The Magic of Thinking Big

The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz is a project of thinking 5 times bigger of yourself than what you think currently, “Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are”.Easy and interesting to read David explains how your mind works and how you can harness it to achieve success instead of allowing it to torture you. Here are some of the main points I took away from The Magic of Thinking Big:

• Believe You Can Succeed And You Will. When you have an “I-can-do-it” attitude, the how-to-do-it traits develops in your mind. Believing that you WILL succeed is the one of the basic and essential traits of successful people.Schwartz says that it is great to admire and respect the leader; study and observe them. However do not worship them. Aim to be better than them.
• How you see yourself, is how others see you. Think success, not failure. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.
• Cure Yourself of Failure Disease. The common excuses people make are; age (I´m too old/old), health (I´m not well), intelligence (I´m not smart enough) and luck (I´m not a lucky enough).When it comes to your health be genuinely grateful about your health, it is better to wear out then rust out. We sometimes underestimate our own brain power, and overestimate others. Don’t. The ability to think is much greater than the ability to memorize facts. Eliminate the habit of making excuses; see reasons why you can succeed. The right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms every time.
• Build Confidence and Destroy Fear. Action cures fear. Indecision, delays on the other hand, feed fear. You should deposit only positive thoughts into your memory.
• Think and Dream Creatively. Big people monopolize listening. Small people monopolize talking. Top leaders spend more time requesting advice than they do in giving it.
• You Are What You Think You Are. As a leader the way you think towards your job determines how those around you think towards their jobs. Look important. Think your work is important. Sell yourself-to yourself.
  
• Manage Your Environments. The company you surround yourself with will surely have an impact on your success. It is up to you to surround yourself with people who uplift you and whose presence calls forth your best.Analyse your crew, filter out the negativity, and dedicate time to relationships. People who tell you that it cannot be done are usually unsuccessful people.
• Make Your Attitudes Your Allies. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind, they reflect thinking. When our attitude is right, our abilities reach a maximum of effectiveness and good results inevitably follow.Grow three attitudes:
• The attitude of “I´m activated.” Results come in proportion to enthusiasm invested. Dig in deeper when you find yourself disinterested in something, learn more about it. This sets off enthusiasm.
• The attitude of “You are important." People do more for you when you make them feel important. Practice appreciation; practice calling people by their names and don´t hog the glory, invest it instead.
• The attitude of “Service first.”Put service first and money takes care of itself. Give people more than they expect to get.
• Turn Defeat Into Victory. Study your setbacks to pave your way to success. Have the courage to be your own constructive critic, stop blaming luck. Blend persistence with experimentation and remember – there is a good side in every situation.
• Think Like A Leader. Achieving high-level success requires the support and the cooperation of others. Schwartz gave various principles on leadership.Trade minds with the people you want to influence, try to understand them. “Be-Human” in dealing with others , show that you put others before yourself. Think progress, believe in progress, and push for progress. Take time out to confer with yourself.

The Magic of Thinking Big