Byrne Rhonda - Hero (The Secret)

PAUL ORFALEA

The Chinese have a saying: “Crisis is opportunity.” It’s a truism that every failure contains the seeds of a new opportunity.

My dream for The Secret film was that it would be released in every country in the world simultaneously. I had convinced myself that the only way to do that would be through multiple television networks across the planet airing it within a 24-hour period. In the beginning, when the idea of The Secret was first born, international television networks had shown real interest in the project. However once the film had been completed, without ever seeing it, one by one the international networks withdrew their interest. We had completed the film, I was $3 million in debt, and we had no visible way to release our film to the world.

Then we heard about a company that had created new technology to stream advertisements on the Internet. A new possibility to release our film had appeared! Our team worked frantically with the company to expand the technology to cater for a full length film, and The Secret was released via live streaming on the Internet – the first film to ever be watched in this way. The technology allowed The Secret to be watched across the planet within a 24-hour period, just as I had dreamed.

“ It is better to risk starving to death than surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?”

Jim Carrey

Actor

The truth is, while the Supreme Ordeal might sound scary, you probably won’t even realize that’s what it is when you face it. When you reach this final challenge you are well prepared. To come this far means you have already realized the powerful abilities within you, and you have everything you need to meet – and to triumph over – the Supreme Ordeal.

You will have seen the delirious happiness of sports teams winning championships, and of athletes winning gold medals and breaking world records. Their energy is so potent it sweeps over you; you are filled with exhilaration, and even stirred to tears. Yet our feelings in watching them are nothing compared to what the sports person or athlete is feeling in their moment of victory. For it’s only after having taken every step of the journey, having persisted through the challenges and overcoming all the obstacles, that you can know what it truly feels like to experience the ultimate reward of the moment of success.

PETE CARROLL

There was a night before the Oklahoma game in 2005. I’m speaking to my team. Here we are in an undefeated season, playing an undefeated team, and the biggest game in the history of college football. What would be worthy to say at that night’s meeting? I walked in and told them that we had created exactly what we set out to do. We wanted to do this better than it’s ever been done before, and we had won a ton of games in a row and now were playing the biggest game you could possibly play. We had bought into the vision, we had worked until we created it, and there was no chance they could beat us. But that wasn’t the lesson; the lesson for us was that through setting a course and creating a vision, you can achieve exactly what you want to. And we went out and won the game real big.

PETER BURWASH

I’ve truly had one of the most wonderful lives possible. Today we’re the only survivors of all those original seventeen companies that started out. To now take tennis to 134 countries – the vision has been met.

MICHAEL ACTON SMITH

One of the most exciting points in my career was in early 2009 when we launched our subscription service. The product that we built for free we were now asking parents to pay about £5 a month. Our very small team was crowded around the computer when we put it live, and we sat there watching the screen. Within five minutes we had our first order and made our first £5. We were all hugging each other and jumping up and down. And then before we had a chance to compose ourselves, we had a second order come through, and then a third hit, and then a fourth. We were so overjoyed that mums and dads were prepared to pay for this product that we had poured all of our hearts and souls and energy into. It’s such an extraordinary feeling.

LIZ MURRAY

I had this beautiful moment where I got into Harvard and I had the scholarship, and I got a chance to speak with one of the first audiences. I used to say to my friends, “This stuff that’s happening feels like a movie. It feels like a book.” And then sure enough they made a movie about my journey, and then I wrote a book. It reinforced for me that there is magic in this world.

LAYNE BEACHLEY

It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to reflect back on a career and go, “I did that? I can’t believe I did that!” Sometimes I still can’t relate to the person that I was when I was winning all those world titles. But I am very grateful for it; to be able to have the opportunity to change other people’s lives just by following my own dream is incredibly satisfying.

LAIRD HAMILTON

To start with such a big dream and to have it manifest itself into a reality brings joy to my heart. It’s like a fairytale. All the challenges, all the failures, all the crashes and injuries and wounded hearts were far beyond worth it. I wouldn’t change one instant if it would change where I’ve arrived.

G. M. RAO

Life has given me more than I have ever dreamed. If I hadn’t followed my dream, I would have led an ordinary life.

ANASTASIA SOARE

I have the best life – like a movie. I do what I love. How blessed are you when you do what you love? I enjoyed the journey, and I still enjoy every single day like it’s a new day. It’s the best feeling to have no regrets at the end of life.

The ultimate reward of the success of your dream does not mark the end of the journey, but the beginning of another. Suddenly, financial rewards and countless opportunities to expand or build on your dream will flood into your life. The money, opportunities, and success bring with them a glorious sense of freedom, but they don’t compare with the overwhelming joy and satisfaction that you did it – out of nothing, you made something.

PAUL ORFALEA

Every morning I start by asking what I want to do with this particular day. That’s freedom.

MASTIN KIPP

I have the freedom to travel and freedom to create and design my life however I want. I’m completely location-independent, so I can run my business from Bali, from Maui, from India, from South Africa, from New York. That freedom is so cool; even though I’m traveling I’m still able to make money and run a business. That’s just thrilling. And the coolest thing is I can wake up whenever I want. I used to hate getting up for school in the morning; it was the worst.

ANASTASIA SOARE

The bigger the dream of course the bigger the money is. Any dream has to have a financial reward.

When success comes most likely you will find yourself standing in a place where, perhaps for the first time in your life, you can buy things you’ve always wanted to buy, you can travel to places you’ve always wanted to go, and you can do things you’ve always wanted to do. Along with that, you have the incredible opportunity to be able to share your success with family and friends, so that their lives can improve too.

MASTIN KIPP

There are two things that have been extremely rewarding – being able to give back, and having the resources to help other people. I finally am able to give at the level that I’ve always wanted to give.

LIZ MURRAY

The people I was struggling with when I was homeless are my family to this day. People I have known now for sixteen, seventeen years. And when I had a little bit of money I got so excited because I was able to create experiences for all of us. We started with our needs: we all went to the dentist. A couple of my friends needed rent and an apartment; we took care of the rent. My friend’s dad had cancer and needed surgery; we were able to get him the surgery. I was able to have a roof over my head. Being able to take care of the people that I love, being able to contribute something and make people’s lives better, brought me tremendous joy. That’s been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.