Rhonda Byrne - The Magic

When I first sit down to write a book, the creation begins as a joyful yet solitary one; there is just the Universe and me. Then, gradually, the circle begins to widen, encompassing more and more people, all of whom contribute their expertise, until finally you are holding the creation of a new book in your hands. The following people were a part of the ever-widening circle of creation that allowed The Magic to reach you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you: to my daughter Skye, who worked tirelessly side by side with me editing, along with Josh Gold, who contributed his scientific knowledge and research skills to help me unite the discoveries of science with the words of religion. Thanks to my editor, Cindy Black from Beyond Words, for her straightforward editing approach and probing questions, which have made me a better writer. Thanks to Nic George for his creative vision, which captured the magic through the interior graphics and the front cover.

To Shamus Hoare and Carla Thornton at Gozer Media, thanks for the final production of the graphics and the layout of the book. Thanks to The Secret team who help me take a new book into the world, and who are the backbone of my work; in particular my sister Jan Child, who heads up the entire publishing team; Andrea Keir, who heads up our colossal creative team; Paul Harrington and my sister Glenda Bell, who teamed up with photographer Raphael Kilpatrick and the rest of our team to create the magical pictures in this book. And thanks to the other Secret team members, whose behind-the-scenes work is invaluable: Don Zyck, Mark OConnor, Mike Gardiner, Lori Sharapov, Cori Johansing, Chye Lee, Peter Byrne, and my daughter Hayley.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my publishers, Atria Books and Simon & Schuster: to Carolyn Reidy, Judith Curr, Darlene DeLillo, Twisne Fan, James Pervin, Kimberly Goldstein, and Isolde Sauer. I am blessed to have such an amazing team of people.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Angel Martin Velayos for his spiritual guidance, love, and wisdom, to my sister Pauline Vernon and my dearest friends and family for their continued support and enthusiasm for my work. And with the deepest gratitude to those great human beings of centuries ago who discovered the truths of life, and who left their written words so that we might discover them at exactly the right time that indefinable life-changing moment when we have the eyes to see, and the ears to hear.

Those who dont believe in magic will never find it.

Roald Dahl (19161990)
WRITER

Remember when you were a child and you looked at life in total wonder and awe? Life was magical and exciting, and the smallest things were utterly thrilling to you. You were fascinated by the frost on the grass, a butterfly flittering through the air, or any strange leaf or rock on the ground.

You were full of excitement when you lost a tooth, because it meant the Tooth Fairy would be coming that night, and you would count down the days to that magical night of Christmas! Even though you had no idea how Santa Claus could get to every child in the world in one night, somehow he did it, and he never let you down.

Reindeer could fly, there were fairies in the garden, pets were like people, toys had personalities, dreams came true, and you could touch the stars. Your heart was full of joy, your imagination knew no limits, and you believed that life was magical!

There is an exquisite feeling many of us had as children, that everything is good, that every day promises more excitement and adventure, and that nothing could ever thwart our joy for the magic of it all. But somehow as we grew into adults, responsibilities, problems, and difficulties took their toll on us, we became disillusioned, and the magic we once believed in as children faded and disappeared. Its one of the reasons why as adults we love to be around children, so that we can experience that feeling we once had, even if its just for a moment.

I am here to tell you that the magic you once believed in is true, and its the disillusioned adult perspective of life that is false. The magic of life is real and its as real as you are. In fact, life can be far more wondrous than you ever thought it was as a child, and more breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and exciting than anything youve seen before. When you know what to do to bring forth the magic, you will live the life of your dreams. Then, you will wonder how you ever could have given up in believing in the magic of life!