The Magic Read online

  ONE WORD CHANGES EVERYTHING

  For more than twenty centuries, words within a sacred text have mystified, confused, and been misunderstood by almost all who read them. Only a very few people through history have realized that the words are a riddle, and that once you solve the riddle - once you uncover the mystery – a new world will appear before your eyes.

  In The Magic, Rhonda Byrne reveals this life-changing knowledge to the world. Then, on an incredible 28-day journey, she teaches you how to apply this knowledge in your everyday life.

  No matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter what your current circumstances, The Magic is going to change your entire life!

  A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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  New York, NY 10020

  Copyright © 2012 by Making Good LLC. THE MAGIC, THE POWER, and The Power logo are trademarks of Making Good LLC. THE SECRET and The Secret logo are registered trademarks of TS Production Limited Liability Company, acting through TS Ltd., Luxembourg Branch.

  www.thesecret.tv

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, copied, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems – without the prior written permission of Atria Books, except where permitted by law.

  The information contained in this book is intended to be educational and not for diagnosis, prescription, or treatment of any health disorders or as a substitute for financial planning. This information should not replace consultation with a competent healthcare or financial professional. The content of this book is intended to be used as an adjunct to a rational and responsible program prescribed by a healthcare practitioner or financial professional. The author and publisher are in no way liable for any misuse of the material.

  First Atria Books trade paperback edition March 2012

  Atria Books and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases,

  please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949

  or [email protected].

  Artwork concept and art direction by Nic George for Making Good LLC.

  Book layout and design by Gozer Media P/L (Australia), www.gozer.com.au, directed by Making Good LLC.

  Interior photography by Raphael Kilpatrick, directed by Making Good LLC.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2011051108

  ISBN: 978-1-8498-3840-5

  “By this means you will acquire the glory of the whole world.”

  THE EMERALD TABLET (circa 3,000–5,000 BC)

  Dedicated to you

  May The Magic open up a new world for you, and bring you joy for your entire existence.

  That is my intention for you, and for the world.

  Acknowledgments

  When I first sit down to write a book, the creation begins as a joyful yet solitary one; there is just the Universe and me. Then, gradually, the circle begins to widen, encompassing more and more people, all of whom contribute their expertise, until finally you are holding the creation of a new book in your hands. The following people were a part of the ever-widening circle of creation that allowed The Magic to reach you.

  Thank you, thank you, thank you: to my daughter Skye, who worked tirelessly side by side with me editing, along with Josh Gold, who contributed his scientific knowledge and research skills to help me unite the discoveries of science with the words of religion. Thanks to my editor, Cindy Black from Beyond Words, for her straightforward editing approach and probing questions, which have made me a better writer. Thanks to Nic George for his creative vision, which captured the magic through the interior graphics and the front cover.

  To Shamus Hoare and Carla Thornton at Gozer Media, thanks for the final production of the graphics and the layout of the book. Thanks to The Secret team who help me take a new book into the world, and who are the backbone of my work; in particular my sister Jan Child, who heads up the entire publishing team; Andrea Keir, who heads up our colossal creative team; Paul Harrington and my sister Glenda Bell, who teamed up with photographer Raphael Kilpatrick and the rest of our team to create the magical pictures in this book. And thanks to the other Secret team members, whose behind-the-scenes work is invaluable: Don Zyck, Mark O’Connor, Mike Gardiner, Lori Sharapov, Cori Johansing, Chye Lee, Peter Byrne, and my daughter Hayley.

  Thank you, thank you, thank you to my publishers, Atria Books and Simon & Schuster: to Carolyn Reidy, Judith Curr, Darlene DeLillo, Twisne Fan, James Pervin, Kimberly Goldstein, and Isolde Sauer. I am blessed to have such an amazing team of people.

  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Angel Martin Velayos for his spiritual guidance, love, and wisdom, to my sister Pauline Vernon and my dearest friends and family for their continued support and enthusiasm for my work. And with the deepest gratitude to those great human beings of centuries ago who discovered the truths of life, and who left their written words so that we might discover them at exactly the right time – that indefinable life-changing moment when we have the eyes to see, and the ears to hear.

  Contents

  DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

  A GREAT MYSTERY IS REVEALED

  BRING THE MAGIC INTO YOUR LIFE

  A MAGICAL BOOK

  Day 1 COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

  Day 2 THE MAGIC ROCK

  Day 3 MAGICAL RELATIONSHIPS

  Day 4 MAGICAL HEALTH

  Day 5 MAGIC MONEY

  Day 6 WORKS LIKE MAGIC

  Day 7 THE MAGICAL WAY OUT OF NEGATIVITY

  Day 8 THE MAGIC INGREDIENT

  Day 9 THE MONEY MAGNET

  Day 10 MAGIC DUST EVERYONE

  Day 11 A MAGIC MORNING

  Day 12 MAGICAL PEOPLE WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE

  Day 13 MAKE ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE

  Day 14 HAVE A MAGICAL DAY

  Day 15 MAGICALLY HEAL YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

  Day 16 MAGIC AND MIRACLES IN HEALTH

  Day 17 THE MAGIC CHECK

  Day 18 THE MAGICAL TO-DO LIST

  Day 19 MAGIC FOOTSTEPS

  Day 20 HEART MAGIC

  Day 21 MAGNIFICENT OUTCOMES

  Day 22 BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES

  Day 23 THE MAGICAL AIR THAT YOU BREATHE

  Day 24 THE MAGIC WAND

  Day 25 CUE THE MAGIC

  Day 26 MAGICALLY TRANSFORM MISTAKES INTO BLESSINGS

  Day 27 THE MAGIC MIRROR

  Day 28 REMEMBER THE MAGIC

  YOUR MAGICAL FUTURE

  THE MAGIC NEVER ENDS

  ABOUT RHONDA BYRNE

  EXCERPT FROM THE SECRET

  EXCERPT FROM THE POWER

  Do You Believe in Magic?

  “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

  Roald Dahl (1916–1990)

  WRITER

  Remember when you were a child and you looked at life in total wonder and awe? Life was magical and exciting, and the smallest things were utterly thrilling to you. You were fascinated by the frost on the grass, a butterfly flittering through the air, or any strange leaf or rock on the ground.

  You were full of excitement when you lost a tooth, because it meant the Tooth Fairy would be coming that night, and you would count down the days to that magical night of Christmas! Even though you had no idea how Santa Claus could get to every child in the world in one night, somehow he did it, and he never let you down.

  Reindeer could fly, there were fairies in the garden, pets were like people, toys had personalities, dreams came true, and you could touch the stars. Your heart was full of joy, your imagination knew no limits, an
d you believed that life was magical!

  There is an exquisite feeling many of us had as children, that everything is good, that every day promises more excitement and adventure, and that nothing could ever thwart our joy for the magic of it all. But somehow as we grew into adults, responsibilities, problems, and difficulties took their toll on us, we became disillusioned, and the magic we once believed in as children faded and disappeared. It’s one of the reasons why as adults we love to be around children, so that we can experience that feeling we once had, even if it’s just for a moment.

  I am here to tell you that the magic you once believed in is true, and it’s the disillusioned adult perspective of life that is false. The magic of life is real – and it’s as real as you are. In fact, life can be far more wondrous than you ever thought it was as a child, and more breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and exciting than anything you’ve seen before. When you know what to do to bring forth the magic, you will live the life of your dreams. Then, you will wonder how you ever could have given up in believing in the magic of life!

  You may not see reindeer fly, but you will see the things you’ve always wanted appearing before your eyes, and you will see the things you’ve dreamed of for so long suddenly happening. You will never know exactly how everything weaved together for your dreams to come true, because magic works in the invisible realm – and that’s the most thrilling part!

  Are you ready to experience the magic again? Are you ready to be filled with awe and wonder every day like when you were a child? Get ready for the magic!

  Our adventure begins two thousand years ago, when life-changing knowledge was hidden within a sacred text . . .

  A Great Mystery Is Revealed

  The following passage comes from the Gospel of Matthew in the Holy Scriptures, and it has mystified, confused, and been misunderstood by many people over the centuries.

  “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

  You have to admit that when you read the passage it appears unjust, as it seems to be saying that the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. But there’s a riddle to be solved in this passage, a mystery to uncover, and when you know it a new world will have opened up for you.

  The answer to the mystery that has eluded so many for centuries is in one hidden word: gratitude.

  “Whoever has gratitude will be given more, and he or she will have an abundance. Whoever does not have gratitude, even what he or she has will be taken from him or her.”

  By the revelation of one hidden word, a cryptic text is made crystal clear. Two thousand years have passed since those words were recorded, but they are as true today as they ever were: if you don’t take the time to be grateful you will never have more, and what you do have you will lose. And the promise of the magic that will happen with gratitude is in these words: if you’re grateful you will be given more, and you will have an abundance!

  From the Koran the promise of gratitude is equally emphatic:

  “And (remember) when God proclaimed: ‘If you are grateful I will give you more; but if you are ungrateful verily my punishment is indeed severe.’”

  It doesn’t matter what religion you follow, or whether you’re religious or not, these words from the Holy Scriptures and the Koran apply to you and your life. They are describing a fundamental law of science and of the Universe.

  It’s Universal Law

  Gratitude operates through a Universal law that governs your whole life. According to the law of attraction, which governs all the energy in our Universe, from the formation of an atom to the movement of the planets, “like attracts like.” It’s because of the law of attraction that the cells of every living creature are held together, as well as the substance of every material object. In your life, the law operates on your thoughts and feelings, because they are energy too, and so whatever you think, whatever you feel, you attract to you.

  If you think, “I don’t like my job,” “I haven’t got enough money,” “I can’t find my perfect partner,” “I can’t pay my bills,” “I think I’m coming down with something,” “He or she doesn’t appreciate me,” “I don’t get along with my parents,” “My child is a problem,” “My life is a mess,” or “My marriage is in trouble,” then you must attract more of those experiences.

  But if you think about what you’re grateful for, like, “I love my job,” “My family is very supportive,” “I had the best vacation,” “I feel amazing today,” “I got the biggest tax refund ever,” or ”I had a great weekend camping with my son,” and you sincerely feel the gratitude, the law of attraction says you must attract more of those things into your life. It works in the same way as metal being drawn to a magnet; your gratitude is magnetic, and the more gratitude you have, the more abundance you magnetize. It is Universal law!

  You will have heard sayings like, “Whatever goes around comes around,” “You reap what you sow,” and “You get what you give.” Well, all of those sayings are describing the same law, and they’re also describing a principle of the Universe that the great scientist Sir Isaac Newton discovered.

  Newton’s scientific discoveries included the fundamental laws of motion in the Universe, one of which says:

  Every action always has an opposite and equal reaction.

  When you apply the idea of gratitude to Newton’s law it says: every action of giving thanks always causes an opposite reaction of receiving. And what you receive will always be equal to the amount of gratitude you’ve given. This means that the very action of gratitude sets off a reaction of receiving! And the more sincerely and the more deeply grateful you feel (in other words, the more gratitude you give) the more you will receive.

  The Golden Thread of Gratitude

  Dating back thousands and thousands of years to the earliest recordings of humankind, the power of gratitude was preached and practiced, and from there was passed on through the centuries, sweeping across the continents, permeating one civilization and culture to the next. The major religions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism all have gratitude at their core.

  Muhammad said that gratitude for the abundance you’ve received is the best insurance that the abundance will continue.

  Buddha said that you have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.

  Lao Tzu said that if you rejoice in the way things are, the whole world will belong to you.

  Krishna said that whatever he is offered he accepts with joy.

  King David spoke of giving thanks to the whole world, for everything between the heavens and the Earth.

  And Jesus said thank you before he performed each miracle.

  From the Australian Aborigines to the African Maasai and Zulu, from the American Navajo, Shawnee, and Cherokee, to the Tahitians, Eskimo, and Maori, the practice of gratitude is at the very root of most indigenous traditions.

  “When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”

  Tecumseh (1768–1813)

  SHAWNEE NATIVE AMERICAN LEADER

  History is laden with famous figures who practiced gratitude, and whose achievements put them amongst the greatest human beings who have ever lived: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, Leonardo Da Vinci, Plato, Shakespeare, Aesop, Blake, Emerson, Dickens, Proust, Descartes, Lincoln, Jung, Newton, Einstein, and many, many more.

  Albert Einstein’s scientific discoveries changed the way we see the Universe, and when asked about his monumental achievements, he spoke only of giving thanks to others. One of the most brilliant minds of all time thanked other people over a hundred times a day for the work they had done!

  Is it any wonder that so many of life’s mysteries were revealed to Albert Einstein? Is it any wonder that Albert Einstein made some of the greatest scientific discoveri
es in history? He practiced gratitude every single day of his life, and in return he received many forms of abundance.

  When Isaac Newton was asked how he had achieved the scientific discoveries he made, he said that he stood on the shoulders of giants. Isaac Newton, recently voted the greatest contributor to science and humankind, was also grateful to those men and women who lived before him.

  The scientists, philosophers, inventors, discoverers, and prophets who practiced gratitude reaped its results, and most were aware of its inherent power. Yet still gratitude’s power is unknown to most people today, because to experience the magic of gratitude in your life you have to practice it!

  My Discovery

  My story is a perfect example of what life is like when a person is ignorant of gratitude, and what happens when you make gratitude a part of your life.

  If I had been asked six years ago if I was a grateful person, I would have answered, “Yes, for sure I’m a grateful person. I say thank you when I receive a gift, when someone opens a door for me, or when a person does something for me.”

  The truth is I was not a grateful person at all. I didn’t know what being grateful really meant, and just saying the words thank you on the odd occasion certainly didn’t make me a grateful person.

  My life without gratitude was pretty challenging. I was in debt, and it was increasing a little bit more every month. I worked really hard, but my finances never improved. In trying to keep up with the mounting debt and obligations I was living with a continuous undercurrent of stress. My relationships swung like a pendulum from fair to disastrous, because I never seemed to have enough time for each person.

  While I was what would be termed “healthy,” I felt exhausted at the end of each day, and I always got my fair share of colds and the latest illnesses going around each season. I had moments of happiness when I went out with friends, or when I went on vacation, but then the reality of having to work harder to pay for those pleasures would sweep over me.