Showing posts with label Spiritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
- Paperback: 238 pages
- Publisher: Fireside (April 2, 1987)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0671646788
- ISBN-13: 978-0671646783
- Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
Product Description
SET YOUR GOALS HIGH...THEN EXCEED THEM:
Millions of people throughout the world have improved their lives using The Magic of Thinking Big. Dr. David J. Schwartz, long regarded as one of the foremost experts on motivation, will help you sell better, manage better, earn more money, and -- most important of all -- find greater happiness and peace of mind.
The Magic of Thinking Big gives you useful methods, not empty promises. Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. He proves that you don't need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction -- but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there. This book gives you those secrets!
* Believe You Can Succeed and You Will
* Cure Yourself of the Fear of Failure
* Build Confidence and Destroy Fear
* Think and Dream Creatively
* You Are What You Think You Are
* Make Your Attitudes Your Allies
* Learn How to Think Positively
* Turn Defeat into Victory
* Use Goals to Help You Grow
* Think Like a Leader
Millions of people throughout the world have improved their lives using The Magic of Thinking Big. Dr. David J. Schwartz, long regarded as one of the foremost experts on motivation, will help you sell better, manage better, earn more money, and -- most important of all -- find greater happiness and peace of mind.
The Magic of Thinking Big gives you useful methods, not empty promises. Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. He proves that you don't need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction -- but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there. This book gives you those secrets!
* Believe You Can Succeed and You Will
* Cure Yourself of the Fear of Failure
* Build Confidence and Destroy Fear
* Think and Dream Creatively
* You Are What You Think You Are
* Make Your Attitudes Your Allies
* Learn How to Think Positively
* Turn Defeat into Victory
* Use Goals to Help You Grow
* Think Like a Leader
About the Author
Dr. David J. Schwartz was a professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta and the president of Creative Educational Services, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in leadership development.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Believe You Can Succeed and You Will
Success means many wonderful, positive things. Success means personal prosperity: a fine home, vacations, travel, new things, financial security, giving your children maximum advantages. Success means winning admiration, leadership, being looked up to by people in your business and social life. Success means freedom: freedom from worries, fears, frustrations, and failure. Success means self-respect, continually finding more real happiness and satisfaction from life, being able to do more for those who depend on you.
Success means winning.
Success -- achievement -- is the goal of life!
Every human being wants success. Everybody wants the best this life can deliver. Nobody enjoys crawling, living in mediocrity. No one likes feeling second-class and feeling forced to go that way.
Some of the most practical success-building wisdom is found in that Biblical quotation stating that faith can move mountains.
Believe, really believe, you can move a mountain and you can. Not many people believe that they can move mountains. So, as a result, not many people do.
On some occasion you've probably heard someone say something like, "It's nonsense to think you can make a mountain move away just by saying 'Mountain, move away.' It's simply impossible."
People who think this way have belief confused with wishful thinking. And true enough, you can't wish away a mountain. You can't wish yourself into an executive suite. Nor can you wish yourself into a five-bedroom, three-bath house or the high-income brackets. You can't wish yourself into a position of leadership.
But you can move a mountain with belief. You can win success by believing you can succeed.
There is nothing magical nor mystical about the power of belief.
Belief works this way. Belief, the "I'm-positive-I-can" attitude, generates the power, skill, and energy needed to do. When you believe I-can-do-it, the how-to-do-it develops.
Every day all over the nation young people start working in new jobs. Each of them "wishes" that someday he could enjoy the success that goes with reaching the top. But the majority of these young people simply don't have the belief that it takes to reach the top rungs. And they don't reach the top. Believing it's impossible to climb high, they do not discover the steps that lead to great heights. Their behavior remains that of the "average" person.
But a small number of these young people really believe they will succeed. They approach their work with the "I'm-going-to-the-top" attitude. And with substantial belief they reach the top. Believing they will succeed -- and that it's not impossible -- these folks study and observe the behavior of senior executives. They learn how successful people approach problems and make decisions. They observe the attitudes of successful people.
The how-to-do-it always comes to the person who believes he can do it.
A young woman I'm acquainted with decided two years ago that she was going to establish a sales agency to sell mobile homes. She was advised by many that she shouldn't -- and couldn't do it.
She had less than $3,000 in savings, and was advised the minimum capital investment required was many times that.
"Look how competitive it is," she was advised. "And besides, what practical experience have you had in selling mobile homes, let alone managing a business?" her advisors asked.
But this young lady had belief in herself and her ability to succeed. She quickly admitted she lacked capital, that the business was very competitive, and that she lacked experience.
"But," she said, "all the evidence I can gather shows that the mobile home industry is going to expand. On top of that, I've studied my competition. I know I can do a better job of merchandising trailers than anybody else in this town. I expect to make some mistakes, but I'm going to be on top in a hurry."
And she was. She had little trouble getting capital. Her absolutely unquestioned belief that she could succeed with this business won her the confidence of two investors. And armed with complete belief, she did the "impossible" -- she got a trailer manufacturer to advance her a limited inventory with no money down.
Last year she sold over $1,000,000 worth of trailers.
"Next year," she says, "I expect to gross over $2,000,000."
Belief, strong belief, triggers the mind to figuring ways and means and how-to. And believing you can succeed makes others place confidence in you.
Most people do not put much stock in belief. But some, the residents of Successfulville, USA, do! Just a few weeks ago a friend who is an official with a state highway department in a Midwestern state related a "mountain-moving" experience to me.
"Last month," my friend began, "our department sent notices to a number of engineering companies that we were authorized to retain some firm to design eight bridges as part of our highway building program. The bridges were to be built at a cost of $5,000,000. The engineering firm selected would get a 4 per cent commission, or $200,000, for its design work.
"I talked with 21 engineering firms about this. The four largest decided right away to submit proposals. The other 17 companies were small, having only 3 to 7 engineers each. The size of the project scared off 16 of these 17. They went over the project, shook their heads, and said in effect, 'It's too big for us. I wish I thought we could handle it, but it's no use even trying.'
"But one of these small firms, a company with only three engineers, studied the plans and said, 'We can do it. We'll submit a proposal.' They did, and they got the job."
Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can't, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.
Actually, in these modem times belief is doing much bigger things than moving mountains. The most essential element -- in fact, the essential element -- in our space explorations today is belief that space can be mastered. Without firm, unwavering belief that man can travel in space, our scientists would not have the courage, interest, and enthusiasm to proceed. Belief that cancer can be cured will ultimately produce cures for cancer. Currently; there is some talk of building a tunnel under the English Channel to connect England with the Continent. Whether this tunnel is ever built depends on whether responsible people believe it can be built.
Belief in great results is the driving force, the power behind all great books, plays, scientific discoveries. Belief in success is behind every successful business, church, and political organization. Belief in success is the one basic, absolutely essential ingredient in successful people.
Believe, really believe, you can succeed and you will.
Over the years I've talked with many people who have failed in business ventures and in various careers. I've heard a lot of reasons and excuses for failure. Something especially significant unfolds as conversations with failures develop. In a casual sort of way the failure drops a remark like "To tell the truth, I didn't think it would work" or "I had my misgivings before I even started out" or "Actually, I wasn't too surprised that it didn't work out."
The "Okay-I'll-give-it-a-try-but-I-don't-think-it-will-work" attitude produces failures.
Disbelief is negative power. When the mind disbelieves or doubts, the mind attracts "reasons" to support the disbelief. Doubt, disbelief, the subconscious will to fail, the not really wanting to succeed, is responsible for most failures.
Think doubt and fail.
Think victory and succeed.
A young fiction writer talked with me recently about her writing ambitions. The name of one of the top writers in her field came up.
"Oh," she said, "Mr. X is a wonderful writer, but of course, I can't be nearly as successful as he is."
Her attitude disappointed me very much because I know the writer mentioned. He is not super-intelligent nor super-perceptive, nor super-anything else except super-confident. He believes he is among the best and so he acts and performs the best.
It is well to respect the leader. Learn from him. Observe him. Study him. But don't worship him. Believe you can surpass. Believe you can go beyond. Those who harbor the second-best attitude are invariably second-best doers.
Look at it this way. Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life. Study the fellow who is shuffling down there in mediocrity. He believes he is worth little, so he receives little. He believes he can't do big things, and he doesn't. He believes he is unimportant, so everything he does has an unimportant mark. As times goes by, lack of belief in himself shows through in the way the fellow talks, walks, acts. Unless he readjusts his thermostat forward, he shrinks, grows smaller and smaller in his own estimation. And, since others see in us what we see in ourselves, he grows smaller in the estimation of the people around him.
Now look across the way at the person who is advancing forward. He believes he is worth much, and he receives much. He believes he can handle big, difficult assignments -- and he does. Everything he does, the way he handles himself with people, his character, his thoughts, his viewpoints, all say, "Here is a professional. He is an important person."
A person is a product of his own thoughts. Believe Big. Adjust your thermostat forward. Launch your success offensive with honest, sincere belief that you can succeed. Believe big and grow big.
Several years ago after addressing a group of business men in Detroit, I talked with one of the gentlemen who approached me, introduced himself, and said, "I really enjoyed your talk. Can you spare a few minutes? I'd like very much to discuss a personal experience with you."
In a few minutes we were comfortably seated in a coffee shop, waiting for some refreshments.
"I have a personal experience," he began, "that ties in perfectly with what you said this evening about making your mind work for you instead of letting it work against you. I've never explained to anyone how I lifted myself out of the world of mediocrity; but I'd like to tell you about it."
"And I'd like to hear it," I said.
"Well, just five years ago I was plodding along, just another guy working in the tool-and-die trade. I made a decent living by average standards. But it was far from ideal. Our home was much too small and there was no money for those many things we wanted. My wife, bless her, didn't complain much, but it was written all over her that she was more resigned to her fate than she was happy. Inside I grew more and more dissatisfied. When I let myself see how I was failing my good wife and two children, I really hurt inside.
"But today things are really different," my friend continued. "Today we have a beautiful new home on a two-acre lot and a year-round cabin a couple hundred miles north of here. There's no more worry about whether we can send the kids to a good college and my wife no longer has to feel guilty every time she spends money for some new clothes. Next summer the whole family is flying to Europe to spend a month's holiday. We're really living."
"How did this all happen?" I asked.
"It all happened," he continued, "when to use the phrase you used tonight, 'I harnessed the power of belief.' Five years ago I learned about a job with a tool-and-die company here in Detroit. We were living in Cleveland at the time. I decided to look into it, hoping I could make a little more money. I got here early on Sunday evening, but the interview was not until Monday.
"After dinner I sat down in my hotel room and for some reason, I got really disgusted with myself. 'Why,' I asked myself, 'am I just a middle class failure? Why am I trying to get a job that represents such a small step forward?'
"I don't know to this day what prompted me to do it, but I took a sheet of hotel stationery and wrote down the names of five people I've known well for several years who had far surpassed me in earning power and job responsibility. Two were former neighbors who had moved away to fine subdivisions. Two others were fellows I had worked for, and the third was a brother-in-law.
"Next -- again I don't know what made me do this -- I asked myself what do my five friends have that I don't have, besides better jobs. I compared myself with them on intelligence, but I honestly couldn't see that they excelled in the brains department. Nor could I truthfully say they had me beat on education, integrity; or personal habits.
"Finally I got down to another success quality one hears a lot about. Initiative. Here I hated to admit it, but I had to. On this point my record showed I was far below that of my successful friends.
"It was now about 3:00 A.M., but my mind was astonishingly clear. I was seeing my weak point for the first time. I discovered that I had held back. I had always carried a little stick. I dug into myself deeper and deeper and found the reason I lacked initiative was because I didn't believe inside that I was worth very much.
"I sat there the rest of the night just reviewing how lack of faith in myself had dominated me ever since I could remember, how I had used my mind to work against myself. I found I had been preaching to myself why I couldn't get ahead instead of why I could. I had been selling myself short. I found this streak of self-depreciation showed through in everything I did. Then it dawned on me that no one else was going to believe in me until I believed in myself.
"Right then I decided, 'I'm through feeling second-class. From here on in I'm not going to sell myself short.'
"Next morning I still had that confidence. During the job interview I gave my new found confidence its first test. Before coming for the interview I'd hoped I would have courage to ask for $750 or maybe even $1000 more than my present job was paying. But now, after realizing I was a valuable man, I upped it to $3,500. And I got it. I sold myself because after that one long night of self-analysis I found things in myself that made me a lot more saleable.
"Within two years after I took that job I had established a reputation as the fellow who can get business. Then we went into a recession. This made me still more valuable because I was one of the best business-getters in the industry. The company was reorganized and I was given a substantial amount of stock plus a lot more pay."
Believe in yourself and good things do start happening.
Your mind is a "thought factory." It's a busy factory; producing countless thoughts in one day.
Production in your thought factory is under the charge of two foremen, one of whom we will call Mr. Triumph and the other Mr. Defeat. Mr. Triumph is in charge of manufacturing positive thoughts. He specializes in producing reasons why you can, why you're qualified, why you will.
The other foreman, Mr. Defeat, produces negative, depreciating thoughts. He is your expert in developing reasons why you can't, why you're weak, why you're inadequate. His specialty is the "why-you-will-fail" chain of thoughts.
Both Mr. Triumph and Mr. Defeat are intensely obedient. They snap to attention immediately. All you need do to signal either foreman is to give the slightest mental beck-and-call. If the signal is positive, Mr. Triumph will step forward and go to work. Likewise, a negative signal brings Mr. Defeat forward.
To see how these two foremen work for you, try this example. Tell yourself, "Today is a lousy day." This signals Mr. Defeat into action and he manufactures some facts to prove you are right. He suggests to you that it's too hot or it's too cold, business will be bad today; sales will drop, other people will be on edge, you may get sick, your wife will be in a fussy mood. Mr. Defeat is tremendously efficient. In just a few moments he's got you sold. It is a bad day. Before you know it, it is a heck of a bad day.
But tell yourself, "Today is a fine day;" and Mr. Triumph is signaled forward to act. He tells you, "This is a wonderful day. The weather is refreshing. It's good to be alive. Today you can catch up on some of your work." And then it is a good day.
In like fashion Mr. Defeat can show you why you can't sell Mr. Smith; Mr. Triumph will show you that you can. Mr. Defeat will convince you that you will fail while Mr. Triumph will demonstrate why you will succeed. Mr. Defeat will prepare a brilliant case against Tom while Mr. Triumph will show you more reasons why you like Tom.
Now the more work you give either of these two foremen, the stronger he becomes. If Mr. Defeat is given more work to do, he adds personnel and takes up more space in your mind. Eventually; he will take over the entire thought-manufacturing division, and virtually all thought will be of a negative nature.
The only wise thing to do is fire Mr. Defeat. You don't need him. You don't want him around telling you that you can't, you're not up to it, you'll fail, and so on. Mr. Defeat won't help you get where you want to go, so boot him out.
Use Mr. Triumph 100 per cent of the time. When any thought enters your mind, ask Mr. Triumph to go to work for you. He'll show you how you can succeed.
Between now and tomorrow at this time another 11,500 new consumers will have made their grand entry into the U.S.A.
Population is growing at a record rate. In the next ten years the increase is conservatively estimated at 35 million. That's equal to the present combined metropolitan population of our five biggest cities: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Imagine!
New industries, new scientific breakthroughs, expanding markets -- all spell opportunity. This is good news. This is a most wonderful time to be alive!
All signs point to a record demand for top-level people in every field -- people who have superior ability to influence others, to direct their work, to serve them in a leadership capacity. And the people who will fill these leadership positions are all adults or near adults right now. One of them is you.
The guarantee of a boom is not, of course, a guarantee of personal success. Over the long pull, the U.S. has always been booming. But just a fast glance shows that millions and millions of people -- in fact, a majority of them -- struggle but don't really succeed. The majority of folks still plug along in mediocrity despite the record opportunity of the last two decades. And in the boom period ahead, most people will continue to worry; to be afraid, to crawl through life feeling unimportant, unappreciated, not able to do what they want to do. As a result, their performance will earn them petty reward, petty happiness.
Those who convert opportunity into reward (and let me say, I sincerely believe you are one of those, else you'd rely on luck and not bother with this book) will be those wise people who learn how to think themselves to success.
Walk in. The door to success is open wider than ever before. Put yourself on record now that you are going to join that select group that is getting what it wants from life.
Here is the first step toward success. It's a basic step. It can't be avoided. Step One: Believe in yourself, believe you can succeed.
How To Develop The Power of Belief
Here are the three guides to acquire and strengthen the power of belief:
1. Think success, don't think failure. At work, in your home, substitute success thinking for failure thinking. When you face a difficult situation, think, "I'll win,' not "I'll probably lose." When you compete with someone else, think, "I'm equal to the best," not "I'm out-classed." When opportunity appears, think "I can do it," never "I can't." Let the master thought "I-will-succeed" dominate your thinking process. Thinking success conditions your mind to create plans that produce success. Thinking failure does the exact opposite. Failure thinking conditions the mind to think other thoughts that produce failure.
2. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. Successful people are not supermen. Success does not require a super-intellect. Nor is there anything mystical about success. And success isn't based on luck. Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves and what they do. Never -- yes, never -- sell yourself short.
3. Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier -- certainly no more difficult -- than small ideas and small plans.
Mr. Ralph J. Cordiner, Chairman of the Board of the General Electric Company, said this to a leadership conference: "...We need from every man who aspires to leadership -- for himself and his company -- a determination to undertake a personal program of self-development. Nobody is going to order a man to develop.....Whether a man lags behind or moves ahead in his specialty is a matter of his own personal application. This is something which takes time, work, and sacrifice. Nobody can do it for you."
Mr. Cordiner's advice is sound and practical. Live it. Persons who reach the top rungs in business management, selling, engineering, religious work, writing, acting, and in every other pursuit get there by following conscientiously and continuously a plan for self-development and growth.
Any training program -- and that's exactly what this book is -- must do three things. It must provide content, the what-to-do. Second, it must supply a method, the how-to-do-it. And third, it must meet the acid test. That is, get results.
The what of your personal training program for success is built on the attitudes and techniques of successful people. How do they manage themselves? How do they overcome obstacles? How do they earn respect of others? What sets them apart from the ordinary? How do they think?
The how of your plan for development and growth is a series of concrete guides for action. These are found in each chapter. These guides work. Apply them and see for yourself.
What about the most important part of training: results? Wrapped up briefly, conscientious application of the program presented here will bring you success and on a scale that may now look impossible. Broken down into its components, your personal training program for success will bring you a series of rewards: the reward of deeper respect from your family; the reward of admiration from your friends and associates, the reward of feeling useful, of being someone, of having status, the reward of increased income and a higher standard of living.
Your training is self-administered. There will be no one standing over your shoulder telling what to do and how to do it. This book will be your guide, but only you can understand yourself. Only you can command yourself to apply this training. Only you can evaluate your progress. Only you can bring about Corrective action should you slip a little. In short, you are going to train yourself to achieve bigger and bigger success.
You already have a fully equipped laboratory in which you can work and study. Your laboratory is all around you. Your laboratory consists of human beings. This laboratory supplies you with every possible example of human action. And there is no limit to what you can learn once you see yourself as a scientist in your own lab. What's more, there is nothing to buy. There is no rent to pay. There are no fees of any kind. You can use this laboratory as much as you like for free.
As director of your own laboratory; you will want to do what every scientist does: Observe and experiment.
Isn't it surprising to you that most people understand so little about why people act as they do even though they are surrounded by people all their lives? Most people are not trained observers. One important purpose of this book is to help you train yourself to observe, to develop deep insight into human action. You'll want to ask yourself questions like "Why is John so successful and Tom just getting by?" "Why do some people have many friends and other people have only few friends?" "Why will people gladly accept what one person tells them but ignore another person who tells them the same thing?"
Once trained, you will learn valuable lessons just through the very simple process of observing.
Here are two special suggestions to help you make yourself a trained observer Select for special study the two most successful and the most unsuccessful people you know. Then, as the book unfolds, observe how closely your successful friend adheres to the success principles. Notice also how studying the two extremes will help you see the unmistakable wisdom of following the truths outlined in this book.
Each contact you make with another person gives you a chance to see success development principles at work. Your objective is to make successful action habitual. The more we practice, the sooner it becomes second nature to act in the desired way.
Most of us have friends who grow things for a hobby. And we've all heard them say something like "It's exciting to watch those plants grow. Just look how they respond to plant food and water. See how much bigger they are today than they were last week."
To be sure, it is thrilling to watch what can happen when men cooperate carefully with nature. But it is not one-tenth as fascinating as watching yourself respond to your own carefully administered thought management program. It's fun to feel yourself growing more confident, more effective, more successful day-by-day, month-by-month. Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- in this life gives you more satisfaction than knowing you're on the road to success and achievement. And nothing stands as a bigger challenge than making the most of yourself.
Copyright © 1959, 1965 by Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Believe You Can Succeed and You Will
Success means many wonderful, positive things. Success means personal prosperity: a fine home, vacations, travel, new things, financial security, giving your children maximum advantages. Success means winning admiration, leadership, being looked up to by people in your business and social life. Success means freedom: freedom from worries, fears, frustrations, and failure. Success means self-respect, continually finding more real happiness and satisfaction from life, being able to do more for those who depend on you.
Success means winning.
Success -- achievement -- is the goal of life!
Every human being wants success. Everybody wants the best this life can deliver. Nobody enjoys crawling, living in mediocrity. No one likes feeling second-class and feeling forced to go that way.
Some of the most practical success-building wisdom is found in that Biblical quotation stating that faith can move mountains.
Believe, really believe, you can move a mountain and you can. Not many people believe that they can move mountains. So, as a result, not many people do.
On some occasion you've probably heard someone say something like, "It's nonsense to think you can make a mountain move away just by saying 'Mountain, move away.' It's simply impossible."
People who think this way have belief confused with wishful thinking. And true enough, you can't wish away a mountain. You can't wish yourself into an executive suite. Nor can you wish yourself into a five-bedroom, three-bath house or the high-income brackets. You can't wish yourself into a position of leadership.
But you can move a mountain with belief. You can win success by believing you can succeed.
There is nothing magical nor mystical about the power of belief.
Belief works this way. Belief, the "I'm-positive-I-can" attitude, generates the power, skill, and energy needed to do. When you believe I-can-do-it, the how-to-do-it develops.
Every day all over the nation young people start working in new jobs. Each of them "wishes" that someday he could enjoy the success that goes with reaching the top. But the majority of these young people simply don't have the belief that it takes to reach the top rungs. And they don't reach the top. Believing it's impossible to climb high, they do not discover the steps that lead to great heights. Their behavior remains that of the "average" person.
But a small number of these young people really believe they will succeed. They approach their work with the "I'm-going-to-the-top" attitude. And with substantial belief they reach the top. Believing they will succeed -- and that it's not impossible -- these folks study and observe the behavior of senior executives. They learn how successful people approach problems and make decisions. They observe the attitudes of successful people.
The how-to-do-it always comes to the person who believes he can do it.
A young woman I'm acquainted with decided two years ago that she was going to establish a sales agency to sell mobile homes. She was advised by many that she shouldn't -- and couldn't do it.
She had less than $3,000 in savings, and was advised the minimum capital investment required was many times that.
"Look how competitive it is," she was advised. "And besides, what practical experience have you had in selling mobile homes, let alone managing a business?" her advisors asked.
But this young lady had belief in herself and her ability to succeed. She quickly admitted she lacked capital, that the business was very competitive, and that she lacked experience.
"But," she said, "all the evidence I can gather shows that the mobile home industry is going to expand. On top of that, I've studied my competition. I know I can do a better job of merchandising trailers than anybody else in this town. I expect to make some mistakes, but I'm going to be on top in a hurry."
And she was. She had little trouble getting capital. Her absolutely unquestioned belief that she could succeed with this business won her the confidence of two investors. And armed with complete belief, she did the "impossible" -- she got a trailer manufacturer to advance her a limited inventory with no money down.
Last year she sold over $1,000,000 worth of trailers.
"Next year," she says, "I expect to gross over $2,000,000."
Belief, strong belief, triggers the mind to figuring ways and means and how-to. And believing you can succeed makes others place confidence in you.
Most people do not put much stock in belief. But some, the residents of Successfulville, USA, do! Just a few weeks ago a friend who is an official with a state highway department in a Midwestern state related a "mountain-moving" experience to me.
"Last month," my friend began, "our department sent notices to a number of engineering companies that we were authorized to retain some firm to design eight bridges as part of our highway building program. The bridges were to be built at a cost of $5,000,000. The engineering firm selected would get a 4 per cent commission, or $200,000, for its design work.
"I talked with 21 engineering firms about this. The four largest decided right away to submit proposals. The other 17 companies were small, having only 3 to 7 engineers each. The size of the project scared off 16 of these 17. They went over the project, shook their heads, and said in effect, 'It's too big for us. I wish I thought we could handle it, but it's no use even trying.'
"But one of these small firms, a company with only three engineers, studied the plans and said, 'We can do it. We'll submit a proposal.' They did, and they got the job."
Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can't, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.
Actually, in these modem times belief is doing much bigger things than moving mountains. The most essential element -- in fact, the essential element -- in our space explorations today is belief that space can be mastered. Without firm, unwavering belief that man can travel in space, our scientists would not have the courage, interest, and enthusiasm to proceed. Belief that cancer can be cured will ultimately produce cures for cancer. Currently; there is some talk of building a tunnel under the English Channel to connect England with the Continent. Whether this tunnel is ever built depends on whether responsible people believe it can be built.
Belief in great results is the driving force, the power behind all great books, plays, scientific discoveries. Belief in success is behind every successful business, church, and political organization. Belief in success is the one basic, absolutely essential ingredient in successful people.
Believe, really believe, you can succeed and you will.
Over the years I've talked with many people who have failed in business ventures and in various careers. I've heard a lot of reasons and excuses for failure. Something especially significant unfolds as conversations with failures develop. In a casual sort of way the failure drops a remark like "To tell the truth, I didn't think it would work" or "I had my misgivings before I even started out" or "Actually, I wasn't too surprised that it didn't work out."
The "Okay-I'll-give-it-a-try-but-I-don't-think-it-will-work" attitude produces failures.
Disbelief is negative power. When the mind disbelieves or doubts, the mind attracts "reasons" to support the disbelief. Doubt, disbelief, the subconscious will to fail, the not really wanting to succeed, is responsible for most failures.
Think doubt and fail.
Think victory and succeed.
A young fiction writer talked with me recently about her writing ambitions. The name of one of the top writers in her field came up.
"Oh," she said, "Mr. X is a wonderful writer, but of course, I can't be nearly as successful as he is."
Her attitude disappointed me very much because I know the writer mentioned. He is not super-intelligent nor super-perceptive, nor super-anything else except super-confident. He believes he is among the best and so he acts and performs the best.
It is well to respect the leader. Learn from him. Observe him. Study him. But don't worship him. Believe you can surpass. Believe you can go beyond. Those who harbor the second-best attitude are invariably second-best doers.
Look at it this way. Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life. Study the fellow who is shuffling down there in mediocrity. He believes he is worth little, so he receives little. He believes he can't do big things, and he doesn't. He believes he is unimportant, so everything he does has an unimportant mark. As times goes by, lack of belief in himself shows through in the way the fellow talks, walks, acts. Unless he readjusts his thermostat forward, he shrinks, grows smaller and smaller in his own estimation. And, since others see in us what we see in ourselves, he grows smaller in the estimation of the people around him.
Now look across the way at the person who is advancing forward. He believes he is worth much, and he receives much. He believes he can handle big, difficult assignments -- and he does. Everything he does, the way he handles himself with people, his character, his thoughts, his viewpoints, all say, "Here is a professional. He is an important person."
A person is a product of his own thoughts. Believe Big. Adjust your thermostat forward. Launch your success offensive with honest, sincere belief that you can succeed. Believe big and grow big.
Several years ago after addressing a group of business men in Detroit, I talked with one of the gentlemen who approached me, introduced himself, and said, "I really enjoyed your talk. Can you spare a few minutes? I'd like very much to discuss a personal experience with you."
In a few minutes we were comfortably seated in a coffee shop, waiting for some refreshments.
"I have a personal experience," he began, "that ties in perfectly with what you said this evening about making your mind work for you instead of letting it work against you. I've never explained to anyone how I lifted myself out of the world of mediocrity; but I'd like to tell you about it."
"And I'd like to hear it," I said.
"Well, just five years ago I was plodding along, just another guy working in the tool-and-die trade. I made a decent living by average standards. But it was far from ideal. Our home was much too small and there was no money for those many things we wanted. My wife, bless her, didn't complain much, but it was written all over her that she was more resigned to her fate than she was happy. Inside I grew more and more dissatisfied. When I let myself see how I was failing my good wife and two children, I really hurt inside.
"But today things are really different," my friend continued. "Today we have a beautiful new home on a two-acre lot and a year-round cabin a couple hundred miles north of here. There's no more worry about whether we can send the kids to a good college and my wife no longer has to feel guilty every time she spends money for some new clothes. Next summer the whole family is flying to Europe to spend a month's holiday. We're really living."
"How did this all happen?" I asked.
"It all happened," he continued, "when to use the phrase you used tonight, 'I harnessed the power of belief.' Five years ago I learned about a job with a tool-and-die company here in Detroit. We were living in Cleveland at the time. I decided to look into it, hoping I could make a little more money. I got here early on Sunday evening, but the interview was not until Monday.
"After dinner I sat down in my hotel room and for some reason, I got really disgusted with myself. 'Why,' I asked myself, 'am I just a middle class failure? Why am I trying to get a job that represents such a small step forward?'
"I don't know to this day what prompted me to do it, but I took a sheet of hotel stationery and wrote down the names of five people I've known well for several years who had far surpassed me in earning power and job responsibility. Two were former neighbors who had moved away to fine subdivisions. Two others were fellows I had worked for, and the third was a brother-in-law.
"Next -- again I don't know what made me do this -- I asked myself what do my five friends have that I don't have, besides better jobs. I compared myself with them on intelligence, but I honestly couldn't see that they excelled in the brains department. Nor could I truthfully say they had me beat on education, integrity; or personal habits.
"Finally I got down to another success quality one hears a lot about. Initiative. Here I hated to admit it, but I had to. On this point my record showed I was far below that of my successful friends.
"It was now about 3:00 A.M., but my mind was astonishingly clear. I was seeing my weak point for the first time. I discovered that I had held back. I had always carried a little stick. I dug into myself deeper and deeper and found the reason I lacked initiative was because I didn't believe inside that I was worth very much.
"I sat there the rest of the night just reviewing how lack of faith in myself had dominated me ever since I could remember, how I had used my mind to work against myself. I found I had been preaching to myself why I couldn't get ahead instead of why I could. I had been selling myself short. I found this streak of self-depreciation showed through in everything I did. Then it dawned on me that no one else was going to believe in me until I believed in myself.
"Right then I decided, 'I'm through feeling second-class. From here on in I'm not going to sell myself short.'
"Next morning I still had that confidence. During the job interview I gave my new found confidence its first test. Before coming for the interview I'd hoped I would have courage to ask for $750 or maybe even $1000 more than my present job was paying. But now, after realizing I was a valuable man, I upped it to $3,500. And I got it. I sold myself because after that one long night of self-analysis I found things in myself that made me a lot more saleable.
"Within two years after I took that job I had established a reputation as the fellow who can get business. Then we went into a recession. This made me still more valuable because I was one of the best business-getters in the industry. The company was reorganized and I was given a substantial amount of stock plus a lot more pay."
Believe in yourself and good things do start happening.
Your mind is a "thought factory." It's a busy factory; producing countless thoughts in one day.
Production in your thought factory is under the charge of two foremen, one of whom we will call Mr. Triumph and the other Mr. Defeat. Mr. Triumph is in charge of manufacturing positive thoughts. He specializes in producing reasons why you can, why you're qualified, why you will.
The other foreman, Mr. Defeat, produces negative, depreciating thoughts. He is your expert in developing reasons why you can't, why you're weak, why you're inadequate. His specialty is the "why-you-will-fail" chain of thoughts.
Both Mr. Triumph and Mr. Defeat are intensely obedient. They snap to attention immediately. All you need do to signal either foreman is to give the slightest mental beck-and-call. If the signal is positive, Mr. Triumph will step forward and go to work. Likewise, a negative signal brings Mr. Defeat forward.
To see how these two foremen work for you, try this example. Tell yourself, "Today is a lousy day." This signals Mr. Defeat into action and he manufactures some facts to prove you are right. He suggests to you that it's too hot or it's too cold, business will be bad today; sales will drop, other people will be on edge, you may get sick, your wife will be in a fussy mood. Mr. Defeat is tremendously efficient. In just a few moments he's got you sold. It is a bad day. Before you know it, it is a heck of a bad day.
But tell yourself, "Today is a fine day;" and Mr. Triumph is signaled forward to act. He tells you, "This is a wonderful day. The weather is refreshing. It's good to be alive. Today you can catch up on some of your work." And then it is a good day.
In like fashion Mr. Defeat can show you why you can't sell Mr. Smith; Mr. Triumph will show you that you can. Mr. Defeat will convince you that you will fail while Mr. Triumph will demonstrate why you will succeed. Mr. Defeat will prepare a brilliant case against Tom while Mr. Triumph will show you more reasons why you like Tom.
Now the more work you give either of these two foremen, the stronger he becomes. If Mr. Defeat is given more work to do, he adds personnel and takes up more space in your mind. Eventually; he will take over the entire thought-manufacturing division, and virtually all thought will be of a negative nature.
The only wise thing to do is fire Mr. Defeat. You don't need him. You don't want him around telling you that you can't, you're not up to it, you'll fail, and so on. Mr. Defeat won't help you get where you want to go, so boot him out.
Use Mr. Triumph 100 per cent of the time. When any thought enters your mind, ask Mr. Triumph to go to work for you. He'll show you how you can succeed.
Between now and tomorrow at this time another 11,500 new consumers will have made their grand entry into the U.S.A.
Population is growing at a record rate. In the next ten years the increase is conservatively estimated at 35 million. That's equal to the present combined metropolitan population of our five biggest cities: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Imagine!
New industries, new scientific breakthroughs, expanding markets -- all spell opportunity. This is good news. This is a most wonderful time to be alive!
All signs point to a record demand for top-level people in every field -- people who have superior ability to influence others, to direct their work, to serve them in a leadership capacity. And the people who will fill these leadership positions are all adults or near adults right now. One of them is you.
The guarantee of a boom is not, of course, a guarantee of personal success. Over the long pull, the U.S. has always been booming. But just a fast glance shows that millions and millions of people -- in fact, a majority of them -- struggle but don't really succeed. The majority of folks still plug along in mediocrity despite the record opportunity of the last two decades. And in the boom period ahead, most people will continue to worry; to be afraid, to crawl through life feeling unimportant, unappreciated, not able to do what they want to do. As a result, their performance will earn them petty reward, petty happiness.
Those who convert opportunity into reward (and let me say, I sincerely believe you are one of those, else you'd rely on luck and not bother with this book) will be those wise people who learn how to think themselves to success.
Walk in. The door to success is open wider than ever before. Put yourself on record now that you are going to join that select group that is getting what it wants from life.
Here is the first step toward success. It's a basic step. It can't be avoided. Step One: Believe in yourself, believe you can succeed.
How To Develop The Power of Belief
Here are the three guides to acquire and strengthen the power of belief:
1. Think success, don't think failure. At work, in your home, substitute success thinking for failure thinking. When you face a difficult situation, think, "I'll win,' not "I'll probably lose." When you compete with someone else, think, "I'm equal to the best," not "I'm out-classed." When opportunity appears, think "I can do it," never "I can't." Let the master thought "I-will-succeed" dominate your thinking process. Thinking success conditions your mind to create plans that produce success. Thinking failure does the exact opposite. Failure thinking conditions the mind to think other thoughts that produce failure.
2. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. Successful people are not supermen. Success does not require a super-intellect. Nor is there anything mystical about success. And success isn't based on luck. Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves and what they do. Never -- yes, never -- sell yourself short.
3. Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier -- certainly no more difficult -- than small ideas and small plans.
Mr. Ralph J. Cordiner, Chairman of the Board of the General Electric Company, said this to a leadership conference: "...We need from every man who aspires to leadership -- for himself and his company -- a determination to undertake a personal program of self-development. Nobody is going to order a man to develop.....Whether a man lags behind or moves ahead in his specialty is a matter of his own personal application. This is something which takes time, work, and sacrifice. Nobody can do it for you."
Mr. Cordiner's advice is sound and practical. Live it. Persons who reach the top rungs in business management, selling, engineering, religious work, writing, acting, and in every other pursuit get there by following conscientiously and continuously a plan for self-development and growth.
Any training program -- and that's exactly what this book is -- must do three things. It must provide content, the what-to-do. Second, it must supply a method, the how-to-do-it. And third, it must meet the acid test. That is, get results.
The what of your personal training program for success is built on the attitudes and techniques of successful people. How do they manage themselves? How do they overcome obstacles? How do they earn respect of others? What sets them apart from the ordinary? How do they think?
The how of your plan for development and growth is a series of concrete guides for action. These are found in each chapter. These guides work. Apply them and see for yourself.
What about the most important part of training: results? Wrapped up briefly, conscientious application of the program presented here will bring you success and on a scale that may now look impossible. Broken down into its components, your personal training program for success will bring you a series of rewards: the reward of deeper respect from your family; the reward of admiration from your friends and associates, the reward of feeling useful, of being someone, of having status, the reward of increased income and a higher standard of living.
Your training is self-administered. There will be no one standing over your shoulder telling what to do and how to do it. This book will be your guide, but only you can understand yourself. Only you can command yourself to apply this training. Only you can evaluate your progress. Only you can bring about Corrective action should you slip a little. In short, you are going to train yourself to achieve bigger and bigger success.
You already have a fully equipped laboratory in which you can work and study. Your laboratory is all around you. Your laboratory consists of human beings. This laboratory supplies you with every possible example of human action. And there is no limit to what you can learn once you see yourself as a scientist in your own lab. What's more, there is nothing to buy. There is no rent to pay. There are no fees of any kind. You can use this laboratory as much as you like for free.
As director of your own laboratory; you will want to do what every scientist does: Observe and experiment.
Isn't it surprising to you that most people understand so little about why people act as they do even though they are surrounded by people all their lives? Most people are not trained observers. One important purpose of this book is to help you train yourself to observe, to develop deep insight into human action. You'll want to ask yourself questions like "Why is John so successful and Tom just getting by?" "Why do some people have many friends and other people have only few friends?" "Why will people gladly accept what one person tells them but ignore another person who tells them the same thing?"
Once trained, you will learn valuable lessons just through the very simple process of observing.
Here are two special suggestions to help you make yourself a trained observer Select for special study the two most successful and the most unsuccessful people you know. Then, as the book unfolds, observe how closely your successful friend adheres to the success principles. Notice also how studying the two extremes will help you see the unmistakable wisdom of following the truths outlined in this book.
Each contact you make with another person gives you a chance to see success development principles at work. Your objective is to make successful action habitual. The more we practice, the sooner it becomes second nature to act in the desired way.
Most of us have friends who grow things for a hobby. And we've all heard them say something like "It's exciting to watch those plants grow. Just look how they respond to plant food and water. See how much bigger they are today than they were last week."
To be sure, it is thrilling to watch what can happen when men cooperate carefully with nature. But it is not one-tenth as fascinating as watching yourself respond to your own carefully administered thought management program. It's fun to feel yourself growing more confident, more effective, more successful day-by-day, month-by-month. Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- in this life gives you more satisfaction than knowing you're on the road to success and achievement. And nothing stands as a bigger challenge than making the most of yourself.
Copyright © 1959, 1965 by Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Road Less Travelled: The New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck (Feb 6, 2003)
The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (1 of 16)
Amazon.com Review
By melding love, science, and religion into a primer on personal growth, M. Scott Peck launched his highly successful writing and lecturing career with this book. Even to this day, Peck remains at the forefront of spiritual psychology as a result of The Road Less Traveled. In the era of I'm OK, You're OK, Peck was courageous enough to suggest that "life is difficult" and personal growth is a "complex, arduous and lifelong task." His willingness to expose his own life stories as well as to share the intimate stories of his anonymous therapy clients creates a compelling and heartfelt narrative. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (2 of 16)
The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (2 of 16)
From Publishers Weekly
Psychotherapy is all things to all people in this mega-selling pop-psychology watershed, which features a new introduction by the author in this 25th anniversary edition. His agenda in this tome, which was first published in 1978 but didn't become a bestseller until 1983, is to reconcile the psychoanalytic tradition with the conflicting cultural currents roiling the 70s. In the spirit of Me-Decade individualism and libertinism, he celebrates self-actualization as life's highest purpose and flirts with the notions of open marriage and therapeutic sex between patient and analyst. But because he is attuned to the nascent conservative backlash against the therapeutic worldview, Peck also cites Gospel passages, recruits psychotherapy to the cause of traditional religion (he even convinces a patient to sign up for divinity school) and insists that problems must be overcome through suffering, discipline and hard work (with a therapist.) Often departing from the cerebral and rationalistic bent of Freudian discourse for a mystical, Jungian tone more compatible with New Age spirituality, Peck writes of psychotherapy as an exercise in "love" and "spiritual growth," asserts that "our unconscious is God" and affirms his belief in miracles, reincarnation and telepathy. Peck's synthesis of such clashing elements (he even throws in a little thermodynamics) is held together by a warm and lucid discussion of psychiatric principles and moving accounts of his own patients' struggles and breakthroughs. Harmonizing psychoanalysis and spirituality, Christ and Buddha, Calvinist work ethic and interminable talking cures, this book is a touchstone of our contemporary religio-therapeutic culture.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (3 of 16)
Review
Phyllis TherouxThe Washington PostNot just a book, but a spontaneous act of generosity. -- Review
Product Description
Perhaps no book in this generation has had a more profound impact on our intellectual and spiritual lives than The Road Less Traveled. With sales of more than seven million copies in the United States and Canada, and translations into more than twenty-three languages, it has made publishing history, with more than ten years on the New York Times bestseller list.
Now, with a new Introduction by the author, written especially for this twenty-fifth anniversary deluxe trade paperback edition of the all-time national bestseller in its field, M. Scott Peck explains the ideas that shaped this book and that continue to influence an ever-growing audience of readers.
Written in a voice that is timeless in its message of understanding, The Road Less Traveled continues to help us explore the very nature of loving relationships and leads us toward a new serenity and fullness of life. It helps us learn how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become a more sensitive parent; and ultimately how to become one's own true self.
Recognizing that, as in the famous opening line of his book, "Life is difficult" and that the journey to spiritual growth is a long one, Dr. Peck never bullies his readers, but rather guides them gently through the hard and often painful process of change toward a higher level of self-understanding.
Now, with a new Introduction by the author, written especially for this twenty-fifth anniversary deluxe trade paperback edition of the all-time national bestseller in its field, M. Scott Peck explains the ideas that shaped this book and that continue to influence an ever-growing audience of readers.
Written in a voice that is timeless in its message of understanding, The Road Less Traveled continues to help us explore the very nature of loving relationships and leads us toward a new serenity and fullness of life. It helps us learn how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become a more sensitive parent; and ultimately how to become one's own true self.
Recognizing that, as in the famous opening line of his book, "Life is difficult" and that the journey to spiritual growth is a long one, Dr. Peck never bullies his readers, but rather guides them gently through the hard and often painful process of change toward a higher level of self-understanding.
About the Author
M. Scott Peck, M.D., is a psychiatrist and bestselling author. Educated at Harvard (B.A.) and Case Western Reserve (M.D.), Dr. Peck served in administrative posts in the government during his career as a psychiatrist, and later in private practice. For nearly two decades, he has devoted much of his time and financial resources to the work of the Foundation for Community Encouragement, a nonprofit organization that he and his wife, Lily, helped found in 1984. He lives in northwestern Connecticut.
The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (4 of 16)
The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (5 of 16)
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The Road Less Travelled M. Scott Peck (7 of 16)
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
Table of Content
Author's Preface
Introduction
1. The Origin of This Book
2. The Truth That is Within You
Chapter One: You Are Not Your Mind
1.1. The Greatest Obstacle to Enlightenment
1.2. Freeing Yourself from Your Mind
1.3. Enlightenment: Rising above Thought
1.4. Emotion: The Body's Reaction to Your Mind
Chapter Two: Consciousness: The Way Out of a Pain
2.1. Create No More Pain in the Present
2.2. Past Pain: Dissolving the Pain-Body
2.3. Ego Identification with the Pain-Body
2.4. The Origin of Fear
2.5. The Ego's Search for Wholeness
Chapter Three: Moving Deeply into the Now
3.1. Don't Seek Your Self in the Mind
3.2. End the Delusion of Time
3.3. Nothing Exists Outside the Now
3.4. The Key to the Spiritual Dimension
3.5. Accessing the Power of the Now
3.6. Letting Go of Psychological Time
3.7. The Insanity of Psychological Time
3.8. Negativity and Suffering Have Their Roots in Time
3.9. Finding the Life Underneath Your Life Situation
3.10. All Problems Are Illusions of the Mind
3.11. A Quantum Leap in the Evolution of Consciousness
3.12. The Joy of Being
Chapter Four: Mind Strategies for Avoiding the Now
4.1. Loss of Now: The Core Delusion
4.2. Ordinary Unconsciousness and Deep Unconsciousness
4.3. What Are They Seeking?
4.4. Dissolving Ordinary Unconsciousness
4.5. Freedom from Unhappiness
4.6. Wherever You Are, Be There Totally
4.7. The Inner Purpose of Your Life's Journey
4.8. The Pas Cannot Survive in Your Presence
Chapter Five: The State of Presence
5.1. It's Not What You Think It is
5.2. The Esoteric Meaning of "Waiting"
5.3. Beauty Arises in the Stillness of Your Presence
5.4. Realizing Pure Consciousness
5.5. Christ: The Reality of Your Divine Presence
Chapter Six: The Inner Body
6.1. Being Is Your Deepest Self
6.2. Look beyond the Words
6.3. Finding Your Invisible and Indestructible Reality
6.4. Connecting with the Inner Body
6.5. Transformation through the Body
6.6. Sermon on the Body
6.7. Have Deep Roots Within
6.8. Before You Enter the Body, Forgive
6.9. Your Link with the Unmanifested
6.10. Slowing Down the Aging Process
6.11. Strengthening the Immune System
6.12. Let the Breath Take You into the Body
6.13. Creative Use of Mind
6.14. The Art of Listening
Chapter Seven: Portals into the Unmanifested
7.1. Going Deeply into the Body
7.2. The Source of Chi
7.3. Dreamless Sleep
7.4. Other Portals
7.5. Silence
7.6. Space
7.7. The True Nature of Space and Time
7.8. Conscious Death
Chapter Eight: Enlightened Relationships
8.1. Enter the Now from Wherever You Are
8.2. Love/Hate Relationships
8.3. Addiction and the Search for Wholeness
8.4. From Addictive to Enlightened Relationships
8.5. Relationships as Spiritual Practice
8.6. Why Women Are Closer to Enlightenment
8.7. Dissolving the Collective Female Pain-Body
8.8. Give Up the Relationship with Yourself
Chapter Nine: Beyond Happiness and Unhappiness There Is Peace
9.1. The Higher Good beyond Good and Bad
9.2. The End of Your Life Drama
9.3. Impermanence and the Cycles of Life
9.4. Using and Relinquishing Negativity
9.5. The Nature of Compassion
9.6. Toward a Different Order of Reality
Chapter Ten: The Meaning of Surrender
10.1. Acceptance of the Now
10.2. From Mind Energy to Spiritual Energy
10.3. Surrender in Personal Relationships
10.4. Transforming Illness into Enlightenment
10.5. When Disaster Strikes
10.6. Transforming Suffering into Peace
10.7. The Way of the Cross
10.8. The Power to Choose
Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Author
10.8. The Power to Choose
Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Synopsis
A spiritual teaching of rare power and clarity, presented in the form of dialogue between teacher and seeker. Profound insights are gained --we are not our mind; we can find our way out of psychological pain; authentic power is found in surrendering to the now. More than a book --a precious gift, a loving companion, a guide to enlightened living.
New Age Books
Now and then, time cultivates these perfect jewels. You find one and think nothing better is possible. Such is The Power of Now. A regular customer at our store, and student of Chi Gong said, "It not only synthesizes everything i've delved into, but it does it so clearly and simply." Many customers report back literally "thrilled" to have come across the book.
From Wikipedia:-
Tolle's purpose and hope for The Power of Now was that it would "play its part in … the transformation of human consciousness," by acting as a catalyst to those who are ready for a radical inner transformation or, as he sometimes calls it, for enlightenment.
This purpose has affected the format of the book. Tolle has tried to write it in such a way as to "draw you into this new consciousness as you read … to give you a taste of enlightenment."
As a result, the book avoids intellectual discussion and argument. He tries not merely to present the reader's mind with information, which the mind might find interesting, or might not, which it might agree with, or disagree with. From Tolle's judgment, none of that would change readers, who would still be using their minds to judge these new ideas and to respond to them. Rather Tolle uses a variety of devices to try to engage with the reader at a deeper level than that of the mind.
The book is cast in a question and answer format, and originated in Tolle's work with individuals and small groups over a ten-year period. Most of the questions arose while he was teaching and counseling. This format allows Tolle to engage with how his readers are likely to be thinking or responding to his teaching, and allows him to move the focus of attention away from a merely intellectual response to the readers' own consciousness.
The book does not follow a strictly linear sequence of thought. The question and answer format allows for digressions and repetitions. An earlier point can be made again in a new way, or brief summaries of earlier material may help to clarify misunderstandings the questioners still have. The terminology is also varied: Being and Unmanifested, presence and consciousness, acceptance and surrender, enlightenment and transformation. The words are used as signposts, pointing beyond themselves.
Other Reviews
Much more than simple principles and platitudes, The Power of Now takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light.
It's no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present.
The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being, the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death. Featuring a new preface by the author, this paperback shows that only after regaining awareness of Being, liberated from Mind and intensely in the Now, is there Enlightenment.
About the Author
Tolle's first book, The Power of Now, was first published in 1997 by Namaste Publishing. Only 3000 copies were published of the first edition, and Tolle has said "I would personally deliver a few copies every week to some small books stores in Vancouver ... Friends helped by placing copies of the book in spiritual bookstores farther afield". The book was first published under copyright by the New World Library in 1999, and in August 2000, it reached the New York Times Best Seller list for "Hardcover Advice". After two more years, it was number one on the list. In May 2010, The Power of Now appeared on the "Paperback Advice" for the 92nd time, at number 8. By 2008 the book had been translated into 33 languages, and has since also been translated into Arabic. Tolle published his second book, Stillness Speaks, in 2003. In 2005, Tolle published his third book, A New Earth .
Sunday, August 15, 2010
A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie
A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie (Paperback - Jul 16, 1996)
- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: Fireside; 1st Fireside Ed edition (July 16, 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0684824981
- ISBN-13: 978-0684824987
Product Description
In this book of personal devotions, Dr. Baillie inspires a deep searching of one's inner life through prayer by writing each prayer so that it seems to have been written specifically for the reader. In his understanding of the aspects of God's relation to man and man's relation to God through prayer, Dr. Baillie intermingles adoration, meditation, and intercession with a strong sense of the importance of social needs, as well as the needs of the individual.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life by Charles R. Swindoll
Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life by Charles R. Swindoll
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (August 29, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310421411
ISBN-13: 978-0310421412
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (August 29, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310421411
ISBN-13: 978-0310421412
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Better Together: What on Earth Are We Here For? Devotional and Journal by Rick Warren (Paperback - 2007)
Better Together: What on Earth Are We Here For? Devotional and Journal by Rick Warren (Paperback - 2007)
- Paperback: 238 pages
- Publisher: PurposeDriven (January 1, 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1417403268
- ISBN-13: 978-1417403264
By Charles Thompson III
I have led the 40 Days of Purpose 3 times in the past 3 years and it impacted my life greatly. But, its impact is no comparison to the change the 40 Days of Community brought within. I have learned how to love God and others better! It also helped me administer church discipline better as a pastor in a way which is more Christ-like. The book is also set-up better than the Purpose Driven Life was. The 40 Days of Community workbook has the devotionals, journal, and small group notes included. You get three books for one! The book covers.... 1.)We're Compelled to Love God's Family 2.)We're Commissioned to Reach Out Together 3.)We're Chosen to Fellowship Together 4.)We're Connected to Grow Together 5.) We're called to Serve Together and 6.)We're Created to Worship Together.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Seven Seasons of the Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley
Seven Seasons of the Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley (Paperback - May 1, 2002)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The 10 Commandments of Common Sense by Hal Urban
The 10 Commandments of Common Sense: Wisdom from the Scriptures for People of All Beliefs by Hal Urban.
- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Fireside (September 18, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1416535632
- ISBN-13: 978-1416535638
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction
Author's Note on Bible Terms and Translations
One World, Many Beliefs
Part One: Five Things the Scriptures Teach Us to Avoid Because They're Bad for Us
Prologue: The Root of All Our Flaws
Commandment 1: Don't be seduced by popular culture
• It prevents you from thinking for yourself
Commandment 2: Don't fall in love with money and possessions
• It will make you greedy and shallow
Commandment
3: Don't use destructive language• It hurts others as well as yourself
Commandment
4: Don't judge other people• It's better to work on your own faults
Commandment
5: Don't let anger get out of control• It can wreck relationships and ruin lives
Part Two: Five Things the Scriptures Tell Us to Do Because They're Good for Us
Prologue: The Root of All Our Virtues
Commandment
6: Keep a positive outlook on life• It's the first step toward joy
Commandment
7: Bring out the best in other people• It's better to build up than to tear down
Commandment
8: Have impeccable integrity• It brings peace of mind and a reputation of honor
Commandment
9: Help those in need• It really is better to give than to receive
Commandment
10: Do everything in love• It's the only way to find true peace and fulfillment
Conclusion: Love God, Be Good, Do Good, Love Others
Books Cited
The Author's Spiritual Journey
Thank You
Synopsis
The author of Life's Greatest Lessons presents ten principles of practical wisdom to live by, drawn from readings of both the Old and New Testaments for people of all beliefs.
Readers love Hal Urban's books for their common sense, their wisdom, and their inspirational affirmation of timeless values. With The 10 Commandments of Common Sense, he continues to build on his central theme -- that there's a direct relationship between good character and the quality of life. He also shows how the teachings of Scripture and the genuine practice of faith can be integral parts of a fulfilling existence.
Urban draws on his own lifelong spiritual search -- which has included Protestant churches, the Catholic church, some Eastern philosophies, and human potential psychology -- to produce an ecumenical and nondogmatic examination of the Scriptures, finding in them clear and simple guidance for increasing both purpose and joy in our lives. Five of his principles are do's, as in "Keep a positive outlook on life" and "Bring out the best in other people." The other five are don't's, as in "Don't be seduced by popular culture" and "Don't judge other people." These ten commandments of timeless wisdom will inspire people of all faiths who are searching for more meaning and direction in their lives, no matter where it comes from.
Publishers Weekly
Psychologist and former teacher Urban (Life's Greatest Lessons) offers a new set of Ten Commandments, which he hopes will appeal to people of all faiths. Drawn from Christian scriptures, they include five things to avoid, e.g., "Don't be seduced by popular culture," but learn to think for yourself; "Don't fall in love with money and possessions"; and "Don't judge other people," recognizing that pride is at the root of negative behaviors. He also offers five positive commands, including "Keep a positive outlook on life," "Have impeccable integrity" and "Help those in need." Perhaps out of his desire to find unity among people of any faith or no faith, Urban finds the "central message" of the scripture in the Bible's more general commands to "love God, be good, do good, and love others." His ideas on avoiding judging seem to encompass critical thinking as well. For example, those who oppose Norman Vincent Peale's Power of Positive Thinking are described as "self-righteous, judgmental fundamentalists." While Urban's easy-to-read book is full of both common and uncommon sense, ultimately it lacks depth, and its goal to use scripture to appeal to every possible audience may backfire. (Sept. 18) - Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
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