Idea Map #86 - The Secret Behind "The Secret"

Creating idea maps in the moment (I call them "real-time" maps) is one of the most advanced skills, and no one does this better than Debbie Showler. Debbie is a Certified Idea Mapping Instructor from Whitby, Ontario. On February 6, 2008 the Oprah Show did a rerun of a show called, "The Secret Behind the Secret". During the show Debbie captured all the information in this map. It is monochromatic because of the speed at which the information was coming at her. Here are her thoughts around this map:

“This map started with the thought of capturing the key points from the Oprah show so I could share them with a friend. I was starting the map when Oprah was sharing her experience of the recent ‘Bubbleman’ Show. That became the central image – just bubbles. The first branch became who was on the show that day – Oprah, Louise Hay, Martha Beck and Cheryl Richardson. (I actually only got their first names and filled in the branches as the information was provided again later.) Oprah’s sub-branches were filled in with the experience of ‘wanting bubbles’. She went back to her desk after the Bubbleman Show and saw a Tiffany’s bubble-maker and bubbles on her desk -- only to find out that they had been there all the time and just hadn’t noticed them!

The next main branch are the thoughts that Louise Hay had on the law of attraction. I added her book titles and the affirmations as the show aired. This is when one of the Bubbles in the central image looked like the ‘O’ of Oprah, so I thought I would add that to the central image to remember this was from the Oprah Show.

Martha Beck (next branch down) was discussing the ‘Love List’ that was included in the February ‘O Magazine’. She was explaining that the list can’t be created from a shallow or fear-based place, but rather from a ‘Core of Peace’. She also shared her experience of being pregnant with a baby diagnosed with Downs Syndrome and how that adversity/ring of fire was used to create the core of peace. Then Cheryl (next new main branch) added her comments around our increasing our level of consciousness for healing – physical or emotional.

The show moved into sharing some viewer’s stories and that was the next branch. I didn’t get their names and that’s why the branches are blank, but circled them later so I could go online and find them if I wanted to. The first guest spoke of her story with the stove and then keeping the contact around. She mentioned about how the vision board kept the goals clear and in front of you. The next guest spoke of going from snow to living somewhere she wanted by creating a ‘wall’ vision board and thinking plus feeling it. That discussion took me to add the “Think It” and “Feel It” to the Martha Beck branch. It was at this point that I wanted to keep track of who was saying what. I thought of putting a star above Louise’s name, a different burst beside Martha’s name and then a spark over Cheryl’s name. You will see off of the next branch is where the show asked about the power of the Vision Board and where ‘Focus’ is what Louise felt it gave people, while Martha felt it was ‘Selective Attention’ and Cheryl added that it was an excuse for people to sit and really think about what they wanted. The thought on the branch above only has a star because that was Louise Hay talking about the need for forgiveness. "Kelly" is circled as she was the next story they introduced. She spoke of her miserable life until she explored The Secret and when she focused on what she wanted, what she had, and what she was grateful for, her life changed.

The next guest story spoke of her business and how she improved its health by starting to visualize the emails coming in. She also mentioned her attitude/response to her husband loosing his job. Instead of heading for a ‘dark place’ she mentioned celebrating with a bottle of wine (thus wine glasses!). The final audience guest (Marie) was the next sub-branch. Her question was what happens when one side of the relationship believes and the other doesn’t. The response was that you can’t convince them and then Cheryl invited him (Joe) to write 3 things on a post-it that he wants to have. Then wait. Louise added the affirmation of “I love you Joe”. The final branch at the top wrapped up the show and mentioned the new book in the Oprah Book Club – A New Earth. Oprah mentioned a class that’s free on oprah.com reviewing and discussion the latest book. You’ll see ‘pg 103’ as one viewer mentioned the content of that page changed her thinking.

I thought it was interesting that I gave Louise Hay a ‘star’ as a symbol to find out later in the show that she has written a book called “Finding Your North Star” and also “Steering by Starlight”. The bubbles were fun and turned into Oprah in the central image. The bubbles experience also made it’s way throughout the show. I took what I wanted from the show . I created this description from the map.

Go live with your maps folks! They may be monochromatic, but I can fill it in with colour. You can capture an hour-long show in front of your eyes to share, reference or just love. If you saw the show, then I wonder what your map would look like? Here’s to ‘The Secret’!"