A decade ago The Secret was all the rage, with its Law of Attraction that if you decide you want something hard enough, the universe will shift in ways to make it so.
As I poked around I learned that this idea was not exactly new; in fact variations on the theme were being advanced a century ago and more.
“The aphorism, ‘As a man thinketh in his heart so is he,’ not only embraces the whole of a man’s being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life,” philosopher James Allen wrote in 1903. Later in the 20th century Earl Nightingale said “The Greatest Secret” is that “a man is what he thinks about.”
The idea is encapsulated in the aphorism attributed to Henry Ford that whether you think you can do something or you think you can’t, you’re right.
The best short books or essays that I found about the concept were Allen’s “As A Man Thinketh,” Russell H. Conwell’s “Acres of Diamonds,” and Wallace D. Wattles’ “The Science of Growing Rich.” In my early days after discovering print-on-demand and independent publishing, I assembled the three in a book I titled A Little Volume of Secrets.
I’ve put a new cover on the little volume and re-released it for sale by discerning retailers everywhere. Entrepreneurs and independent thinkers are no doubt familiar with these works, and the goal is to have them all in one place for your re-reading and gift-giving pleasure.