the secret book review in short

books that slay

book summaries & discussion guides

The Secret Summary and Key Lessons

If you have ever heard about The Law of Attraction, you know what The Secret is, right. A book, published in 2006 and authored by Rhonda Bryne has been nothing short of revolutionary when it comes to transforming lives around the globe. 

To summarize quickly, the book reveals the law of attraction, asserting that positive thoughts attract positive events and vice versa. The book emphasizes visualization, gratitude, and positive affirmation as tools to manifest desires. We are encouraged to harness this secret to achieve success, wealth, health , and happiness.

The Secret Full Summary

Introduction and the law of attraction.

“The Secret” begins by presenting a central theme: the Law of Attraction. This universal law suggests that everything in our life, both positive and negative, has been attracted to us by the thoughts and feelings we emit. 

In essence, like attracts like.

If we focus on positive thoughts, we will attract positive outcomes and vice versa. The book suggests that this principle has been known and used by great minds throughout history , but has been obscured or forgotten in recent times. 

Byrne asserts that once we understand and harness this law, we can achieve anything we desire in life .

Historical Context

Rhonda Byrne delves into the history of the Law of Attraction , hinting at its ancient roots. 

Throughout the ages, there have been individuals, from philosophers to inventors, who seem to have understood and used this law to their advantage. These people were often seen as ahead of their time or possessing unique insight. 

Byrne suggests that their success and wisdom can be attributed to their understanding and utilization of the Law of Attraction. 

By referencing these historical figures, the book attempts to legitimize its central theme and show its timeless nature.

Application in Daily Life

The main body of “The Secret” focuses on how to practically apply the Law of Attraction in one’s daily life.  

It breaks down the process into three steps: Ask, Believe, and Receive . 

The “Ask” step involves being clear about what one wants. “Believe” is about having unwavering faith that the universe will provide what has been asked for, even if the means aren’t immediately clear. Lastly, “Receive” emphasizes the importance of feeling as if one already possesses what they desire, fostering feelings of gratitude and joy. 

Overcoming Doubts and Limiting Beliefs

A significant portion of the book is dedicated to addressing the doubts and skepticism that readers might have. 

Byrne acknowledges that many individuals have limiting beliefs that prevent them from fully believing in and utilizing the Law of Attraction. 

She emphasizes the importance of maintaining positive thoughts, as negative thoughts can counteract one’s efforts. 

The book offers strategies to overcome these limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns, suggesting visualization techniques , affirmations, and other tools to keep one’s mind focused on positive outcomes.

Broader Implications

“The Secret” concludes by emphasizing the transformative power of understanding and using the Law of Attraction . Byrne believes that not only can individuals change their own lives, but by doing so, they can also have a positive impact on the world around them. 

If more people understood and lived by the Law of Attraction , it would lead to a more harmonious and prosperous world. 

Bryne encourages us to share the “secret” with others, to spread the knowledge and positivity, and to collectively create a better world for future generations.

Also Read: Beyond Order Summary and Key Lessons

Key Lessons

1. the power of thoughts and visualization.

One of the fundamental lessons from “The Secret” is the influential role our thoughts play in shaping our reality . The book posits that our thoughts emit powerful frequencies that the universe responds to. 

Consequently, by focusing on positive outcomes and visualizing our desired results , we can align ourselves with the energies needed to bring them to fruition. Visualization isn’t just about daydreaming , but about feeling and believing in the reality of our desires, making them tangible in our minds . 

This act sends a powerful message to the universe about our intentions and desires.

2. Importance of Gratitude

Gratitude is a recurring theme in “The Secret”. 

Byrne emphasizes that being grateful for what we have , even if it’s minimal, puts us in a positive vibrational frequency. 

By appreciating our current blessings, we attract more things to be thankful for. 

To embed this principle in daily life, the book suggests maintaining a gratitude journal, wherein one lists things they’re thankful for daily. 

This consistent act reinforces positive thinking , keeps one’s focus on abundance rather than lack, and continually aligns one with the positive aspects of the universe.

Also Read: Stillness Is The Key Summary And Key Lessons

3. Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

Throughout our lives, we may unknowingly adopt limiting beliefs that hold us back from achieving our full potential. “The Secret” teaches that these beliefs can form barriers against the Law of Attraction working to its fullest for us . 

Recognizing and challenging these beliefs is crucial. Byrne encourages readers to be conscious of their self-talk and the beliefs they hold about themselves, their capabilities, and the world. 

By actively working to replace these limiting beliefs with positive affirmations and truths, we can remove blockages and align more closely with their desires, making it easier for the universe to deliver on them.

Final Thoughts

“The Secret” has inspired many people worldwide to believe in the power of their thoughts and to take control of their realities. While the law of attraction is a fascinating concept, it’s essential to remember that taking proactive actions, combined with positive thinking, often yields the best results. 

The book can be a great motivator, but a balanced approach, recognizing the importance of both mindset and action, will likely lead to the most fulfilled life.

Read our other summaries

• In Defense of Food Summary and Key Lessons
• Thanks For The Feedback Summary And Key Lessons
• Lost Connections Summary and Key Lessons
• The Botany of Desire Summary and Key Lessons
• The Slight Edge Summary and Key Lessons

The Secret Summary

1-Sentence-Summary:   The Secret is a self-help book by Rhonda Byrne that explains how the law of attraction, which states that positive energy attracts positive things into your life, governs your thinking and actions, and how you can use the power of positive thinking to achieve anything you can imagine.

Favorite quote from the author:

Table of Contents

Video Summary

The secret review, audio summary, who would i recommend the secret book summary to.

Have you ever set an outrageous goal, never looked at it again, and later realized you’ve already accomplished it?

This once happened to famous talk show host Oprah Winfrey . She read a book called The Color Purple and immediately recognized herself as destined to portray one of its characters in a big Hollywood movie. Miraculously, she got a random call to audition for a secret movie, which turned out to be… The Color Purple . However, when she didn’t hear back for months, she let go of the idea. Right then, she received the call from Steven Spielberg .

That was in 1984. For the next 20 years, Oprah couldn’t quite explain how she’d managed to turn this fantasy into reality – until author Rhonda Byrne told her about The Secret . This global bestseller has sold almost 30 million copies. Millions of people consider it the perfect blueprint for achieving your goals. Today, we’ll analyze it.

Here’s the essence of  The Secret book in 3 lessons:

• The law of attraction is one of the most prevalent principles in the world.
• To use the law of attraction, you must think about what you want, not what you want to avoid.
• The three steps of the law of attraction are asking, believing, and receiving.

Do you have a big, crazy vision? Here’s how to prime yourself for achieving it.

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.

Lesson 1: One of the strongest rules in life is the law of attraction.

While Byrne packaged the idea in a new way, which appealed to the masses, the law of attraction itself is as old as we are: like attracts like. In Germany, we have a saying: “As you shout into the woods, so they echo back.” In essence, the law of attraction states that what you think and feel determines what you’ll attract into your life .

The concept has been written about as long as self-help books are a thing. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, for example. Rhonda herself first found it in  The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles. They all describe the same thing in different forms. Let’s say you focus on all the negative feedback you get as an artist. In doing so, you’ll encourage more criticism. Similarly, a person who hates money will never become wealthy, and so on.

What the book is often criticized for is its overemphasis on the power of the law. While there is a concept in psychology called priming , that shows we intuitively act based on influences, you can’t live your entire life this way. So yes, it’s important to put yourself in the right state of mind to achieve your goals, but that alone won’t cut it.

Lesson 2: The law of attraction only works when you think in positives, not negatives.

Another case study of the law of attraction is Jim Carrey, who, funnily enough, discussed his experience with Oprah in 1997 , also before she knew about  The Secret . As an aspiring actor, Carrey would stop on his drive home every night, think about his future accomplishments and visualize them. He took comfort in the fact that he “[did] have these things, I just don’t have a hold of them yet, but they’re out there.”

He even wrote himself a check for ten million dollars and post-dated it 5 years . Lo and behold, he did end up making the sum from Dumb and Dumber , just around the deadline. What’s remarkable about the way Carrey did it is that he always envisioned the positives that would come into his life, rather than the negatives he was trying to avoid.

When it comes to our internal monologue, loss aversion is a powerful driving force. We’re a lot more worried about losing what we have, rather than getting what we want. That’s why most of us subconsciously play not to lose, instead of playing to win. In part, this is why people who take more risks have less competition. Fewer people shoot for great than for average.

Plus, if you’re trying to convince yourself, framing something as a win sounds more inspiring than driving yourself with fear.

Lesson 3: To manifest your dreams, you must ask, believe, and then receive.

Besides regularly thinking about your goals, visualizing them, and framing them positively, Rhonda suggests an actual, three-step process you can use to make the law of attraction work for you:

• Ask . This is about being specific in what you want out of life. Vague questions get vague answers . Use a present tense structure and write down what you want from a perspective of gratitude: “I’m grateful to have [INSERT DESIRE].”
• Believe . If you don’t have unwavering faith in your goal, why should others? This is about radiating confidence, so that the people you meet along the way will support you. Don’t be blindly optimistic, but in a go-getter spirit.
• Receive . Imagine how you’ll feel once you accomplish your goal. What would life be like? Visualize. This’ll prime your actions in the right direction.

Again, I’m all for planning, being motivated, and believing in yourself. However, the one big caveat to all this is that your actions have to back up your state of mind. As Gary Vee says “the law of attraction only works if you do.” So think positive thoughts, prep for success, pay attention, and then work like a madman to get what you want.

They say the best books split the audience, and this one definitely does. Some people swear on it like gospel, others dismiss it as feel-good mumbo jumbo. I think the truth is, as so often, somewhere in the middle. Yes, the power of positive thinking works, but only to an extent, and it’s not the be-all, end-all. Read The Secret , but take it with a grain of salt. Reflect on it, and then come to your own conclusions about it .

Listen to the audio of this summary with a free reading.fm account:

The 29 year old local news anchor, who thinks her career is ‘ruined’ because she’s not at a big station yet, the 43 year old actor, who’s been fighting his way through Hollywood for two decades now, and anyone who’s easily excited by new ideas.

Last Updated on August 15, 2022

Niklas Göke

Niklas Göke is an author and writer whose work has attracted tens of millions of readers to date. He is also the founder and CEO of Four Minute Books, a collection of over 1,000 free book summaries teaching readers 3 valuable lessons in just 4 minutes each. Born and raised in Germany, Nik also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Engineering from KIT Karlsruhe and a Master’s Degree in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich. He lives in Munich and enjoys a great slice of salami pizza almost as much as reading — or writing — the next book — or book summary, of course!

*Four Minute Books participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon. We also participate in other affiliate programs, such as Blinkist, MindValley, Audible, Audiobooks, Reading.FM, and others. Our referral links allow us to earn commissions (at no extra cost to you) and keep the site running. Thank you for your support.

Need some inspiration? 👀 Here are... The 365 Most Famous Quotes of All Time »

Share on mastodon.

Popular books summaries

New books summaries.

Start growing!

Boost your life and career with the best book summaries.

Home » The Secret Summary – Rhonda Byrne

The Secret Summary – Rhonda Byrne

Emir Zecovic | Posted on March 4, 2017 |

<1 min read ⌚ 

This secret is exclusively based on the law of attraction – where we are like magnets, and we attract exactly everything we think and believe, without exception.

“ The Secret ,” known to Oprah Winfrey , brings us insights and shows us diverse experiences about how great our change is when we come to believe that we own our own destiny and that we can achieve everything – money, health, love – only with the help of our mind.

Have you ever stopped to think how much your words and thoughts directly influence the events of your life?

Have you noticed, too, that it is you who decide your own course? If not, this is what Rhonda Byrne comes to teach us in “The Secret”.

Come with us to read this microbook and discover The Secret in just 12 minutes!

“The Secret Summary”

The power to attract good.

In the world, there are two types of people: those who know what they want and those who know what they do not want.

Imagine the Universe as a great transmission tower. Imagine, too, that your thoughts have a frequency that must be tuned to this transmission tower.

Once tuned, these thoughts are sent directly to the tower – the Universe – and return to you in the form of events.

The law of attraction is evident: you attract what you think – regardless of whether your thoughts are positive or negative.

If you complain and complain constantly, the law of attraction will bring you, even more, a reason to complain.

You have to focus and inaugurate a new way of thinking, which is where what you do not want is left behind, and only what you wish for yourself is desired and imagined.

So, instead of thinking “I do not want to be late today,” one should think “I will arrive on time today” so that, in this way, you will get what you want.

Control Your Thoughts With Your Feelings

Your feelings are the primary drivers of your thoughts.

It is impossible to feel bad and think about good things, and vice versa. Try to ask yourself often “how am I feeling?” To become more aware of your feelings.

If you are feeling good, it is because you are having thoughts that are making you feel good.

Your thoughts determine your frequency and your feelings are what show you how often you are.

When you feel bad and do nothing to change it, it is as if you are asking the Universe to bring you, even more, circumstances that worsen the situation. When you feel good, you are powerfully attracting good things to yourself.

The Importance Of Asking And Believing

The first step to attracting is to ask. Tell the Universe what you want, and it will react to your thoughts.

But there must be no doubt, for you must be sure of what you want. If you are confused, you will emit confusing frequencies and only get confusing results.

Asking should become a habit, since the more you ask, the more you will receive. However, it is not necessary to place an order more than once.

When you are sure of what you want, you have already asked.

Also, it is of the utmost importance to believe that your request will be fulfilled. Imagine buying in a catalog.

That is how you should do with a request made to the Universe: believe absolutely and unconditionally in the fulfillment of your desire .

Visualize Your Request Being Fulfilled

The moment you ask for something you believe you already have in the invisible, the Universe will do everything to make it visible.

It is imperative that when you ask, you imagine yourself in situations and think of your request not just as a mere desire, but as an accomplishment.

As you take it into account, you will begin to believe that you have received it, and things will move even faster.

Ask once, believe you have received it, and all you have to do to receive it is to feel good. By feeling good, you enter into the frequency of receiving, and all good things will come to you.

Exercise And Be Grateful

Professor Neville Goddard, in 1954, taught a primordial exercise for the law of attraction.

This exercise consists, at the end of each day, before bed, to think about the events of the period.

If any event has not been as positive as you hoped for, repeat it in your mind in a way that pleases you.

Recreating these events in your mind in a way you would like, you will be clearing your frequency from that day and issuing a new one for the day after; recreating, then, new images for its future.

So by getting up every morning and thanking for what you have, you start to feel different about what you have and attract a lot more good things.

Focus on the things you have, be they big or small, and be grateful for it, for it is impossible to add anything to your life if you do not appreciate what you have.

The thoughts you utter when you are not grateful are highly negative and will not give you what you really want.

You must begin, and then the law of attraction will receive these thoughts of gratitude and give you more of them.

Create A Visualization Board

Stop and think of everything you would like to achieve – home, car, family, children -. After doing this, separate a large sheet where you can put pictures of everything you crave for your life.

Cut out pictures that represent your desires, stick on the sheet and put in place where you are at your visual range at some point in your day – when you wake up, when you get home, or when you go to sleep.

Daily, glimpse the panel and imagine as if you already had all this in your life .

Have the feeling of possessing those things now. After receiving, and feeling grateful for receiving, you can replace the images with others.

The Secret And Money

To make money, you need to focus on wealth. It is impossible to attract more money into your life when you can only think that you do not have enough or as much as you would like.

Focus on not having enough money, and you will create circumstances by which you will not have money.

It is necessary to think of the abundance of money, and this will bring it to you.

Try to print the picture of a blank check, fill in your name, amount and put in a place where you can look at it every day.

Have the feeling that you already own that money, imagine spending that money and feel how wonderful it is.

Know that it is yours because you asked for it and then you will receive it.

The only reason a person does not have money is that they are preventing the money from getting to them .

Every negative thought prevents your good from coming to you, and that includes money.

After all, you have to give to receive. Giving is a powerful action to bring more money into your life because when you are giving it, it is saying, “I have a lot.”

You should not be surprised that the richest people on the planet are great philanthropists.

They give enormous sums, and when they give, by the law of attraction, the Universe opens up and returns to them enormous sums-multiplied.

If you’re thinking, “I do not have enough money to give,” that’s the problem. Now you know why you do not have enough money!

When you think you do not have enough to give, start giving. When you demonstrate sharing faith, the law of attraction will give you more to give.

The Secret And The World

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: “I will never go to a rally against war. If you make a rally for peace, you can invite me. ”

You can not help the world if you are focused on negative things. When you focus on negativity, in addition to reinforcing it, you still bring more of it into your own life.

When images come up that you dislike, change your thinking about them and issue a new signal. Visualize happiness, peace, and prosperity.

Dedicate your powerful thoughts to what is desired. You are extremely capable of doing this around the world and emitting good feelings despite everything that happens around you.

You dominate your life, and the Universe is responding to each command of yours. Do not be hypnotized by the images that come up if they are not the ones you want.

Take notice of them, try to attenuate them and, if you can, let them go. After that, have fresh thoughts about what you want, feel them, and be grateful that you have done it.

The Universe Is Abundant

Your mind is the creative power of all things. So how could there be shortages? It would be impossible.

Your ability to think is limitless. And so do all of them. When you have this knowledge, you think from a mind that is aware of its infinite nature.

The Universe offers everything to everyone through the law of attraction. You are the one who chooses what you want to experience. We are all capable of exploiting this unseen and unlimited stock if we turn to our thoughts and feelings.

Remember, also, to praise and bless the things around you. When you praise or bless, you are at the highest frequency of love .

The acts of praise and blessing absorb all negativity and disagreement, and the love of blessing and praise will return to you.

You Are Not Your Past

If you look back and focus on the difficulties of the past, it will only bring more difficult situations for you in the present. Give up all that, no matter what.

Do this in your favor. If you feel hurt or accused of something in the past, it is only hurting you.

You are the only one who can create the life you deserve. When you deliberately focus on what you want, when you begin to radiate good feelings, the law of attraction will respond. You just have to start, and in doing so, will unleash the magic.

When you say “I am” or “I am,” you are invoking creation because there is a statement of fact. Knowing this, would not it be a good idea to start using the two most powerful words for your benefit, AM I?

How about “I AM the receiver of all good things.” I AM happy . I AM abundant. ”

You can do anything you want. So start saying that and become aware of who you are.

When you think about the things you want and feel good, immediately get in tune with that frequency, which then takes the energy of all those things to vibrate for you, and they appear in your life.

Like this summary?  We’d Like to invite you to download our free  12 min app , for more amazing summaries and audiobooks.

“The Secret” Quotes

Final Notes:

Attracting what you want for yourself is a difficult and challenging task.

Feeling good and controlling thoughts is harder than you think, and that is what makes the fulfillment of our desires arduous but pleasurable.

It is essential to believe, to imagine receiving what you want, to think positive, to help and to be grateful, daily, to what you have and to what you will still receive.

It is important never to forget that the universe is abundant, that you are the owner of your destiny and that the more you desire the good for others, the more you will have in your life.

Pro tip:  How about testing the law of attraction and your positive thinking by doing a  Map of Dreams ? Put on paper whatever you crave for your life in the coming months and see it happen.

Emir is the Head of Marketing  at 12min . In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.

Improve Your Reading Habits in 28 days

Explore key insights and ideas from 2500+ titles in audio and text

Start Now for Free

Start learning at the speed of today's world.

• All authors
• Technology & Innovation
• #StayAtHome
• Startups & Entrepreneurship
• Children’s Books
• Career & Business
• Biographies & Memoirs
• Spirituality & Mindfulness
• Society & Politics
• Sex & Relationships
• Self Help & Motivation
• Investments & Finance
• History & Philosophy
• Health & Diet
• Corporate Culture & Communication
• Productivity & Time Management
• Personal Development
• Marketing & Sales
• Management & Leadership
• Good old times
• 12min Originals
• Affiliates Program
• Terms of Use

Website language:

What if you could read 3 books per day?

3000+ book summaries await you for free on 12min.

Want to learn from the world’s best nonfiction books in just 12 minutes?

Book Review – The Secret

The Secret is a phenomenon. Since the book debuted late in 2006 it has sold over four million copies with some thirty other translations now available or underway. It is likely to become one of the best-selling self-help books of all time and is being constantly praised and endorsed by celebrities. Venture into your local bookstore or look around you while waiting at an airport, and you’re bound to see people reading it and absorbing it. They will not just be people who consult astrologers and who listen to Tony Robbins tapes, but normal, average people like the ones who live next door to you. There are almost 1400 reviews of the book printed at Amazon with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5. The breakdown of those scores is interesting: fifty-two percent of them are 5-star, thirteen percent are 4-star and twenty-one percent are 1-star (Amazon does not allow a 0 rating). This means that the majority of people, the great majority even, believe in at least some aspects of the book’s premise and teaching. They believe in the law of attraction.

The Secret began as a DVD. Rhonda Byrne had faced a particularly difficult time in life and came out of it only after she learned The Secret, which is her term for what is commonly known as the law of attraction. In gratitude she created a DVD presentation to share this knowledge and, having seen the remarkable success of this DVD (which has sold in excess of 1.5 million copies), she created a book by the same name. The claims are lofty: “There isn’t a single thing that you cannot do with this knowledge. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, The Secret can give you whatever you want.” Imagine that: the power to get absolutely anything. Who can resist that claim?

The law of attraction, which Byrne says is the most powerful law in the universe, states that people experience the logical manifestations of their predominant thoughts, feelings, and words. This gives people direct control over their lives. A person’s thoughts (whether conscious or unconscious) and feelings bring about corresponding positive or negative manifestations. Positive thoughts bring about positive manifestations while negative thoughts bring about negative manifestations. The theory is very simple. Because it is an absolute law, the law of attraction will always respond to your thoughts no matter what they are. Thus your thoughts become things. You are the most powerful power in the universe simply because whatever you think about will come to be. You shape the world that exists around you. You shape your own life and destiny through the power of your mind.

The steps to utilizing this law in life are simple and supposedly founded upon the wisdom of Jesus as we read it in Matthew 21:22. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” The law of attraction demands only this:

• Know what you want and ask the universe for it.
• Feel and behave as if the object of your desire is on its way.
• Be open to receiving it.

There are aspects of this law that are clearly attractive to the human heart. We all like to think that we have ultimate control over our lives and that we can have anything we want. We all want to control our destinies and to feel that the universe is at our beck and call–that it is a friendly force working with and not against us. This is, I am convinced, what draws people to the law of attraction.

But there are many areas in which The Secret has nothing to offer–in which the law of attraction as the most powerful law in the universe is simply an incomplete, irrational and even depressing answer. Allow me to suggest a few.

First, The Secret has no real ability to respond to the problem of human evil–surely the greatest problem anyone can face.

First, The Secret has no real ability to respond to the problem of human evil–surely the greatest problem anyone can face. Byrne admits that people’s first thoughts, when they hear of the law, is to think of times where masses of people lost their lives. According to the law of attraction, these people were necessarily on the same frequency as the event that took their lives. They may not have had thoughts of the event, but somehow their negative thoughts drew them into it. But this simply does not prove a satisfying answer to the world’s problems. Does this not mean that the millions of Jews who perished in the Holocaust were ultimately responsible for thinking negative thoughts that summoned this even to them? Does it not force us to believe that the people who died when the Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11 were responsible for calling this negative situation to themselves? Does it not mean that a young girl is ultimately responsible for the years of sexual abuse her father imposed upon her? The Secret offers nothing to these people but the understanding that their suffering is somehow their own fault. When we look at The Secret as the law that can bring you anything you want it has a clear attraction; when we look at it from the perspective of one who has suffered, it is clearly flawed.

The law of attraction continues in logical progression until it arrives at the inevitable end result of ascribing divinity to humanity.

Second, the law works itself out in ways that are breathtaking for their selfishness. For example, Byrne warns against listening to people speak about their illnesses or problems lest you begin to think negative thoughts and begin to manifest the negative consequences in your own life. She warns against sacrifice, either financial or personal, saying that sacrifice makes you prove your belief in lack rather than in abundance. She tells you to always place yourself first and to always look out for your own interests ahead of anyone else’s. She puts you in the place of God, as the one who stands at the center of the universe. The law of attraction continues in logical progression until it arrives at the inevitable end result of ascribing divinity to humanity.

The earth turns on its orbit for You. The oceans ebb and flow for You. The birds sing for You. The sun rises and it sets for You. The stars come out for You. Every beautiful thing you see, every wondrous thing you experience, is all there, for You. Take a look around. None of it can exist, without You. No matter who you thought you were, now you know the Truth of Who You Really Are. You are the master of the Universe. You are the heir to the kingdom. You are the perfection of Life. And now you know The Secret.

She goes on: “You are God in physical body. You are Spirit in the flesh. You are Eternal Life expressing itself as You. You are a cosmic being. You are all power. You are all wisdom. You are all intelligence. You are perfection. You are magnificence. You are the creator, and you are creating the creation of You on this planet.” The law offers no higher power than yourself. This makes me wonder: what would the world look like if everyone followed The Secret and devoted themselves primarily to their own interests, forsaking compassion and sacrifice and other “negative” elements of life?

Third, the law, at least insofar as it is described in this book, makes no allowance for what happens when desires clash. What happens when two people set their thoughts on the same thing? While I understand that the universe offers infinite opportunities, can two people equally have the same thing? What happens when what one person wants is harmful to another person? What if one person’s pleasure is another person’s pain? If the law of attraction is the highest law in the universe, it must be that there is nothing to govern such cases.

Finally, the law also works in ways that defy both common sense and human experience. For example, when considering weight loss Byrne makes the unbelievable claim that food can only make you fat if you think it can make you fat. If you determine that food is unable to make you gain weight, you can eat as much as you want and never gain wait or suffer any ill effects. When considering health she suggests that we can heal ourselves of any affliction simply through the power of our minds. Interestingly, The Secret has been championed by Oprah Winfrey who offers her own life as testimony to the power of the law of attraction. The week after Oprah’s endorsement sales of The Secret jumped from 18,000 to 101,000. The week after a second endorsement sales rose to 190,000. Winfrey has since had to soften her enthusiasm as people were following the book’s advice to the extent that they were forgoing medical treatment, believing in the power of their thoughts to heal themselves. Doctors were unimpressed, as were the diseases and disorders which did not respond to the mind’s attempts to destroy them. Byrne even says that the law of attraction can grant immortality. Yet the people who teach this law seem to be aging at the same rate as the rest of us.

As I read The Secret it occurred to me that if the Bible were a product of human minds it would undoubtedly resemble something like this: a celebration of humanity, a portrayal of humans as divine, and probably the most idolatrous thing I’ve ever read. Within the Bible, in the first chapter of the book of Romans, God addresses this desperate desire to rid ourselves of God’s claim to our lives. “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts…because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” And amen. The Secret claims to be able to give us everything we could ever want. Yet it can’t even address the fundamental problems of human nature. It represents only the latest in a long line of attempts to revoke God that has continued since the first man turned his back on His Creator. There’s nothing new here but the fancy, twenty-first century packaging.

A La Carte (October 22)

A La Carte: John Piper on future judgment / Is every sin the same in God’s eyes? / The long defeat of history / Common marketplace leadership sayings / Infertility and grief / Kindle deals / and more.

Are You Scattering Bad Seed?

It was an unconscionable crime—grossly immoral and terribly destructive. In the middle of the night, he snuck onto the property of one of his enemies and ruined his crop. Knowing that this man had recently sowed good seed throughout his fields, he stealthily followed behind and sowed seeds he knew would spring up into weeds,…

A La Carte (October 21)

A La Carte: A good death? / Every tree tells stories / Managing a household well / The formation of writers / Why young women are leaving the church / Francis Schaeffer / and more.

Just as Heat Sets the Soft Clay

Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God. Thus, to meditate in this way is to call to mind the great truths God reveals about himself—his works and…

Weekend A La Carte (October 19)

A La Carte: My soul, why are you dejected? / Misconceptions about orphan care in Africa / Helping husbands after a miscarriage / Freedom of conscience in a culture of death / and more.

Free Stuff Fridays (Redeemer University)

This giveaway is sponsored by Redeemer University. In honour of its roots in the Reformed Christian tradition, Redeemer is giving away 10 Reformed books prize packs! In a world that is noisier than ever, oversaturated with competing messages, it can be difficult for young adults to try and make sense of their way forward. Redeemer…

Explore More

Collections & series.

Book Reviews

All collections and series →

Bible biography Bonhoeffer books Christian living church current issues disability marriage parenting personal prayer sin suffering theology

All topics →

Top Scripture References

Genesis 1 Genesis 3 Psalm 119 Matthew 18 John 3:16 John 10:10 Romans 1 Romans 8:28 Romans 12:2 Ephesians 5 Philippians 4:8 Colossians 3:16

All Scripture references →

Recent Dates

• October 2024
• September 2024
• August 2024
• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023

All dates →

The Secret Summary and Quotes

Rhonda Byrne

1.6 minutes to read • Updated May 22, 2024

Download summary as PDF, eBook/ePub, DOCX

What it's about in one sentence:.

A guide to creating the life you desire through positive thinking and belief.

Bullet Point Outline and Summary

• Our thoughts and emotions have the ability to shape our reality, and by harnessing the law of attraction, we can manifest our desires and achieve success and happiness.
• Negative thoughts and emotions will attract more negativity, while positive thoughts and emotions will attract positivity.
• For example, if you feel anger most of the time, you will encounter more events that will make you angry. Conversely, if you keep a happy mindset, you'll have more things in your life to be happy about.
• You are what you think.
• This law is referenced by poets, philosophers, and religious texts.
• To change one's current state, it is essential to send out positive messages and focus on what is desired.
• Make your message and desire as specific as possible.
• Say positive statements like “I will have $500,000 in my savings account in five years” instead of negative statements like “I don't want to be poor”.
• Pro-peace protests are more effective than anti-war protests.
• The universe is made of energy vibrating at different frequencies, and objects with matching frequencies are naturally attracted. Similarly, changing our thoughts changes our thought frequencies, which affect what is attracted to us. Our predominant frequency is determined by what we think about most, and it shapes our experiences.
• When you love and respect yourself, the universe will send you people that love and respect you.
• Ask : clearly state what you desire using language that is specific, shows gratitude as if you've already received it, and in the present tense. Example: “I am grateful to be in a loving relationship.”
• Believe : have the utmost faith and confidence in your desires.
• Receive : envision the feeling of already having what you desire to reinforce the right frequencies, and open yourself to receive the opportunities that come your way.
• Visualization is helpful to believing and receiving positive thoughts. Print the bank statement you want to have or a photo of the place you want to live.
• Repeating affirmations like "I can do it!" can also reinforce positive thinking.
• Your body replaces all its cells every three years. By changing thought patterns, eliminating negative thoughts (e.g., “I'm scared to be fat”), and believing in the body's ability to heal itself, individuals can improve their well-being.
• We are part of the universe and we should strive to live in harmony with it and not be in competition with it.
• If what you do in your life feels like a chore, then you're on the wrong track and there is probably resistance and fear surrounding you. When you're on the right track, all you do will feel natural, enjoyable, and with no inner resistance.

The Secret: Resources

• Download this summary and 146+ other top nonfiction book summaries in one book ( PDF , eBook , DOCX )
• Buy the book