The Universe Wants You to Succeed

I must be the last person in the world to have started reading The Secret. We bought the book last week and have the video on order. Can't wait.

I'm really enjoying the book - not least because it's outlining what I've always believed.

It struck me as amusing that its primary author, Rhonda Byrne, is a fellow Australian. She explains in the intro to the The Secret that when the idea came to her, she had to travel to the US to find validation and willing exponents of her cause.

I wondered if this meant she couldn't find any positive people in Australia!

Having lived here for nearly a decade now (I'm a Brit if you didn't know) I think I can relate to her dilemma.

There's a weird attitude that permeates the society over here - and is endorsed and promoted by no less than the government - that success happens to other people, usually in other countries.

Australia likes to think of itself as a classless country - where no 'Bruce' is better than the other bloke. It's all part of the 'fair go' mentality that we're apparently famous for. The downside being that if you are successful, you're somehow not playing the game.

We love our sports people - it's okay if they win.

But artists? Writers? Actors? Film makers? Nah.

That's being way too ambitious. Crass even. Success in these areas is shunned. For evidence, look at any Australian artist in the last fifty years that, despite all the negativity and poo-pooing have actually made it. What's the first thing they do?

Yep - they leave, off to more appreciative shores.

Clive James, Germaine Greer, Dame Edna Everage, the Bee Gees, Olivia Newton John, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Scott Hicks, Greg MacLean, Matthew Reilly, Bryce Courtney, Paul Hogan, Anthony LaPaglia and the late great Heath Ledger, to name but a tiny few. And they all complain that Australia is so darn unsupportive - so down on itself - so reluctant to invest cash in its own talent - that they can't wait to get away!

It's not that we don't have superstars here clearly.

It's curious to me that at least 60% of the great creative writing websites out there come from Australia. I guess that's because the Net allows Australians with talent to reach out beyond our own shores and interact with more positive folks.

Which brings me back to Rhonda Byrne.

She's a writer whose life was turned around by self belief and positivity. She had a vision of a better world that could inspire people through her writing - and once she'd made the commitment to her project, she found evidence of The Secret everywhere.

You see what writers can do?

Just like I've always said. Writers don't just scribble down words.

We create an edifice of solid thought - and make our internal world real by simply writing things down.

Everything starts with writing.

All the great inventions. All progress and civilisation. Even all the bad stuff starts with someone having an idea, a vision that they then make real through writing.

So whatever you want in your life, write it down.

Make it real.

And don't forget to get your work out there too.

I think one of the failings of The Secret is that it doesn't stress taking action quite enough. The philosophy relies on a passive element - that simply believing enough will attract the things you want to you.

I'm not sure this is altogether true.

If you accept The Secret's premise then, given the amount of work the Universe has to do to bring you wealth, happiness and love, I think the least we can do is to help it - by taking positive action and actually working towards your goals.

Surely, if you're too passive, isn't the Universe going to think, "Well, do you really want this? You're not showing me you do!"

Because we all know that books aren't going to write themselves. Success at making movies or designing cathedrals isn't just going to be bestowed upon you just because you want it.

You have convince the Universe of your intention and desire by acting on your goals, making plans, strategizing and working on your dreams.

Combine The Secret with taking positive, focussed action on a daily basis and I believe you'll find that everything Rhonda says will come true.

Keep Writing!

Rob Parnell's Writing Academy
Your Success is my Concern