Summary
Success is determined not so much by the size of one's brain as it is by the size of one's thinking. Think big to live big
Key Takeaways
Most of us are the product of the thinking around us - be extremely choosy about who you spend time with and carefully guard your time / space
A person is a product of his own thoughts
Nobody is going to believe in you until you believe in yourself
The ability to know how to get information is more important than using the mind as a garage for facts
Action cures fear. Clarify and isolate your fear and then take action
To think confidently, act confidently
Set up a weekly improvement plan - jot down ideas during the week in what you can do better and Sunday night sit down and figure out how to actually address the good ideas
Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the speaking
Go First class - from friends, to thoughts, to experiences, to jobs, etc. Hold yourself to a high bar and don't accept less than what you deserve. You can't afford not to
Take your time after failure to seriously deconstruct what went wrong, how you can improve and how you can avoid that situation in the future - salvage something from every setback
Defeat is only a state of mind. Nothing more
Be constructively self-critical
Must combine persistence with experimentation - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result is insanity
You must form an image now of the person you want to be 10 years from now if you are to become that image
4 leadership principles
Trade minds with the people you want to influence - imagine what would be helpful, good to your boss, customer, wife, etc.
Think, "what is the way to handle this?" - be human and let your actions show that you put people first, praise your people as often as possible
Think progress, believe in progress, push for progress - think improvement in everything you do and think high standards in all you do
Take time out to confer with yourself and develop your supreme thinking power
There is room to do everything better. Nothing in this world is done as best as possible
What I got out of it
A good and inspiring book on how to lead a successful life - so much more about how you think and react to situations than your in born intelligence, status, looks, etc.
Most of us are the product of the thinking around us - be extremely choosy about who you spend time with and carefully guard your time / space
True, deep belief generates the power, skill and energy needed to accomplish your goal. Belief, strong belief, triggers the mind to figure ways and means and how-to
When the mind disbelieves or doubts, the mind attracts "reasons" to support the disbelief. Think doubt and fail
Respect the leader, learn from him, observe him, study him, but don't worship him. Believe you can surpass
A person is a product of his own thoughts
Nobody is going to believe in you until you believe in yourself
Strengthen belief by - thinking of success, remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are (never sell yourself short), believe in big things
Life is one big science experiment - keep experimenting, observe the results and determine what works and what doesn't
You'll often find that "excusitis" is what separates successful and unsuccessful people. The more excuses, the less likely the person is successful
The more frequently you repeat an excuse to yourself, the more you come to belief it. Catch yourself quickly when you start hearing yourself give excuses
Major excuses - health, intelligence, age, luck
Knowledge is only a potential power - it is power only when put to use
The ability to know how to get information is more important than using the mind as a garage for facts
Fear is real but you can learn to conquer it by consciously working on your confidence.
Action cures fear. Clarify and isolate your fear and then take action
Allow only positive thoughts into your memory bank and only withdraw positive memories.
No reason to be intimidated or afraid of anyone. Should always respect everyone
Develop an understanding attitude
Doing the right thing keeps your conscience satisfied and this builds self-confidence
To think confidently, act confidently
Build confidence by - being a front seater, make confident eye contact, walk faster, speak up (try to be the first one to speak up/comment in a meeting or event), smile big
One of the most common weaknesses people face is self-deprecation
Determine your five strongest assets and then for each asset write the name of three people who are successful but do not have that asset
Look at things not as they are but as they can be
Always think about how you can help or add value to things and/or people
Be and think above the trivial - see the big picture
Average people have always and will always resent progress
There is no one best way to do anything
Avoid traditional thinking as it freezes your mind to creativity - become open to new ideas, experiment with new things, be progressive
Set up a weekly improvement plan - jot down ideas during the week in what you can do better and Sunday night sit down and figure out how to actually address the good ideas
Capacity (potential, ability, etc.) is a state of mind
Always take on more opportunities - you will figure out how to handle it all along the way
Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the speaking
Try to meet weekly with people in your professional group as well as outside your professional group in order to exchange ideas and be exposed to new ones
The people who command the most respect also tend to be the most successful. To get respect for others you must truly believe that you deserve their respect
Enthusiasm and success are almost inherently bound to each other
Like the body, the mind is what it is fed (its environment). Make sure you are very conscious and choosy about what and who you surround yourself with
Remember, people who tell you it can't be done almost always are unsuccessful people, are strictly average
Be careful about who you get advice from
The most successful tend to be the most humble and eager to help
Consciously find and hang out with groups which are different from your profession / thinking
Avoid all forms of gossip - it is poisonous thinking
Go First class - from friends, to thoughts, to experiences, to jobs, etc. Hold yourself to a high bar and don't accept less than what you deserve. You can't afford not to
Develop an instinct for quality as it lasts longer, will make you happier and people, even if subconsciously, judge you for it
You can "read people's minds" by reading their attitudes. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind and reflect our thinking
When you have the right attitude, you reach your maximum potential and good results eventually follow - Be enthusiastic to get others to be enthusiastic, You are important, Service first
To get enthusiastic about something you are not enthusiastic about, learn more about it
Every single person wants to feel important - the more you can provide this, the more people will like you. Show genuine appreciation and give personalized compliments
Don't have a money-first attitude - must give more to make more
Put service first and the money will take care of itself - always give people more than they expect to get
Success depends on the support of other people
Lyndon B. Johnson's tips for success - Remember names, be a comfortable person, don't be egotistical, be interesting, attempt to heal every misunderstanding, practice liking others until you do so genuinely, never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation to others
The person who makes the biggest effort to introduce himself is often the most important person in the room
How you think / react when you lose determines how long it will be until you win
Excellent ideas are not enough. An only fair idea acted upon, and developed, is 100% better than a terrific idea that dies because it isn't followed up
Expect obstacles and difficulties and then meet these problems as they arise
The only way to start is to start. Don't deliberate. Remove fear through action
Become the initiator. Take the initiative by being a crusader - when you see something that you believe ought to be done, pick up the ball and run; volunteer for what interests you and don't be afraid of what other people may think
Take your time after failure to seriously deconstruct what went wrong, how you can improve and how you can avoid that situation in the future - salvage something from every setback
Defeat is only a state of mind. Nothing more
It is true that others sometimes trip us but more often than not we trip ourselves
Be constructively self-critical
Never blame luck. It never got anybody anywhere
Must combine persistence with experimentation - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result is insanity
You must form an image now of the person you want to be 10 years from now if you are to become that image
Nobody accomplishes more than he sets out to accomplish
Avoid the following at all costs - self-depreciation, "security-itis", competition, parental dictation, family responsibility
Energy multiplies when you set a desired goal and resolve to work towards that goal
The life of a successful person is is completely integrated with their purpose
Success must be reached one baby step at a time. Ask yourself if your current action will help take you where you want to go. If not, do something else
The best type of investment you can make is self-investment
Create a habit of "One night of school per week" for the rest of your life - this is an amazing investment of yourself and will help you grow in many different ways
Build 30 day goals - step by step you will improve
Success and the ability to lead others goes hand in hand
4 leadership principles - trade minds with the people you want to influence; think, "what is the way to handle this?" - be human and let your actions show that you put people first, praise your people as often as possible; think progress, believe in progress, push for progress (think improvement in everything you do and think high standards in all you do**; take time out to confer with yourself and develop your supreme thinking power**
If the thinking at the top changes, so does the thinking of the group.
Progressive checklist - Do I think progressively towards my work / family / myself/ community /
When "little" people try to bring you down, think even bigger
There is room to do everything better. Nothing in this world is done as best as possible
