The Secret: 14 Years Later
In the mid-2000's, Oprah Winfrey’s talk show was one of the highest rated in the United States. It was during this time that her studio received a letter from a woman by the name of Kim Tinkham, stating she was so overwhelmed by the power promised in the 2006 book and film, The Secret, she was going to forego chemotherapy and use its teachings to cure her breast cancer, instead.
Winfrey, a proponent of the book and its message, had taped two episodes of her program centered on the phenomenon that was the New-Age way of thinking, which had recently aired. Upon receiving Tinkham’s letter, Winfrey was alarmed that the well-meaning advice of the book had been taken to heart in the wrong way. Her team flew Tinkham to the studio for a show and set the record straight, that ignoring medical advice was not at the core of what The Secret taught.
Winfrey stated it was unwise to “ignore all the advantages of medical science.”
Tinkham went on to follow the advice of Robert O. Young’s book, The pH Miracle, and claimed to be cancer-free as of 2008. Despite this apparent remission, she died in 2010.
Initially skeptical of the book’s claims, Valerie Frankel documented a full month of using its methods in a 2007 issue of Good Housekeeping. By the time four weeks had passed, despite not reaching all of her goals, she stated that certain things had indeed, improved. Chief among them, the assertion that “laughing is never a bad idea” and “There’s actually some helpful advice in the book. But it’s nothing you don’t already know.”
In his book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, author Mark Manson appears to take the entire premise of The Secret and flips it on its head. He argues that the approach to life that comes from attempting to be happy all the time robs it of learning from the more useful and often more meaningful struggles that come with existing, going so far as to label it “a playbook for entitlement and self-absorption.”
It’s been over a decade since we were first introduced to Rhonda Byrne’s self-help sensation, and during a year when people have been made to feel as though they’ve lost the element of control over their lives, it might be high time to take a second look at its principles and practices. The Secret book has been translated into over 50 languages and has sold over 30 million copies. Despite this, it is not without its detractors. Rhonda Byrne’s claims of scientific backing in particular has been a subject of greater scrutiny in the years since its debut.
But The Secret is not without its champions, either. Even today, the personalities introduced by the film can be found ministering, writing, blogging, and providing guidance in the study of Law of Attraction, or LOA, which is the core principle at the heart of The Secret.
“Don’t look for your dreams to come true. Become true to your dreams.”
— Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith
Perhaps one of the best-known spiritual leaders from the Australian documentary is Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith. Beckwith is founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, co-founder of the Association for Global New Thought, and co-chair of the Season for Nonviolence along with Arun Gandhi.
Beckwith is still a great believer of the power of positive thinking. He has championed a process called Life Visioning, and on his website, MichaelBernardBeckwith.com, promotes an idea of “New thought and ancient wisdom.”
Another popular contributer to The Secret, Lisa Nichols is today a motivational speaker and YouTuber. She is the founder of Motivating the Masses and CEO of Motivating the Teen Spirit, LLC.
Nichols has written several books, including Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today, and No Matter What! 9 Steps to Living the Life You Love. You can find her teachings and more on her website, MotivatingTheMasses.com.
Jack Canfield, author of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, has continued his work with the Canfield Group into the 2010’s. He is currently a motivational speaker and a respected authority within the self-help genre. His book, The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, is an exploration of 67 essential principles for attaining goals and creating a successful life.
Many of Canfield’s principles have their roots or at least, harken back to the Law of Attraction and The Secret. Core subject matter includes “Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life”, “Decide What You Want”, and “Believe It’s Possible.”
Of course, not all of the personalities featured within the documentary have attained uninterrupted success.
Famously, James Arthur Ray has had his share of downs as well as ups, following the success of The Secret. In 2009, a spiritual retreat hosted by Ray, which took place in Yavapai County near Sedona, Arizona, was rocked by scandal when a sweat lodge-style experience went awry, injuring dozens of attendees and killing three participants.
Ray has since made a comeback and a new name for himself in the arena of business coaching. CNN films made a documentary about his ups, downs, and subsequent return called Enlighten Us: The Rise and Fall of James Arthur Ray. Currently, Ray acts as a business coach, author and blogger. His latest book is The Business of Redemption: The Price of Leadership in Both Life and Business.
Rhonda Byrne continues to pursue further successes beyond The Secret with follow-up books, The Power (2010) and The Magic (2012). She maintains the original Secret website at TheSecret.TV.
Whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying The Secret has left an impact on the world of self-help and spirituality. Its enduring legacy may not be one of eternal sunshine, but with millions of copies sold and more people looking into the attractive power of LOA by the day, it’s definitely an enduring one of great positivity.
