I have written extensively on my site (www.ZaleTabakman.ca) about Napoleon Hill and The Secret. I sought out others who have read his material to find out what their experiences have been.
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The Success Stories series provides case studies from people about what it takes to become successful. Each of us is unique in our goals and aspirations, but we have things in common with others. Through the 10,000,000 people in my LinkedIn network we can share ideas and solutions that will help you achieve your goals. While I don’t always agree with all the comments I receive, I include all that are presented coherently and could help at least one of my readers.
The questions have been slightly edited for grammar and presentation. Comments and Kudos, while always appreciated, have been edited out.
Erik Rosenberry (erikrosenberry@yahoo.com)
Distribution and Logistics Manager at AW Hastings
I’ve been a big fan of Napoleon Hill for a long time. I think he is the standard by which so many contemporary self-help, self-improvement, “secrets to success” gurus need to be scrutinized with. The extent of his work/task alone speaks volumes along with his numerous interviews of successful people from the first half of 20th century.
His exercises are practical (write down your goals and look at them everyday!), easy to do and easy to quickly see their impact in your life.
Network Ambassador – Innovation -
The film “The Secret” takes over an hour to make mysterious something that’s not a secret at all. At its worst it’s a con job. It’s set up to sell the false idea that the “Law of Attraction” is some sort of hardwired certainty in God’s World. In this hard edged form, it’s pure bull, vastly damaging and destructive in the lives of ordinary gullible people. Worse in fact than the “Law of Positive Thinking”, which I believe is the most destructive force commonly found in peoples lives.
If you want to see how the “law” of positive thinking destroys peoples lives look at GW Bush. He says “mistakes have been made,” but he didn’t make them. So he can go on and repeat the same mistake again. Positive thinking is destructive when it stops you seeing what’s REAL.
I know also that positive thinking is very helpful and valuable when you lack the courage to take on a new venture, but to make any progress you need to take a JUMP. Been there- lots of times. Remember, the fear you have is your energy generator. Use that to create action. Face the fear, and understand the need to jump. But don’t do it blindly.
That being said, I still do believe many of the things said in the film “The Secret”.
“You become what you think about.”
“You are the artist who creates your own life.”
“Most of us live by default: we don’t choose to choose.”
“Begin where you are.”
“The mind affects what it’s possible to see.”
I disagree with those who think that the key message of “The Secret” is to “Follow your bliss” and that the key is FOCUS.
The real messages are: “Your real work is to choose,” and “The moment you begin to think properly……”
That’s the problem, people don’t think properly. They choose badly, they choose inappropriate things, they choose to focus on things that if the “Law of Attraction” was really hard wired into the universe would be enormously destructive both for the individuals involved and for society as a whole.
So my focus is on understanding more about what the real world is like. To do that I need to keep out of fairyland, and try to deal honestly with truth. Truth about myself, and truth about my community and the world beyond. To the extent that I understand and accept “truth” I can make better decisions for myself and be a more reliable guide to others.
“My real work is to choose”, but to choose with knowledge and with proper preparation and proper recognition of the risks involved. Making that sort of choice demands courage. Most people lack the courage to make hard choices like that. They choose “easy” targets like “I will be a millionaire”, and of course most of them won’t be.
[ZT - I teach people how to be successful and because of that, I meet and speak with many many people. The process to be successful is a journey. and every journey has many steps. The Secret is important and just represents one single step in the journey. The Secret teaches about the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction simply stated that you become what you most think about. This means, that a person who focuses on what they want, will start their journey. The will start to see the various opportunities that surround them. They will start to learn the skills needed. So, to say The Secret is bull, is wrong. To say that The Secret is not complete is more accurate. If The Secret motivates people to achieve the success they want - then its an effective motivator]
Creator of Value [currently CTO @ Mas Movil Telecom 3.0, S.L. - a Spanish MVNO start-up]
I quite like The Secret, but I understand it in a different way than most (not all) other people seem to.
It is important to remember that The Secret is a product of a multi-billion dollar industry – Personal Development – which similarly to any other industry has its players, competitors, marketing and product positioning, etc. The players in this field cannot all do and say the same, otherwise their competition would be for the same target audience attention, and once you’d hear from one, all would be accomplished!
The people that make The Secret are, for the most part, a side of the personal development industry that includes the proponents of the metaphysics of success. Some of their competitors in the industry instead emphasize taking action, others foster goal setting, etc. The Secret is a commercial product, not a documentary.
The gist of the thing is that we all take to a particular idea, or not, depending on our beliefs system. And we all also have the choice and the power to change that system.
The reason why I like The Secret is that, in accordance to my own beliefs, I understand it not as “The Law of Attraction”, but as “The Law of Creation”. The same message, of “thoughts become things”, for me points to Creation rather than to Attraction! The way I see it, thoughts become things because – and this causality effect is the crux of the matter – what we focus on and what we continually think about is what we are going to take action on. And it is our actions that render the results. We create the results that we want (we manifest what we desire) by our actions based upon our thoughts.
If we continuously occupy our mind and thought process with a given idea, AND the potential results are within realistic grasp, we will consciously and subconsciously take action in the direction of that focus (how can we take action otherwise, if we do not know what it is?!)
Thinking about a beautiful sunny day in mid-winter is not going to manifest a beautiful sunny day per se. It is out of our reach. Thinking about having a great day in spite of the lack of sun, on the other hand, will lead to constant action throughout the day to fulfill that desire. The latter, however, is our decision and choice depending on our beliefs system. It won’t happen merely on the thought, it’ll be leveraged by all the action taken upon that thought… as well as by the fact that other people may be having the same though, or a completely opposite one, in which case their “intentions” (and actions) play as much a part as our own.
As for Napoleon Hill, that’s the foremost source from where the vast majority of the present Personal Development concepts come from. So why have it re-heated when you can have the original (Hill’s work)?
In closing I would not say that I am “addicted” to Napoleon Hill or The Secret, but I recognise the value in both. Having however as part of my beliefs system an attitude of…
1. First decide what you want and why it is important to you, then
2. Focus on achieving it, and then
3. Take appropriate action steps towards it.
I must say that what The Secret is all about to me is the middle link in this “chain” (the mental focus). It won’t work without both the first and the last links.
Thought Leader, Speaker, Connector
The Secret is life changing. I actually first read a book called “The Attractor Factor” by Joe Vitale in August of 2005. He is one of the “experts’ in the movie. His book referenced http://www.tut.com and I have been getting messages daily from Mike Dooley (another movie expert). The wisdom shared and my belief in it has given me the power to never concern myself with finances again. Did I mention it was life changing?
I have been researching book titles recently and I did a search for “If You Believe” on Amazon. Turns out there was a book written in 1919 by Perley Poore Sheehan entitled “If you believe it, it’s so”. I saw it and ordered it. I shall look forward to sharing what I learn.
Account Manager
Not to burst anybodies bubble but I saw “The Secret” (more like forced to see it by somebody who believes it will change her life (she’s been watching it and quoting it for a long time and I don’t believe she has yet to see the results)). It has a point, but the main point is you actually have to do something to change your life to move in the direction you want it to go to. (which is pretty much common sense). Things don’t just happen to you because you are thinking that it will.
I think it prays on vulnerability of people who are not happy in their lives and who are looking for direction. I don’t believe the secret gives that direction. (But you don’t get the movie for free).
CTO, Clay Tablet Technologies
I first encountered “The Secret” at the end of last year. Certainly an eye opener and I’m amazed at how many people I keep encountering it who have also seen, grasped it and decided to go forward in the spirit of “The Secret”.
It’s an interesting phenomenon and I think most people would be better off seeing it.
patricia.lippa@gmail.com Executive Search / Corporate Recruiter / Human Resources Consultant
Strangely, I watched the Secret last night. Nothing magical; it’s the power of focus. Look at books such as: The Power of Intention – Wayne Dyer; The Magic of Believing – Claude Bristol and tons of others – also look at the Silva Method course – they all teach the same thing. ”
Specialist Coaching – Sales Visualisation
There are ways to get the attraction techniques to work for you, I’ve been using aspects of those techniques for years now with clients and getting good results.
Specific intention obviously works as a motivating force, action follows thought so the combination of heightened emotional connection and visualization is effective if applied in specific ways at specific points in the process. Otherwise set some measurable goals, gather the resources physically, gather the people , and then go for it.
Tyler Braithwaite (Wellspringwellness@gmail.com
Business Owner
Everyday I find another person who has heard of or seen The Secret. Those who haven’t seen it I suggest they see it. I tell them that I have a copy, but I will not let it out of my hands and to see it they must come and watch it with me.
I have used the law to my advantage with out even knowing the law. At the same time I have used the law to my downward plunges too. Again, without even knowing it. Now I know and I can see how The Secret applies to my world.
Just recently I used the Secret and found a contact in
President & Chief Mastermind, pixcode Inc.
I have just taken over (as in “stepped up to the plate” not “hostile takeover”) the Toronto Law of Attraction Meetup group and am in the midst of planning the inaugural Come as You Will Be party. It’s something I have wanted to do for a couple of years, and the timing finally came together.
I have also been a member of a Master Mind for about two and a half years – going so far as to set up a website for Canadians who are looking to find other people who want to form Creative Intelligence Alliances (masterminds, success groups, brain trusts, etc).
Top Performing Sales Executive at Cisco/WebEx (Collaboration Software Group)
I am a big believer in The Secret and the Law of Attraction! Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is a must read.
Both are excellent resources and demonstrate the power of the mind and a positive attitude in life.
Director of Business Development & Strategy at The Mastermind Group
I started with Napoleon Hill 18 months ago then I got a copy of The Secret It is very good for the beginner but it at the end of the day, it is about getting off your butt and backing yourself. Certainly serves a purpose and from that I have gone onto other things like Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Bob Doyle and Esther Hicks. I am interested though why Esther is not mentioned in any credits in either the book or website!
Technology Executive
I absolutely believe in the power of The Secret. I’ve purchased 6 DVD’s in the past few months and have been sharing them with people that I think may be open to the ideas. “What you think about does come about.”
TopLinked | LIONS | Experienced Business Networking Master with a bent for HR, IT, and possibility.
Totally addicted and appreciative of The Secret. Have blogged about it from a very personal stand point and from a community career service standpoint Ryze.com has a few interesting sites, particularly Feel Free to Prosper and Manifesting Naturally!
- http://dmfengshuilife.blogspot.com/
- http://prosper-network.ryze.com/
- http://linkedinhfcngroup.blogspot.com/
Add your insights and opinions in the comments section below!
Success Stories are part of my Success Through Balance approach to life. I believe that Success comes from living a balanced life. You can read more about being successful and the skills required here.
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