The Secret

Rhonda Byrne

📚 GENRE: Personal Development

📃 PAGES: 198

✅ COMPLETED: October 22, 2018

🧐 RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Short Summary

Rhonda Byrne reveals “the secret” behind the Law of Attraction in this global bestseller. Byrne provides a detailed overview of the concept and how it can be used to achieve goals and milestones.

Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Thoughts ➡ Feelings ➡ Actions — Action always begins with thought and feeling. You will not act if your thoughts and feelings are not aligned with the desired action. If you want to change anything, start by adjusting your thoughts and visualizations. Your actions will follow suit. 

2️⃣ Like Attracts Like — Positive thoughts and feelings have momentum. When you think and act positively, you naturally attract more positive thoughts, feelings, and results into your life. Ultimately, you attract the things you think about most.

3️⃣ Practice Gratitude and Love — When you live with gratitude and love, it automatically throws you into a positive mind frame. You instinctively go about your day with appreciation for people and opportunities in your life. You learn to be thankful for every moment, good and bad.

Favorite Quote

"If you can wrap every thought and image in love; if you can love everything and everyone, your life will be transformed."

Book Notes 📑

Chapter 1

  • The Secret is essentially The Law of Attraction. A movie and a book (this book) have been created.
  • People have used The Secret to attract success, money, relationships, high grades, and more. 
    • It acts as a magnet, attracting what you think about most into your life.
  • The Secret = The Law of Attraction
    • Everything coming into your life is what you are attracting via the images and thoughts you hold in your mind. Whatever is going on in your mind is being attracted to you.
      • You always have the power to choose how you want to think, how you want to respond, and what sort of images you want to visualize.
  • Quote: “Like attracts like.”
    • When you think positively, similar positive thoughts flow to you naturally. There’s a rhythm to all of this. 
  • Make it clear in your mind what you want. You become what you think about and visualize most. 
    • Make what you want your dominant thoughts. In other words, visualize what you want and think about your goals.
  • Every thought has a “frequency” or “vibration.”
    • Quote: “As you think, your thought is sent out to the universe, emitting a level of frequency ad attracting all like things on the same or similar frequency.”
  • Quote: “If you want to change anything in your life, change the frequency by changing your thoughts about it.”
    • See yourself succeeding, accomplishing your goals, and helping people.
  • Many people are thinking about what they DON’T want rather than what they DO want. 
    • The Law of Attraction is always working, whether you know it or not.
      • Intentionally think about and focus on what you do want. 
      • What you focus on and think about the most is what you become. 
  • Positive thoughts are more powerful than negative thoughts. When you worry about having negative thoughts, you will attract more negative thoughts.
    • Negative thinking is natural and temporary. Observe the thoughts without getting hooked and let them come and go like the weather. 
      • These are core concepts in meditation. 

Chapter 2

  • We have around 60,000 thoughts per day. Focusing on feelings can sometimes be an easier way to monitor thought patterns.
    • Let your emotions tell you what you are attracting. Your feelings reveal your thoughts.
      • Ex. When you feel down, you’re thinking negatively and need to change your thought pattern. Watch something funny, think about what you’re grateful for, do something you enjoy, etc. 
  • Check in with yourself often. Ask yourself — “How am I feeling right now?”
    • Feelings = Good mood or bad mood. 
    • Thoughts dictate feelings and feelings tell you how you’re thinking.
      • You can’t be feeling bad while thinking good thoughts.
    • How you’re feeling gives you a good read on your overall thought pattern. It’s valuable feedback. 
  • Excitement, joy, gratitude, and love are all good feelings that will attract more good feelings and thoughts.
  • Add feeling to what you are visualizing.
    • You can begin to feel healthy, love, etc. if it isn’t currently there. 
    • Purposely feel a certain way. Smile, laugh, love, etc. 
  • It’s important to feel good because it attracts more good feelings. 
  • Quote: “If you can wrap every thought and image in love; if you can love everything and everyone, your life will be transformed.”
    • Love yourself, love others, love everything. Be grateful and spread the love. 💗
    • Love is the most powerful feeling. It is the “highest frequency.” 

Chapter 3

  • There are 3 steps to the Law of Attraction:
    1. Ask — Decide what you want. Be clear and believe it can be had. Act as if you already have it. 
    2. Believe — Believe that want is already yours. Act, speak, think you are receiving it now. Have faith. 
    3. Receive — Feel good, happy, and positive. Put yourself in the frequency of what you’re asking for.

Chapter 4

  • ALWAYS live with gratitude at the top of your mind. It shifts your thinking, feelings, and frequency. 
    • The fact is, we all have so much to be grateful for — big and small things. Don’t overlook the small things.
    • Consider making a list of things you are grateful for and store it in your wallet. Look at it often. 
  • In the morning, spend just a few minutes thinking about and feeling gratitude. 
  • Be grateful for what you ALREADY have.
    • We have a tendency to always pursue things we don’t have (goals, achievements, etc.), which is perfectly fine, but don’t forget to be grateful for all the great things you already have in your life. 
      • When you’re ungrateful, it leads to negativity and bad feelings. 
  • Visualization is very powerful. When you visualize, you are generating thoughts and feelings of having what you want, thereby attracting it to you. 
    • Your nervous system can’t tell the difference between a visualization and the real thing. 
    • When you visualize, don’t just see it, also try to feel it. 
  • All of us visualize. Usually our visualizations involve negative pictures and stories, which produces fear and worry. 
    • It’s better to control your visualizations by doing it purpose and intention. Focus on what you want and the feeling it would produce when you get it.

Chapter 5

  • The Law of Attraction can be used for anything, including wealth. 
    • Picture yourself living a financially independent life. Feel the joy, comfort, and freedom that comes with it. 
  • The secret to The Law of Attraction — Be and feel happy now. Focus on radiating out joy and happiness. When you do this, you will attract the things you want. 
  • Life is meant to be abundant in all areas.

Chapter 6

  • Actions are preceded by thoughts and feelings. Our thoughts and feelings are what lead to our actions.
    • Thoughts ➡ Feelings ➡ Actions
  • People will not enjoy your company if you don’t enjoy your own company.
    • Love yourself! Treat yourself with love and respect, and be nice to yourself. When you have a good way about yourself, it comes across to others.
    • On the other hand, if you constantly doubt yourself and criticize yourself, that will also come across to others in the form of low self-confidence.
  • Quote: “To acquire love, fill yourself up with it until you become a magnet.” — Charles Howell
    • You have to love yourself before you can pass that on. It starts there. 
    • When you love yourself, you’re able to spread it without fearing what other people might think. 
  • You can’t feel good if you don’t love yourself. 
  • Love is. Feeling. It’s a state of being. 

Chapter 7

  • Our bodies are a function of our thinking. 
  • Stress — which starts with negative thinking and builds rom there — can cause issues with the body. 
    • Love and gratitude dissolves negativity in whatever form it takes, including stress and worry. 
  • Laughter is the best medicine. It melts negativity. 
    • Find the humor in things. Actively look for things that are funny. 
      • When you laugh, you feel good.
      • Humor connects people. Everyone likes to laugh and have fun. 
  • If you’re sick and you think about it and talk about it all the time, you will not heal.
    • It’s important to try not to dwell and instead focus on solutions. 
    • Focus on being healthy rather than complaining. 
    • Positive and healthy thoughts lead to a healthy body and mind. 
  • Happiness is a feeling and a mindset. Start thinking happy thoughts and start being happy. 
    • Try to do this no matter what is happening around you. It’s a mindset and an attitude. 

Chapter 8

  • Don’t focus on the things you don’t want. Place your attention, focus, and concentration on what you do want. 
  • Quote: “What you resist persists.”
    • Rather than focusing on a problem, focus on solutions. Be solutions oriented. 
    • The more you focus on a negative, the more negativity you invite in. 
  • If you sincerely appreciate someone, show them love. 
    • Never give fake appreciation. When you show love, make sure you actually feel it. 
  • Quote: “When the voice and vision on the inside becomes more clear and loud than those on the outside, you’ve mastered your life.” — John Demartini
    • Never allow the opinions of other people to sway your own opinion of yourself and what you’re doing. 
      • This all starts by loving yourself completely. When you love yourself, what others may or may not think about you can’t move you. 

Chapter 9

  • Quote: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford
    • Know that you can always accomplish something. 
    • Never have an “I can’t” mindset. Make it a habit to believe in yourself. It’s a choice.
  • Love Yourself. This is so important. 

Chapter 10

  • The past is irrelevant. Every day is filled with new people and opportunities. 
    • Always, always have a ‘next play’ mentality. Focus on what’s next. Dwelling does no good at all. 
    • Focus on getting better every day. Maximize your time and get a little better every day. Â