What I think of this guaranteed get-rich-quick secret
Today’s Adventure in The Biz Opp Jungle:
‘In which Charlie forgets to send his email, gets heavily involved in reviewing The Secret and The Laws of Attraction, and reveals what to do if you’re sick of failed biz opps.’
Hi,
This week I got so carried away with researching a mystical secret of the life, the universe and everything...
...that I forgot to send out a Biz Opp Jungle email on Wednesday!
There I was on Thursday thinking, “I’m sure there was SOMETHING I’ve forgotten to do.”
I wondered... had I forgotten to post a letter... send some forms to the taxman... recycle my two dozen empty wine bottles... feed the dog.... buy some milk...?
Ah no. That was it. I’d forgotten to write to a few thousand people.
My brain. Work like it used to. No longer does. It.
Anyhow, better late than never, here’s a review I’ve been asked by quite a few people to do. It’s all about two business opportunities called The Secret and The Laws of Attraction. They’re actually the same opp and they both originate from a silver-haired guy called Bob Proctor.
I’ll tell you what, this one really got me thinking and challenging my ideas...
What is ‘The Secret’?
The Secret is a book and documentary DVD produced by Rhonda Byrne and a gaggle of self-help gurus. It’s been endorsed by Oprah Winfrey and have appeared on high profile US shows.
The originator of The Secret is a guy called Bob Proctor. He also peddles more expensive multi-media courses and seminars based on his teachings.
In his promotions Bob promises he’ll reveal how to think of anything you’d really desire in your life.... for instance a bigger car or a better romantic partner....
(Or is that a better car and a bigger romantic partner? Whatever floats your boat, I guess.)
... and actually GET that thing which you desire.
Things like money, love, prizes and business success could appear in your life simply because you thought them into existence.
It’s a bit like that phrase in Wayne’s World: “Invite them, and they will come.”
Or as Oprah puts it on her website:
"The energy you put into the world--both good and bad--is exactly what comes back to you. This means you create the circumstances of your life with the choices you make every day."
Quite a promise isn’t it?
No wonder it has built up an almost religious following in the US. Because essentially, this is what it is. A massive leap of faith.
Why the science is highly suspect...
The Secret states that "Every thought has a frequency.... If you are thinking that thought over and over again you are emitting that frequency."
In other words, you can send vibrations into the universe which then organise the universe in a way that will benefit you.
But in The Scientific American, Michael Shermer writes:
“The brain does produce electrical activity from the ion currents flowing among neurons during synaptic transmission, and... any electric current produces a magnetic field...The brain's magnetic field... quickly dissipates from the skull and is promptly swamped by other magnetic sources, not to mention the earth's magnetic field ... which overpowers it by 10 orders of magnitude!’
So my brain can’t manifest a cheesecake from the cosmos and put it on my desk?
Ah, those grumpy kill-joy scientists.
However, I’ve been watching a whole load of Bob Proctor’s videos this week. I’ve checked out the book and looked at load of his web interviews and here’s what I think...
Why motivation matters
I think the cosmic vibrations, karmic manifestations and Da Vinci Code imagery are all a bit of a red herring. Nothing more than clever spin and marketing.
Essentially, this is a new-fangled version of the same self help principles that have existed for many decades.
And at heart, these principles are true and useful – and I’d encourage you to think about them.
If you look at any self help or “get rich quick” book since the 1920s the secret is always pretty much the same. It goes like this:
If you don’t get into the mindset of somebody who is successful, wealthy and popular... if you can’t visualise the things you want out of life... and if you don’t truly believe that you can achieve your dreams... then you will NEVER succeed.
It’s pretty much impossible to achieve something you haven’t set your mind to. Fortune won’t come knocking on your door. You can’t get a job you haven’t applied for. You can’t win a lottery you haven’t entered.
The truth behind Proctor’s teachings is that you have to visualise the things you want out of life. It’s not good enough to want money and happiness, you have to visualise and the specific things you want. Then you have to set goals that will help you get those things.
It’s the first essential step you have to take if you want to move forward.
All of this is explained in Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. A classic old motivational book that lays out the following principle: “Whatever your mind can conceive, it can achieve.”
Remind you of anything?
Yes, pretty much The Laws of Attraction and The Secret in a nutshell.
How to get these ideas for free
So if you’re wondering whether to part your cash for The Secret or any of Proctor’s stuff, then first read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. All the ideas are there in a far simpler, more honest form.
No pseudo science or gobbledegook or Da Vinci Code bandwagoning. Just the principles you need to know if you’re going to make a success out of this home business lark.
You can download it for free here:
Saying that, if you want to read Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret then you can pick it up for less than a fiver on Amazon. But if you check out the user reviews you’ll see that most cynical Brits agree with me about this book – it’s a well-marketed re-hash of old motivational principles.
Take a look at this:
So what of the higher priced versions?
While The Secret has sold millions of copies, that’s not the end of it. Bob Proctor sells his own multi-media versions of The Laws of Attraction. Courses designed to help with specific areas of life, although almost all of these involve making money.
These course cost round the $297 mark, which is fairly hefty for a motivational/goal setting course.
Saying that, I know that many people NEED motivating. And because I know that you first have to have faith that you can achieve your dreams before you ever stand a chance, I’m not going to put this product down.
Far from it.
My view is, if it works for you, then please do it.
The science or ‘truth’ behind it doesn’t matter. It’s the real effect on your life that’s important. You need to find ways to become positive and hungry for success.
See, I read a lot of miserable posts on biz opp forums from moaners who think everything is a scam and nothing works. They spend hours negatively slandering anything and everything they come across.
My view is – “okay Mr Clever Genius, get out of the forum then!”
If it’s all such nonsense, go away and stick to your day job. Forget about this biz opp lark.
There’s ZERO chance that someone who doesn’t believe in biz opp will ever succeed in biz opp.
A negative attitude will only attract failure after failure. And these people are only building up anger, resentment and bitterness in themselves.
So if you’re in a similar rut of “it’s all terrible, nothing works”, then definitely check out Napoleon Hill.
And yes, if you like, get a second hand copy of The Secret – some of the ideas may inspire you. THEN, if after all that reading, you still want to take it further, perhaps a good motivational course is what you need.
If you get one of Bob Proctor’s courses, then be aware it’s a clickbank purchase, so you can get a guaranteed refund within 30 day, no problem at all.
And if you want some real nuts’n’bolts advice on setting up your own home business, go to my website:
These reviews will be of particular interest I think:
And also this, one of my favourite biz opps for beginners:
Or simply have a browse. I’ve got all my reviews, past issues and latest links on there for you to look at. For a specific topic, use the search tool.
Later alligator
Charlie Wright
The Biz Opp Jungle