What's Behind "The Secret" by Rhonda Bryne? is There Such a Secret to Success?

Is there truly a secret to success? Throughout the history of humanity, people have been looking for a secret to success - money, love, and fame - as long as there has been success and successful people. Do people who are successful have a secret of their success?

Increasingly, people are looking for a quick way to achieve wealth, happiness, and love via a magical secret to success. No matter how you look at it, there is no short cut, unless you happen to be blessed with incredible genes, inherited wealth, or a rare talent. If there is something that could be considered a secret to success, it would have to be hard work and organization, with a lot of networking and a little luck thrown in for good measure. I suspect that most people seeking a secret to success are unwilling to demonstrate the hard work, dedication, and determination needed to be truly successful.

Until recently, I would have not have believed that Oprah Winfrey would advocate such an idea on her show, but she did just that last week. By creating advertisements for her show that suggest that her viewers could learn the true secret to success by simply tuning into her show, she is purposely misleading her viewers in an attempt to tap into an ancient human desire - a shortcut to obtaining all of the good things in life - a secret to success.

Why are we as a nation so much more obsessed with success now than in the past? Why are we much more willing to buy into a secret of success than our ancestors? Today, unlike even 20 years ago, we are living in a media-driven culture that values celebrity, no matter what their faults. Out of the holy trinity of money, love, and fame, fame is now the most important. For those seeking a secret of success such as the "The Secret" by Rhonda Bryne, fame leads to both money and love, supposedly.

For example, in years gone by, Paris Hilton would not be the celebrity that she is today. Her recent conduct would have caused outrage if she managed to become famous in the first place. Quite honestly, she is simply famous for being rich and infamous, a new phenomenon in our time. In the past, for her to maintain her current level of popularity, she would not only have to clean up her act, she would have to have at least some measurable talent, whether that be singing, dancing, or acting - none of which she can do.

So what are expecting when we read or hear about a secret to success? In many instances, I believe that many who purchase such a book or listen to such advice are simply looking for a way in which get rich, famous, or find love quickly, without any preparation or hard work. Like many who continually purchase the latest weight loss product only to gain additional weight, I have yet to hear of someone who has used the supposed secret to success to lead a successful life.