Hi. If you’re reading this I imagine you are looking for some inspiration. I hope my personal account of ‘The Secret’ helps. This is a very long account from a chai latte to a wedding.

I was first introduced to The Secret in 2007, I was 20 years old, and my mother had recently (very suddenly) passed away. A family friend had become consumed with the Law of Attraction and wanted to share it with everyone she knew, so they could change their lives as well. Doris and I watched the film together, it seemed logical and positive thinking never hurts. I could draw a few parallels between my life and my thinking patterns. But at the time I was too wrapped up in grief to realise what a powerful tool I had at my disposal. She gave me a copy of the book. I took it home and half forgot about it. It took about 6 months until my grief had subsided to the point where I could clearly look around me at my life. I was living with a friend’s family in North Jersey, that specific friend was in rehab after urging from her mother and me (thankfully- and no I was NOT doing any drugs!). I had no car, no job, almost no money in my bank account and missed my grandmother (with whom I am very close) so badly. Things were spiralling out of control quickly, my phone was stolen, I felt completely alone.

I prayed for clarity and options. I dusted off my copy of The Secret and made a list of what I’m grateful for and visualized constantly. Out of nowhere, an opportunity to visit my grandma a state away arose and I took it instantly. On the car ride to PA I read The Secret. I decided that I would focus all my energy on ONE thing, even though I felt silly for doing so. I just had to see it work. I had been broke for months now and a chai latte seemed like an amazing luxury. I pictured it, could almost smell it, I wrote it down. I didn’t tell anyone, just kept it to myself. That night at my grandmother’s house we decided to make popcorn. I opened the cupboard and guess what fell out, literally, into my hands? A chai latte mix. A CHAI LATTE. This was 3 hours after my decision to focus on it in the car. Ok so it wasn’t Starbucks but it was clearly the Universe screaming at me, ‘YES THIS WORKS, now enjoy your latte.’ Also, please note that my grandmother is the type who only has coffee with creamer or herbal tea, this was completely unexpected, and there was only 1 packet… I had shivers down my spine.

On this visit with her I attended a church council meeting at the church I had grown up in. I ended up contributing to the meeting and had a surprisingly huge reaction to the fact that my old church no longer had a youth programme. I proposed ideas of how to incorporate one, etc. The next day I had a job offer for the position of Youth Director for which they hadn’t even been hiring!

In the next two weeks I relocated back to PA to be a Youth Director for a church. I post-it marked and highlighted my copy of ‘The Secret’. I read it daily. I carried it in my purse everywhere. In 5 months I built and managed a youth programme that had been stagnant for 7 years. We had events, fundraisers, coordinated with local organisations and other churches, etc. It was finally picking up speed and succeeding!

In my spare time I had picked up two more jobs and was able to pay all my bills and replace my cell phone. A friend’s parents were getting him a new car so he sold me his old clunker (it was slowly dying but still managed short distances) for $1.

So, let’s recap. I had an opportunity to visit my grandmother, I got a chai latte, I had a job offer for something I am passionate about, I was making a decent salary between 3 very flexible jobs, I had a brand new cell phone, I had a car. I was looking at apartments and the possibility of becoming a Youth Pastor. Basically, whatever I focused my mind on, doors opened. It let me know I was in sync with the Universe. I made ‘I am grateful for…’ lists on a nightly basis. I told myself these things were on order for me and were on their way. I worked really hard and the results and opportunities kept coming. Most of the big things in my list manifested themselves from May 2008 – October 2008, only 6 months to completely alter my life in a very positive way.

Now onto my love life… I had met an Irishman named Neville one summer while working at the beach when I was 17. We didn’t keep in touch and I sometimes wondered what he was up to, how things were going for him, sort of ‘the one who got away’. The summer we met he was a perfect gentleman to me, a foreign handsome older guy with an accent- of course I wondered. For the life of me I could not recall his last name. It was a long time ago. I was sat at my work computer, checking my Facebook, idly wondering about Nev when bizarrely I had a vivid photographic memory of an envelope addressed to Nev with his last name lying on the floor on an apartment from 4 years ago!! I typed it into Facebook and found him. I sent a brief message and that was it. We were in touch again.

As our messages and emails got longer and we began talking on the phone internationally, of course I was day dreaming about him a bit. Fate had it that he was going to be in NYC, only 3 hours away and we could see each other a few months after our Facebook reconnection. One night when I was almost asleep, I day dreamed of Nev basically, very clichéd, riding in on a white horse and ‘rescuing’ me from this small town. I told the Universe I wanted him to fall for me and bring me back to London with him… and about a year later we were married. Lots of international flights and phone calls and phone bills mind you, but in love, engaged, then married in August 2009 and now living in London together. As SOON as I made my mind up that I wanted to be in London and with Nev, things with the youth programme started plateauing- I wasn’t focused on it anymore, the Universe reflected that back to me.

It is now 2011, Nev and I have been married for almost 2 years, I’m 24. A lot has transpired. I haven’t been consistently faithful to ‘The Secret’ and it is currently showing in my life. I came here to read other’s success stories to inspire me and make me a believer again. Now I ended up sharing my story as well, which reminds me how much this actually works.

The Law of Attraction is so obvious but I do get bogged down with negative feelings and doubts. But even looking at my life and The Secret since I’ve been in London, a few things have come to fruition without me even noticing. I can’t wait to see how things turn around when I am consistently practicing an attitude of gratitude and writing daily ‘I am grateful for…’ lists again!!

Thanks for reading and keep believing.

Amanda