The Secret

by : Tasnim Abdul Hadi

A year or two ago, a book and movie came out that changed my life in more ways than any other movie or book has. That book is “the Secret” by Rhonda Bhynes. The person who recommended the book to me was also an avid believer in the messages that the book was projecting, and claimed that it had helped him in more ways than one. I was at first skeptical, as I always am about self-help books, because I had encountered some difficult self-help books that weren’t very… well, helpful. This, I believe, defeated the purpose of the self-help book.

I’m not a person who believes in things very easily, but I believe in the Secret.

What IS the secret, you might ask? Is it the secret to life, the secret to success, the secret to love, or the secret to happiness and eternal bliss?

The book/movie doesn’t contain the secret – it tells you how to use that ‘secret’ in order to achieve whatever you want out of life, be it success, happiness, love, or health.
That secret is You. You are the reason anything happens in your life, and you have the power to shape the universe to tend to you, so that the universe will make things happen for you. Some people might think this is preposterous, especially those hard-core Islamists who believe that only God calls the shots.

Yes, God does call all the shots, only if you want him to. If God called all the shots, then why are there still Muslims around the world who are being shot at while praying, and why are there Muslims around the world who are begging on the streets? Not because God wants them to, but because they don’t really believe in themselves. As Muslims, we must believe in Qada’ and Qadar, but we must also realize that we have the capability to change our fate by what we do. Believing, wanting, dreaming, visualizing and working hard can achieve this.

Although God created you, you call the shots on what you want to do in life. God cannot help you if you do not want to help yourself. God tells you to pray not so that you can push all the burden of success on Him, but for you to have the will to succeed, and to believe that you can succeed.

As a person who has experienced using the Secret successfully, I would like to share it with all of you readers out there (which are probably only our dear A and B classmates, a shout out of love to all of you). Since we are ending our three year course in UiTM very soon, I will try and relate the Secret to success in work and education.

Not everyone believes that they are cut out to excel in academics. I have seen many of my relatives become very successful not because they are highly educated, but because they are diligent, determined, and work hard to achieve what they want. However, being in a university, we don’t really have the choice to say that we’re not cut out for academic excellence, because like it or not, our field requires some form of academic qualification.

So, step one. Now let me warn you, the Secret works differently for different people, and it works at a different pace. So do not be put off if you close your eyes and imagine that Dean’s List CGPA, and wake up to an average CGPA. It might work somewhere else.

Anyway, step one. When it comes to studying, I believe that confidence is the key. Firm belief that you CAN finish studying 12 chapters in 2 nights, and that you CAN answer all those questions is what will hand you an A+ on a silver platter. Why? Because if you don’t believe you can, neither will the universe, and neither will God. So you, the universe, and God will not give you that A+ you deserve. Because you didn’t believe that you deserve it.

Believing isn’t enough, you have to enforce that belief. Want it so bad, you’d sweat blood just thinking about it. This is when you have to start visualizing it. For example, if you want to graduate with honors, put a picture of a happy graduate in her graduation robes on your mirror, and look at it every day. Imagine that day when you step on that stage in your own robes, to receive your scroll. Write it down, this will help remind you of your goal. Keep on doing this, and Insya Allah, the universe as you know it will change for you, to make sure that you will achieve what you so badly desired.

Keeping an open mind and remaining optimistic about things will also help. Ever wonder why you’re stuck with the same grades, never going up or down? Ever heard this line before?
A: Kenapalah result aku selalu teruk. Tiap2 sem pun teruk. Aku tak pernah nak dapat DL. Nak buat cam ne, dah tak pandai.

The more you say this, the more you lament on your current situations, the more it will happen. One thing you have to understand about the universe is that it is not Malay. Which means that it doesn’t understand the concept of beating around the bush, or as we say it “cakap berlapik”. This then means that you should never (or try to refrain from excessively) lament over your misfortune. Ever wonder why the “peribahasa: sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga” exists? It’s because of people who continue to lament their misfortune, to the point where the universe recognizes that person as someone to give misfortune to. This is why it is important to always keep an open mind, and to minimize your complaints. If you keep on thinking something is hard, then it will always be hard. If you keep on wondering why your grades won’t go up, you can stop wondering. Tell yourself that this semester, this final semester, your grades will bloody hell go up, and demand this from yourself and the universe. Tell yourself every single remaining day of the semester “I will effing ace this semester.” And insya Allah you will.

If you want something good from the universe or from God, tell them clearly and directly what you want. I want a 4.00 GPA this semester. I want to intern at Petronas. I want a Lamborghini Diablo. While the last one might require a lot more time and money, the first two can indeed be done.

Those were the two main things I picked up from the Secret, the concept of visualizing, and keeping an open mind by directly asking for what I want. Remember the phrase, “ask, and you shall receive”? This phrase comes from the Qur’an, and from God Himself. Ask for happiness, success, love, and health, and insya Allah, He will give it to you.

I sincerely hope this helps. I want all of us to succeed and make UiTM proud.
XOXO, Tasnim J