The Magic - critical summary review

Are you often nostalgic about your childhood, a period in which you thought life was exciting and magical? As you grew older, did the magic disappear, leaving you with the new reality of problems and responsibilities? What if someone told you that magic still exists after all? Rhonda Byrne believes it does, and her book ‘’The Magic’’ discovers how you can turn your life into magic again and get whatever you desire. So, get ready to experience the magic!

Solving the old riddle

The Bible contains numerous truths about the world around us. First of all, it discovers what actions lead to a meaningful life and what happens if people do not follow God’s words. Byrne created her life philosophy by relying on the two sentences from the Gospel of Matthew in the Holy Scriptures: “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” These sentences might confuse some readers, leading them to believe that the rich will always get more and the poor will lose the possessions they have. According to Byrne, these sentences have a word missing. With this word added, they make more sense and speak the real truth to readers. The missing word that solves the riddle of this Bible passage is gratitude: “Whoever has gratitude will be given more, and he or she will have an abundance. Whoever does not have gratitude, even what he or she has will be taken from him or her.” A similar sentence exists in Quran: ‘’And (remember) when God proclaimed: ‘If you are grateful I will give you more; but if you are ungrateful verily my punishment is indeed severe.’” 

    ‘’Solving the riddle’’ by inserting the word gratitude helped Byrne corroborate a common belief that similar attracts similar. She says, ‘’Your gratitude is magnetic, and the more gratitude you have, the more abundance you magnetize. It is Universal law!’’

The theory that similar things attract each other can be connected with Newton's third law of motion which says, ‘’Every action always has an opposite and equal reaction.’’ This law, the Bible, and the Quran all have messages with the same idea. So, the key to making your life magical, to having an abundance of happiness, better health, more money, good relationships, a satisfying job is this: gratitude. Simply attract what you want by appreciating what you have.

Positive attracts positive

According to the author, the law of attraction is the universal law that operates your life and the life of the universe. It governs every single aspect of it from the functioning of cells and atoms to the movement of planets. The core idea of this law is simple, ‘’like attracts like.’’ When applied to your thoughts and feelings, this law speaks a simple truth about your life. When your outlook on life is negative, you will attract negativity. If you have a positive perspective, thinking for example: ‘’I like my job,‘’ ‘’I have enough money,’’ or, ‘’I can find a perfect partner,‘’ your thoughts will attract positive experiences. Think of your thoughts and feelings as if they were magnetic - the more positive they are, the more abundance you magnetize. Famous sayings such as, ‘’Whatever goes around comes around,” “You reap what you sow,” and “You get what you give,” also illustrate this principle. 

    We have seen that the law of attraction, applied to gratitude, is present in the Bible. However, the importance of gratitude is not just present in Christianity, but in other religions as well. For example, Muhammad said that, ‘’Gratitude for the abundance you’ve received is the best insurance that the abundance will continue.’’ Buddha said, ‘’You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.’’ Moreover, the practice of gratitude is at the core of most indigenous traditions. 

    Famous scientists and philosophers cherished the power of gratitude as well. When talking about his monumental achievements, Albert Einstein thanked others for helping him get to his goals. Isaac Newton attributed his achievements to the great minds who lived before him.

    In her book ‘’The Secret’’ - which precedes the book ‘’The Magic’’ - Byrne elaborates on the idea of universal attraction in more detail. After publishing ‘’The Secret,’’ she received letters from thousands of readers telling her their lives had completely changed once they adopted the idea that ‘’like attracts like.’’ So, as many people attest, your life will change for the better once you start practicing gratitude.   

Ten blessings per day bring magic

    ‘’Thank you!” These are the key words used to express gratitude. Naturally, without corresponding feelings, they are worthless. When saying them, try to concentrate and direct your thoughts and feelings towards the thing you are thankful for. It can be your health, the person you love, your job, etc. ‘’The ultimate aim in practicing gratitude is to deliberately feel it as much as you can, because it’s the force of your feeling that accelerates the magic in your life,’’ Byrne says.

    One of the steps in learning how to practice gratitude is to ‘’count your blessings,’’ and it should be the first thing that you do in the morning. Make a list of 10 blessings. Then, for each item, think about the reason you are grateful for it. You can use the following sentence pattern, ‘’I am truly grateful for (what?), because (why?)” After you finish writing the list, read each sentence, either in your mind or aloud, and say the magic words ‘’Thank you’’ at the end of it. Every day, add 10 more things to the list. If you cannot think of what you are thankful for, think about the people and things surrounding you. You could be grateful for your family, pets, colleagues, trees, birds, flowers, blue skies. For example, imagine what your life would look like if your senses did not exist. Be truly blessed to have your eyes that see, ears that hear, a mouth that tastes, a nose that smells. ‘’As you continue to Count Your Blessings every day, you will notice a bigger and bigger difference in the way you feel each time, and you will see your blessings magically multiply!’’

    Finally, before going to bed, look back at everything that happened that day, choose what you are grateful for, and then say the magic words, ‘’Thank you.’’ To ensure you will not forget this, you can find a small rock that fits in the palm of your hand. Hold it while saying the magic words. By becoming a part of the ritual, this rock will be a constant reminder of the things you are grateful for.

Gratitude makes relationship flourish

Imagine you were alone in the world. If that were the case, you would have no will to do anything. What would be the point in creating art if no one could enjoy it? What would be the point in inventing anything if there was no one to use it?

Your interactions with other people make your life meaningful. Therefore, be grateful for having your friends and family around you. Byrne says, ‘’People who practice gratitude have closer relationships, are more connected to family and friends, and have other people look upon them favorably.’’ Remember the law of attraction - you will never lose the things you appreciate, you will actually get more in return. 

Being grateful for someone in your life will give you more patience, understanding, compassion, and kindness. Once you realize why you are thankful for a certain relationship, you will no longer want to change it. You will accept that person for who he or she is, and then that person will feel better, too. Think about how you would feel if a person you care about said that they love you the way you are. 

To practice gratitude for people, choose three of your closest relationships. Find a photo of that person or both of you together. Look at it and think about five reasons to be grateful. They could include the characteristics of the person, the activities you enjoy doing together, or something they did for you in the past. Write all the reasons down, then look at the photo, read them aloud, and say, “Thank you” in the end. For example, “Thank you, John, for always making me laugh.” Or, “Thank you, Mom, for supporting me through college.” Put photos in a place where you can see them and follow the procedure three times a day. You will see: the more grateful you are, the faster your relationships will change for the better. 

The gift of health is keeping me alive

    Scientific studies have revealed that people who practice gratitude heal faster and are likely to live up to seven years longer than those who don’t. Unfortunately, more than any other thing in life, we take our health for granted and often only think about it when we get sick. ‘’Health is a gift of life,’’ says Byrne, and expressing gratitude for it is vital for our survival. Doing that will maintain your current health and, eventually, improve it. The writer assures that, ‘’Little aches and pains, moles, scars, or marks will start to magically disappear, and you will notice your energy, vitality, and happiness increase markedly.’’

    Be thankful for your overall health and also for every single body part that keeps you alive every day. Think about your legs and feet - they help you move, dance, jump and stand. Then, think about all the activities you do with your arms and hands and thank them. How about your organs that work 24/7 to enable your body to function? Your brain, your heart? Say thank you to all of them.

    To accelerate the magic of health in your life, write this sentence on a piece of paper, ‘’The gift of health is keeping me alive.’’ Carry this card with you wherever you go and read the words four times a day.

    When people are sick, they often give illness a lot of power by talking about it, researching it, and thinking about all the possible outcomes. By focusing on it, they make the problem even worse since they attract more negativity. Instead, according to the law of attraction, they should do the opposite. If you are sick, visualize a scene of you without an illness. Then, be grateful as though your state has already improved. Consequently, the magical power of gratitude, combined with healthy nutrition and medical assistance, can help you heal more quickly. 

Final Notes

    In ‘’The Magic,’’ Byrne teaches us a valuable lesson: we should not despair over the things we do not have, but deeply appreciate what it is already in our lives. What might repel the contemporary reader are the methods for practicing gratitude the author offers. It is hard to accept that holding a rock or carrying a photo of someone might make a significant impact on our lives. Furthermore, Byrne’s attempts to connect her theory with science seem unnatural and, most of all, unfounded. 

12min Tip

    Rather than thinking about what you lack, think about the things in your life you are satisfied with. Start and end your day by remembering those things and saying the magic words, ‘Thank you’’ to them.