The Mental Emotional Health Blog

I am now in chapter 4 of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It’s still keeping my attention, and I look forward to my morning drives and lunch hours so I can listen.

Two things stood out for me from this book as I listened yesterday and this morning:

1. If we frequently think, “I don’t have enough time”, then we will keep feeling that way. Conversely, if we start thinking, “I will have enough time”, we will find more time in the day. I am trying this out, mostly to see if I become more efficient or limit myself from rushing around.
2. Gratitude is powerful. If we are thankful all the time, from the moment we wake up and throughout the day, we will draw positive things to us.

These are points I took from the book, not exact quotes. But overall, that’s what I understood. One thing I like about The Secret so far is that it is presented as a positive way of life, not just a set of things to do to feel better.

I just bought the audio version of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne over the weekend. My wife’s mother had read it a while ago and she made it sound compelling, and I have read a few things about the book more recently. I figured I’d see what the buzz is about.

So far, I am in Chapter 2 (I love “reading” a book by hearing it sometimes). I put it in my car this morning and off to work I went.

First thoughts: I am intrigued. The Secret is presented as a universal law of attraction, which basically every great person in history used. The more you think positively, the more positive things you attract. If you think passionately and consistently enough, you can gain anything you want. It kind of sounds to me like “I think, therefore I am”, only more detailed. Also, if you consistently have negative or fearful thoughts, you attract those things as well.

It’s possible that this will turn into a book review, spread out over several entries, or just a one-time little blurb here. So far, though, I am interested in hearing more about The Secret. I’d also like to hear from any of you who have read the book.

I recently found a magazine named “Psychologies”, and it is an impressive publication. My understanding is that it originates from France, but the issue I read was published in the United Kingdom. It is also appears to be for women. I did not realize that fact as I paged through, and I think the material is beneficial to men as well.

“Psychologies” is completely new to me in the area of mental health magazines. I have read “Psychology Today”, “Family Therapy”, and “Mental Floss” in the past. I’ll use the 5-star approach for quality assessment of “Psychologies” and maybe someday I’ll get to reviewing the other magazines listed above for comparison. This review covers the March, 2008 issue.

Content (5 stars out of 5) - This is what I buy magazines for: to learn. The content in this issue covered a multitude of areas in the mental health field: personality, social functioning, parenting, relationships, depression, and others. I am nothing but impressed at the range in quality topics.

Readability (5 stars out of 5) - This is also what caught my attention. The writing is as good as I’ve seen in terms of using practical, every-day language whenever possible. You will find psychological or medical terms in any mental health publication, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed with jargon or “psycho-babble”. Another aspect I enjoyed was what I call Action Lists that have specific steps to take, or just some reminders. Organization is often as important as content. The Table of Contents was presented well, and articles/sections were easy to find.

Interest (5 stars out of 5) - Yes, it kept my interest. I occasionally found myself finishing a page and quickly moving on, and the rest of the time I just went through normally. After about the first 30 pages, I shifted my strategy and started going back to the Table of Contents to determine where to go next instead of reading straight through. The results were improved, and it seemed better to be selective and jump around (figuratively).

Overall (15 stars of out of a possible 15) - Was there any doubt? I would consider this one of the best magazines I’ve ever read on any subject, including sports. With some magazines, the content starts getting reprinted or repackaged, and I hope I don’t find that with “Psychologies” as years go by. The content was relevant with today, and the writing was excellent. Although the publication seems to be geared towards women, I consider it to be a good resource for me as a male and a therapist. I would suggest “Psychologies” to anyone.

(Note: I wrote this review on my own, without prompting from anyone including “Psychologies”. I was not compensated or promised compensation before writing the review.)

Oh, and I would love to hear your thoughts and comments if you read the magazine.