The Magic of Thinking Big

Book

The Magic of Thinking Big by David J Schwartz

My Highlights

success is determined not so much by the size of one’s brain as it is by the size of one’s thinking.

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.

Belief, strong belief, triggers the mind to figure ways and means and how-to. And believing you can succeed makes others place confidence in you.

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.

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.

Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves and what they do.

Thoughts, positive or negative, grow stronger when fertilized with constant repetition.

Looking and looking and looking for an illness often actually produces illness.

Einstein taught us a big lesson. He felt it was more important to use your mind to think than to use it as a warehouse for facts.

Indecision, postponement, on the other hand, fertilize fear.

Action cures fear.

When we face tough problems, we stay mired in the mud until we take action.

Here is a psychological principle that is worth reading over twenty-five times. Read it until it absolutely saturates you: To think confidently, act confidently.

Psychologists tell us we can change our attitudes by changing our physical actions. For example, you actually feel more like smiling if you make yourself smile. You feel more superior when you make yourself stand tall than when you slouch. On the negative side, frown a really bitter frown and see if you don’t feel more like frowning.

Confident action produces confident thinking. So, to think confidently, act confidently. Act the way you want to feel.

Look at things not as they are, but as they can be. Visualization adds value to everything. A big thinker always visualizes what can be done in the future. He isn’t stuck with the present.

Practice being a big thinker. See the company’s interest as identical with your own.

Absolute perfection in all human undertakings from building missiles to rearing children is unattainable. This means there is endless room for improvement. Successful people know this, and they are always searching for a better way. (Note: The successful person doesn’t ask, “Can I do it better?” He knows he can. So he phrases the question: “How can I do it better?

Others see in us what we see in ourselves. We receive the kind of treatment we think we deserve.

Guard your psychological environment. Select friends who are interested in positive things, friends who really do want to see you succeed. Find friends who breathe encouragement into your plans and ideals. If you don’t, if you select petty thinkers as your close friends, you’ll gradually develop into a petty thinker yourself.

Treating someone as second-class never gets you first-class results.

Salvage something from every setback.