The Secret....No such thing

I guess you would have been living under a rock for the past few months; I'll say two, if you haven't heard about "The Secret." This self-help book that with Oprah's endorsement has become a hot seller in Books stores across the nation. Author Rhonda Byrne has given the American public this very awesome thing; she has shed some light on "the secret" because "we" the very uninformed American public did not realize that positive thinking could garner such great results in our daily lives. Okay, maybe I am oversimplify things, slightly. I have not read the book, but I have read many articles about it and to be quite honest; what's the big deal? I think a little common sense should tell us all that a positive attitude, actually truly believing in that thing (whatever) it may be in your life can effect some serious change. Well maybe not, maybe a more unsuspecting public will need someone to point out how positive vibes can create, no, even influence positive changes in your life. Still, not a new concept by any means. For example, I will refer to the Bible to make this point. Even if the Bible, the teachings in, it is not your thing; I am not advocating that it should be, but the Bible is filled with stories about "faith" which correlates to maintaining positive energy. So the saying goes "seek and ye shall find," I am compelled to think that maybe these same sentiments are echoed in Bryne's book, too. Again, I ask where's the secret; what's the big deal? I think the bigger secret is Bryne's motives. At the end of the day, and I can't believe I am using that phrase, but it works well here; an author wants to, no needs to make a profit. Byrne knows her audience. She knows their likes, dislikes, fears, anxieties, trials and tribulations. Now, how do you exploit information about your intended audience? You write a book that claims to answer all the problems they (the audience) seem to face. You give them light at the end of a long tunnel.

That is what the secret is my friends; it's not that she is introducing some new way of thinking about life; she is simply doing what advertisers have done for years, repackaging, reinventing-what's old is now new. Of course, I am not trying to short change or belittle the positive experiences anyone has had from reading this book. I am a firm believer that someone can bring you into new knowledge and understanding with a new interpretation or perspective on a topic. Nonetheless, I am a skeptic; I have to question "the Secret" because I really believe that we have heard it all before.