The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms

by Vishen Lakhiani

THE MEANING-MAKING MACHINE IN YOUR HEAD Most of us have our own versions of disempowering beliefs. Beliefs about the way we look, about our relationship with money, about our self-worth. These beliefs can come from unexpected sources: a bullying teacher, overhearing a conversation between parents or other authority figures, or the attention (or lack thereof) from people we’re attracted to. As we believe these things to be true, they become true. All of us view the world through our own lens, colored by the experiences, meanings, and beliefs we’ve accumulated over the years. It’s as if we have a meaning-making machine in our minds that kicks in and creates Brules about every experience we have. So, the kids tease me and call me names. This means I must be ugly. Never mind the fact that a more likely explanation is that those kids were simply being kids, and children sometimes make fun of others. But as a kid I wasn’t mature enough to understand this, so instead I installed the model of reality that I was unattractive. The meaning-making machine never sleeps. It runs during childhood and in adulthood, too: while on a date, dealing with your mate and your kids, interacting with your boss, trying to close a business deal, getting a raise (or not), and much more. We add meanings to every situation we see and then carry these meanings around as simplistic and often distorted and dangerous models of reality about our world. We then act as

1.YOUR LOVE RELATIONSHIP. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus by John Gray. This book is a beautiful and somewhat humorous look at how to live with and love the opposite sex. 2.YOUR FRIENDSHIPS. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I read this book seven times before I turned twenty; an amazing book for anyone. 3.YOUR ADVENTURES. Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson. This book inspires you to live a life of adventure and to have fun while pursuing big goals. 4.YOUR ENVIRONMENT. The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, PhD. This book inspires you to upgrade your quality of life and to dream bigger about your home, your office space, the car you drive, and more. 5.YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS. Here I have different recommendations for men or women. For men, it’s The

The first is experiences. No matter what you believe about humanity’s origins, one thing is clear. We’re here to experience all the world has to offer—not objects, not money, but experiences. Money and objects only generate experiences. Experiences also give us happiness in the now, a key component of the extraordinary life. We need to feel that daily life holds wonder and excitement to sustain our happiness—which fuels our movement toward our goals. The second is growth. Growth deepens our wisdom and awareness. It may be growth we choose or growth that chooses us. Growth makes life an endless journey of discovery. The third is contribution. It is what we give back from the wealth of our experiences and growth. What we give is the special mark we can make on the world. Giving moves us toward awakening, the highest level of happiness, by providing meaning in our lives, and it is a key component of the extraordinary life. Think about these three essentials framed as questions.

Has!