This is not a book I would usually read.
I was listening to the Richer, Wiser, Happier podcast, hosted by the author of the book with the same name. His guest was Arnold Van Der Berg, a Holocaust survivor which faced many difficulties in life, but still ended up a successful money manager.
On the episode, Arnold explains that what made him succeed through everything was the power of his mind. And at the end of the episode, he makes a recommendation for this book. He said that of all the books he's read over the last 50 years about the subject, this is the most practical and to-the-point one.
Hearing this from such an inspiring person was very helpful in making me read it with an open mind. This is a prerequisite for reading the book.
Having said that, not all exercises in the book worked for me. Others were too "out there" even if I tried to keep an open mind about it. But the main ideas still stuck and I think it would be foolish of me not to give them a try. Here they are:
- the subconscious mind is always working behind the scenes on a problem (actually on many at the same time), whether you are aware of it or not - so you can use this to help you improve any areas of life you wish - health, self-esteem, wealth, career, etc.
- you can seed ideas to your subconscious when your brain is in a relaxed state (alpha and theta) - you can enter these states when going to sleep/getting up, or by doing some exercises explained in the book
- the subconscious lies in a more "primitive" part of the brain, so using images and emotions helps seed the ideas better
- it doesn't distinguish reality from fiction, so you can use your imagination to boost the ideas you are seeding
- it knows only the present tense, so always think like you already achieved what you desire - e.g. if you say "I will be healthy", this means that currently, you are not healthy.
I'm eager to try some of the exercises in the book and hope that I'll be doing them for at least a year or two in order to see if I start getting any results. After that, I will be able to give the book a rating as well :)