The Secret

A bit before I embarked on my Big Trip last year, I finally read The Secret, a book that had been sitting on my bookstand for quite a while. It was given to me by a really positive, inspiring friend named Jimmy "Wangness" Wang. At first, it seems like a bunch of new-age mumbo jumbo, but after you look past this, it has some really interesting content.

The Secret describes the law of attraction as a natural law that determines the complete order of the universe and of our personal lives through the process of "like attracts like." That is, as we think and feel, a corresponding frequency is sent out into the universe that attracts back to us events and circumstances on that same frequency. For example, if you think angry thoughts and feel angry, you will attract back events and circumstances that cause you to feel more anger. Conversely, if you think and feel positively, you will attract back positive events and circumstances. The law claims that desirable outcomes such as health, wealth, and happiness can be attracted simply by changing one’s thoughts and feelings. It says that our thoughts are magnetic and they attract thoughts of similar frequency.Whatever thoughts we dwell upon,we attract similar thoughts in our life.

The Secret highlights gratitude and visualization as the two most powerful processes to help manifest one's desires. It asserts that being grateful both lifts your frequency higher and affirms that you believe you will receive your desire. Visualization is said to help focus the mind to send out the clearest message to the universe. Several techniques are given for the visualization process, as well as examples of people claimed to have used it successfully to manifest their dreams. (Source: Wikipedia)



I tried playing around with this concept, and small things like visualizing a parking spot would appear just as expected. It became a bit uncanny, but became a secret way of living my life. Because I knew if I told anyone about this, they would surely laugh and mock. I guess my friends, naturally, tend to be laughers and mockers. But then again, like does attract like. ;)

During my Big Trip, I was in Bali and stumbled upon a (surely pirated) DVD of The Secret. I ended up watching it again and again everytime I got near a DVD player for the remainder of the trip. Again, it is full of new-age mumbo jumbo, including an opening dream-like sequence that probably puts off most mainstream audiences. But there are some good tidbits, like:

• Whatever we think about and thank about we bring about
• You can have, do or be anything you want

Continuing to live The Secret even after the trip, I knew that if I had a goal in mind, and kept it present in my thoughts, words, actions and continued to live with gratitude, the universe would eventually sort itself out and my goal would be attained.

My goal? Live in Rio. The Secret says that you dont need to worry about the details of HOW you will attain the goal, but just know that the goal will happen.

Sure enough, within 2 months of being back in the US and back at work, the stars aligned and I had discovered a contact with my similar background living and working in Brazil for my company.

He worked his magic and here I am, 8 months later, living in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

But the story isnt over, kids. I'm living and working in Sao Paulo. If it is still what I want, I know that I'll get to Rio eventually. But in the meantime, follow my journey as I live out the first part of my individual manisfestation of The Secret.