATITUDE SAVED MY LIFE!

  I was working in a highly stressful job with unreasonable hours and workload. I was so overwhelmed that I began suffering from severe situational anxiety and panic attacks. My head would spin and my heart would beat rapidly. I would shake, suffer headaches, and panic when I walked into the office. I shut myself away from my friends and family, stopped socializing, exercising, and practicing self-care.

  I couldn’t cope with not having control over my anxious body and mind; the anxiety had completely taken over all areas of my life. I was desperately unhappy and I couldn’t see any escape, so I starting making plans to take my own life.

  Yet something stopped me – made me pause and reconsider.

  Having watched The Secret, and having deep faith in the Universe, I felt called to purchase The Magic and began working through the daily gratitude practices.

  It was challenging at first, but slowly, it became easier as things in my life began to shift. The changes were small at first, such as a loving text message from a friend, a compliment or social outing that brought me unexpected joy, and then more significant things began to happen.

  On day ten, without any previous notice, I was placed on paid stress leave by my employer and given time to rest. By day twenty, I had a clear vision of the type of job I wanted, and amazing career opportunities in my field of expertise kept manifesting. I boldly resigned from my stressful job and never returned to the office.

  By day twenty-four, I knew that these practices had saved my life. Having been given time to rest and recuperate, I had the space to think in gratitude and design my order to the Universe for the life I wanted. I trust and believe everything on my list is on its way.

  I have gone from being broken and desperate to waking up in a state of euphoric joy each day, and giving thanks for all that I have.

  On day twenty-eight of reading and practicing The Magic, I was offered my dream job. Not only do the role and the company match all the criteria on my “Universal wish list,” but the salary offered is the exact dollar amount I wrote on the check from the book. I had goose bumps when I received the formal job offer. I couldn’t believe that everything I ordered had been handed to me by the divine Universe!

  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  – Olivia M., Canberra, Australia

  Everything You Want Can Be Yours

  As each of the following people discovered, whatever you desire, the Universe wants you to have it all.

  MIRACLES IN ABUNDANCE!

  At the time I came across The Secret, my life was a pretty big mess.

  I was recovering from an emotional and mental breakdown and various painful addictions, and my relationships were in a state of turmoil. My sister, with whom I was living, was recovering from a paralytic stroke and a broken engagement. She had lost so much weight and become so weak that every day it looked like she wasn’t going to make it.

  I remember when I first watched The Secret, I cried out of happiness. As a child, I always knew that I had the power to shape my life, but I had lost touch with this divine aspect of myself.

  From that day on, my life kept changing for the better.

  By using and applying The Secret, I moved to a beautiful new home and a new city, away from toxic addictions and energies.

  Since then I have applied The Secret to:

  • Double my income.

  • Quit smoking after being a heavy chain smoker for twenty-three years.

  • Heal my troubled emotional issues.

  • Free myself of alcohol, substance, and relationship addiction.

  • Start a dream business that was in the pipeline for several years.

  Most importantly, I am proud of the person I have become: someone who has turned her pain into power. Strong, courageous, and truly joyful, with a new appreciation for love and life!

  My sister is also well on her road to recovery, and as for me, I am now applying The Secret to attract the love of my life.

  I love this Universe and life and am endlessly grateful for all the miracles The Secret has brought and continues to bring to my life.

  – L. Lal, Pune, India

  Live your dream on the inside first, completely and totally, and then it will manifest in your life. When you have tuned yourself on the inside so completely, you will magnetize everything you need for your dream to become a reality.

  This is the law. All creation in your life begins inside of you.

  – The Secret Daily Teachings

  MY GREATEST DREAMS CAME TRUE!

  I was a single parent for twenty years. I was always worried about money. I never traveled anywhere, nor was I a homeowner. One of my greatest desires and promises to myself was that one day I would travel to the UK. I’d never left North America, and I wanted my first trip abroad to be to London. I also wanted to be a homeowner, and I wanted to feel a sense of financial comfort and ease in my life. But for many years, I saw no way that any of these things would ever happen for me.

  Then I came across The Secret. I loved it because it inspired me and gave me hope that I could improve my situation once and for all. I also bought The Power and then The Magic, and I began focusing on what I loved and practicing gratitude every single day.

  I really wanted to saturate my body, mind, and spirit with love, gratitude, and the belief that I could improve my life. Something in me knew that repetition was the key. Just keep reading those books, keep practicing gratitude, keep watching those videos, keep strengthening my belief.

  It worked. It still brings me to tears sometimes when I think about just how well it worked for me.

  Over time, I increased the intensity of my gratitude and visualization exercises. I began doing my exercises twice a day –
first thing when I woke up every morning and last thing before I fell asleep every night – for thirty days straight.

  The result? Within six months, the following amazing improvements happened in my life:

  • My son graduated from university, found the job he wanted, and moved into his own home. What a wonderful reward to see him so healthy, happy, and successful in his own life.

  • My annual income from my job increased by $30,000.

  • I also earned some extra money through my sideline home business.

  • I was approved for a mortgage, bought myself a brand-new condo with many luxuries, including safe and secure underground parking, and moved in.

  • I booked myself a trip to London and Paris using a credit card and knowing I could pay it off within six months because of my increase in income.

  • I gave my son all my old furniture and was easily able to afford new furniture for my new condo to be financed over three years.

  • I bought myself a new Jeep, to be financed over six years.

  • Then my mother won $1.15 million in a casino lottery in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan! She generously shared part of her winnings with her children, which allowed me to pay off all my debt, including the trip to London and Paris, the new Jeep, the new furniture, everything! Except for my mortgage, I was completely debt-free; I had savings put away and even more spending money at my disposal.

  • Not only did my mother win the casino lottery, but amazingly, two months later, my uncle (who happens to be my godfather) won $1.4 million in a separate casino lottery in Medicine Hat, Alberta!

  • On top of all that, I decided to take a long-desired trip to New York City.

  • Not only did every wish I had for myself come true, but even better, I got to see my son and my mom enjoy success and joy in their own lives. God, that felt good!

  My life continues to be so fulfilling. I continue to earn a great living and travel. I continue to have a wonderful relationship with my son and watch him have success in his own life. It’s wonderful.