12 Seconds to Manifesting Your Blessings for Dates, Marriage and Finances

A Christianity-based approach to relationships driven by positive thinking, based on the authors’ own courtship and marriage.

In this debut self-help book, Palmer-Perera and Perera present a 12-step technique for self-improvement, particularly in the areas of dating and marriage, based on their Christian faith, with their own marriage serving as the primary example. The book follows the pattern set by The Secret and similar books, encouraging the reader to adopt a positive mindset and act accordingly, with the assurance that success will follow: “This universe is designed to serve you. By birth you are supposed to rule over this place, subdue it and take dominion over it so that you can live a life that is fruitful and delectable.” Each chapter introduces one of the authors’ “universal laws” followed by a case study and a series of Bible verses that provides answers to questions the authors pose. Most of the examples presented pertain to relationships, but others, like the story of a woman who won the lottery after she “wrote the number 112 million down on a piece of paper” and “gained confidence that she had already won the lottery,” demonstrate the broader applications (and limits) of the book’s philosophy. Interstitial sections lucidly and gradually develop Palmer-Perera’s and her husband’s stories of overcoming failed relationships and personal challenges to find happiness together, which may offer hope or guidance to readers facing similar situations. The guidelines here suggest a clear distinction between male and female roles and apply only in a heteronormative context: same-sex relationships are categorized as “breaking a universal law.” While the authors write with enthusiasm and a clear belief in the viability of their 12-second plan, their arguments are most likely to appeal to readers who share their interpretation of Christianity.

A heartfelt but narrow prescription for finding a partner and creating a loving heterosexual marriage.