"The Secret" to Manifesting | Aligned & Abundant Ep. 24

Ever wondered why The Secret by Rhonda Byrne made such a massive impact? In this episode, Christine Marcario unpacks the real power behind manifesting — not as a trend, but as ancient wisdom that’s been shaping reality for centuries. Learn how your words, thoughts, and energy actually create your life and discover how to align your vibration with what you truly desire.

Christine explores:
 ✨ The ancient roots of manifesting — from Vedic philosophy to New Thought
 ✨ “Ask, Believe, Receive” and how to use it effectively
 ✨ The energetic power of words and how language anchors intention
 ✨ Practical, grounded steps to manifest in alignment with your soul
 ✨ Why gratitude, vibration, and emotional alignment change everything

Plus, Christine invites you to join her Vision Board Manifesting Workshop on October 10th! 🌟
🪄 Sign up for her newsletter and get 50% off — just $11 to join from the comfort of home.
👉 Join the Newsletter

👉 Join the Workshop

Connect with Christine Marcario
✨ Instagram: @aligned_and_abundant_llc
💫 Join the collective: Aligned & Abundant: The Soul Shine Collective (FREE!)

Transcript

"The Secret" to Manifesting

[00:00:00]

Intro: Welcome to Aligned and Abundant, the podcast where authenticity meets practicality, compassion, alignment, and abundance. I'm your host, Christine Marcario, and I help you slow down, become mindful, improve your mental and emotional health and live life on your highest timeline. Together we'll talk strategy.

Life lessons and share inspiring stories of people who have overcome obstacles, grown through their pain and risen above adversity. If you are [00:01:00] looking for divine inspiration, rooted in love and light paired with practical tools and encouragement. You are in the right place at the right time from one heart to another.

You are an amazing and divine soul with a purpose. Take my hand and let's walk this path together.

Christine: Today we are unlocking a powerful idea that we have touched upon before, and it is how manifesting works, not just as a modern buzzword, though as an age old wisdom encoded in the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

This week I am hosting a beautiful online workshop where we are going to gather with our favorite fall drink in the comfort of your home or at your workspace during [00:02:00] your lunch, and I am going to guide you through creating a vision board after a beautiful guided meditation in order for us to manifest and draw in things that we want to bring into our lives. This workshop got me thinking about The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I remember hearing about this book back in 2006, and it was kind of all of the rage. It became very, very popular, and it was really my first introduction to manifesting. During that time, I also understood very little about manifesting, and as I continue to grow, I am really learning more and more about it.

And it's not just simply throwing a bunch of things that you want onto a piece of paper and then [00:03:00] hoping for the best. There's so much more to it. And that's what I wanna dive into a little deeper today. I wanna get into the spiritual traditions that predate it. We're gonna explore how our words, thoughts, and beliefs shape our reality, and we're also gonna dive into the practices that make manifesting truly effective. By the end of this episode, I hope you'll understand the ancient lineage and history of manifesting such as the law of attraction, new thought and mystical traditions. The essential principle of The Secret, ask, believe, and receive, vibrations, gratitude, and why the words we speak matter how language anchors energy and intention.

And lastly, I wanna give you some practical steps and caveats to manifesting in alignment with life's deeper currents. [00:04:00] Speaking of "ask, believe and receive," I had those words, I don't even remember where I purchased them from. It actually might have been from Etsy, but I had those words, "ask, believe, and receive" carved out in wood and, they have really traveled with me. I don't even know when I bought them, probably around 2008 or so, and it's now 2025 and I literally still have them, which is so funny because I guess manifestation has just been something that has been placed on my heart. And here I am sharing everything that I know about it and encouraging you to come along with me on the journey of discovering more.

Oh, back to my workshop real quick. The link for the workshop will be posted in the show notes. I would love to have you there if you subscribe to my newsletter. You can get 50% off, which means you can join the workshop for only $11. It's going to be so much fun. I'm so [00:05:00] excited to be hosting and I can't wait to have you there, so please join in and let's have an amazing time together creating and dreaming up your future.

Many listeners think manifesting is a trendy new age practice, but the idea that our inner states, thoughts, intentions, and words can influence our reality is actually quite ancient. In fact, manifesting has roots in sacred traditions, mystical systems, and philosophical movements in ancient Hindu and Vedic traditions.

The power of intention, karma, and mental discipline is key. The concept that thoughts carry vibration or energy is woven deep into Eastern philosophy in ancient Egypt and hermetic philosophy "as above [00:06:00] so below" and magical practices asserted that intention and will could influence the scene world moving forward.

Greek philosophy and mysticism entertained the idea that the logos (word) is creative that the word or reason structures reality. Some thinkers believed that thought and speech had causal force. Now, in the modern era, the new thought movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries formalized many manifesting ideas that the mind could shape reality.

That like attracts like figures like Phineas Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Napoleon Hill advance the idea that thoughts, beliefs, and mental discipline create one's life [00:07:00] in The Secret. Rhonda Byrne explicitly connects the teaching to this lineage, showing how she traced the secret logic through history and across spiritual traditions.

So when we say manifesting is ancient wisdom, we're not exaggerating. What The Secret does is package it in a streamlined, accessible form for the modern seeker. I remember getting my hands on this book, and eventually a movie was put out on it, which, kind of gave an overview as to the philosophies behind it, and it gave some real life examples of how people such as Jack Campbell, manifested a lot of money or things or experiences that they wanted to have in their life. And I remember being so excited about this that I would literally make a lesson around this concept and show the movie to my students. They were eighth [00:08:00] grade students, and we would make our gratitude rocks and we would practice the concepts of manifestation.

And it was always such a great experience because I wanted to show the students that they could really shape their reality despite their circumstances, or they can make their reality better by having more gratitude. And in turn, that just made us all a bit closer as far as having a smooth running classroom where the students and I all actually cared about each other, so I just remember those lessons being special moments in my life.

Now let's turn to The Secret. What does Byrne teach and how do those principles hang together? One, the law of attraction. I've totally mentioned the law of attraction multiple times at the heart is the law of attraction. The claim that [00:09:00] like attracts like that your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are energetic frequencies that attract matching experiences.

Byrne says your thoughts become things. She frames the law of attraction as a universal law. Just as gravity works, this principle works. Two, the creative process of ask, believe, and receive one of the central takeaways is a three step creative process. Ask. Get clear about what you want.

Set the intention often via visualization or affirmation. So this is you placing the order for the universe on that grand scheme of all options available. Cultivate an unwavering faith that it is already yours. Eliminate any resistance and doubt and then receive.

Feel [00:10:00] as though that desire is all ready, fulfilled. Align your emotional frequency with the manifestation. Byrne extends this by emphasizing gratitude, the practice of feeling grateful as if you've already received, which raises your vibrational state. Now, this is where that concept of imagining it as already happened comes in.

You see, when you're in the act of doing something. That means that it is still ongoing. But when you talk about things in the sense of past tense in your present state, the reality catches up and 3D prints your desires. So that is why sometimes I recommend writing things in past tense.

I am so grateful that X, Y, Z happened. I couldn't believe [00:11:00] that X, Y, Z happened or you can also write a letter to your future self. There is a website out there. There may even be more than one website, but I know that there is a service out there where you can literally write a letter to your future self in the format of an email, and then you can choose what date you want the letter to be emailed to you.

And it's really a cool experience because again, you would write the letter as if you are writing it from the future. So you're expressing gratitude and you are practicing the art of asking, believing and receiving.

Now, back to Byrne. She also emphasizes visualization, affirmation, mental discipline, and emotional alignment. This is where our awareness of words as energy comes into [00:12:00] play. One of the most compelling parts of the secret is how burn, and many teachers emphasize that words carry force.

Your spoken declarations, affirmations, and self-talk are seen as energetic signatures. Speak what you want, as if it's real. Don't speak what you don't want because that energy will attract what you focus on. This is not a metaphor in the secret. Your internal language and the words you utter are themselves creators.

They embed intention into the vibrational field you broadcast to the universe. I used to really get my head caught up in this, and I sometimes still do. For example, if I want to say I want more money in my life, the universe is going to register that as a lack.

It's going [00:13:00] to look at it as an order for a negative. So therefore it is going to show up in your reality as bringing in more lack, more wanting. But if you unchange your thought process to, I am so thankful for the unexpected money that has come into my life, then you are calling in situations where more money will in fact come into your life.

It takes a lot of reprogramming. When it comes to our internal thought patterns that we have developed. But like anything else, where there is a will, there is a way, and you can most certainly change those thought processes over time. And in return, the universe will match your new frequency,

There is a recurring motif. [00:14:00] Everything is vibration. Your thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. They are all vibrational frequencies. So to manifest you must match the vibrational frequency of what you desire. Doubt, fear and negativity throw you into lower frequencies that repel rather than attract.

So when you say I need something, you're actually putting distance between you and what you need. You are actually repelling it away from you. So again, it goes back to changing how we think about things, how we place the order. Alignment is truly key. Once you align your mindset, words, emotions, and actions to the frequency of your [00:15:00] objective, the universe will meet you with your desires.

Manifesting doesn't happen when there is resistance, so skepticism, negative, self-talk, lack of faith. These things all block the flow. The secret teaches techniques to intercept negative thoughts and replace them with belief positive reframing or gratitude. Burn also emphasizes letting go of how and when.

Once you've asked, believed and aligned release attachments. So the universe or your subconscious or creative intelligence can bring in its divine timing. When you place the order, let go of what you want the outcome to be. You have to believe that God or the universe might have [00:16:00] a bigger picture for you than you can even imagine.

When we constrict ourselves by trying to control the outcome, oftentimes we get disappointed. And therefore, I'm encouraging you to forget about what the outcome may be. Don't try to dictate it or predict it. Ignore that. Just be grateful that your answer is being delivered in divine timing and it will be this or something better.

It is our job to place the order, and it is the universe's job to figure out how to get the order to us.

Let's dive in a little bit deeper. Why are words so emphasized? How do they work in the manifesting framework? Well, to start with, words anchor intention into consciousness. When [00:17:00] you verbally declare something such as affirmations or spoken desires, you move the intention from mere mental fuzziness into concrete structure.

Speech sharpens and anchors vibration saying, I am prosperous, or I attract love.

Cements the intention into your psyche. Then words shape, belief loops. Your inner and external declarations reinforce. This belief, if you repeatedly state, I am confident. Over time, your inner circuitry begins to accept it, and because our brains operate off of past experiences, it will become more and more believable, and then it will become more evident in your life.

That belief [00:18:00] then filters your perception, your actions, and your results.

From a more psychological or neurological angle, spoken words combined with emotion help imprint neural patterns. The brain attends to what you declare. Repetition of affirmations or intentions can change neural pathways via neuroplasticity. For example, what you repeatedly imagine or internalize can rewire brain circuits.

Furthermore, in many spiritual traditions from the Vedas to mysticism, the word or logos is creative. God spoke and created man, speaks and aligns the secret repackages, ancient metaphors into a secular spiritual model where your word is your wand. Think Harry Potter. What you point at, you get. In [00:19:00] short,your words are linguistic vehicles of energy. You must put the car in gear in order for you to get on the highway eye way.

 While that is all fascinating and compelling, how do you actually apply this in real life in a sustainable, grounded way? Let's walk through practical steps and also cover some common stumbling blocks. Step one, clarity and intention. AKA ask, choose one desire you deeply want. Write it down. Be as specific as possible.

Then visualize it, see it, feel it, sense it in all senses. You can do this before you go to bed or when you first wake up in the morning or during a [00:20:00] meditation. Your brain is more susceptible to visualizing during those times. Step two, affirmation and declaration create a short positive statement in present tense, such as I am attracting abundance.

I am healthy and vibrant, or I am in a loving and safe relationship. Then speak it daily, out loud, internally. Write it. Repeat it. I sometimes like to write on my mirror with chalk markers, what my current intention is, then support it with emotion. Feel it, believe it's real.

Step three, belief and resistance removal. Monitor your inner dialogue when doubt arises. [00:21:00] Catch it. Reframe it into belief. One of my friends often says, control, alt, delete. If a thought comes into your mind that is not going to serve you and your highest good, say control, alt, delete, and move that phrase out of your mind and turn back to something more positive.

This is where your practice of daily gratitude comes in. Daily journaling of what you are grateful for, especially things you want as if you already have them. That's the key. That's the trick and practicing. The art of speaking out loud, what you are grateful for. You can also make a list in one of your phone apps.

You can say them out loud as you get out of bed or as you go to bed or while you pray or while you're driving. Any which way where you can just pause and [00:22:00] really think about and feel. The areas in your life in which you are grateful for or grateful for the things that you have.

And there is always, always something to be grateful for. And again, the act of raising your awareness around what you are grateful for raises your frequency, which then brings in more things in which to be grateful for. Step four of five, align action and inspired movement. The secret often under emphasizes action, but as we are learning together, aligned action is critical.

When you feel in. Aspired impulses or nudges. That is your time to act. Have that morning meeting with God, with universe, with source, and ask God, how can I be of service to you and the world [00:23:00] today? And then listen for the instructions, feel into what feels good, and then do it. Follow the directions.

Take steps in your world that are consistent with your intention. Stay open to opportunities. Be aware of synchronicities, and pay attention to the signs that are coming across your consciousness, and then act on those aligned breadcrumbs. The last step is persistence and amplification. Keep practicing daily consistency, strengthens the signal you emit. Raise your vibration. Surround yourself with what uplifts you. Manage your environment. Manage your emotional state, revisit your vision, refine it, and deepen your feeling as often as you [00:24:00] feel you need to.

My final thoughts that I want to share with you are. Manifesting is more than wishful thinking. It's co-creating with the unseen your beliefs, vibration, speech, and aligned effort. The lineage of manifesting runs deep from ancient spiritual traditions through new thought to the secret and so much more that has come out and been realized since then.

In Rhonda Byrne teaching your words are energetic tools. Your internal and external language shape, your frequency and your reality. Now, manifesting is not passive action. Aligned with inspiration is the bridge from intention to reality. I used to just [00:25:00] think that I could think my way to riches. But that's not the case.

I'm currently learning that embodiment is such an important practice. And again, thinking as if you already have the things that you're trying to call into your life, along with the feelings that support those things. You don't actually want the things. You want, the feelings that come with the things.

Lastly, use discernment. Think about what you truly want to call into your life and then set that intention into play, into action and see what doors open for you. I also want to share with you the practice of not only expressing gratitude, but finding evidence to prove that your manifesting is working.

Keep note of the little things [00:26:00] or big things that prove to you that manifesting is working in your life. And it might be something as simple as getting that close parking spot at the mall, having someone treat you to your favorite fall drink, having unexpected money show up in your bank account. All of these pieces of evidence get filtered into our subconscious minds, and therefore our brains can continue to bring forth situations to prove to us that manifestation works. It's all about reprogramming our beliefs. It's about rewiring our hardwired system, AKA, our beautiful, beautiful brains.

Before I [00:27:00] lose your attention. I'd love to invite you to my workshop being held on Zoom on October 10th. The cost is $22, but if you sign up for my weekly newsletter, you can receive. 50% off. I will put all of the details in the show notes. I am on a journey to help you uncover all of the beautiful abundance that is available to all of us.

I am sharing the practices and experiences that have helped me change my life from being. Burned out in a job that was no longer serving my best and highest good into creating a life that I love. I want all of us to rise together to make this world a [00:28:00] better place and to bring more joy and happiness into each and every one of our lives.

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend or leave a review so others can discover the power of manifesting.

Until then, speak kindly, imagine boldly and live from your highest frequency.