Magic of thinking big by David J. Schwartz

A practical guide to a ‘positive mental attitude’

The magic of thinking big by David J. Schwartz has been referenced in lots of places I’d read and recommended to me from multiple sources. It was written back in the ‘50s so does sound dated at times but is fascinating how the concepts remain relevant.

It is essentially a practical distillation of how to have a ‘positive mental attitude’. Along with this, Schwartz suggests that if you have a set of beliefs/values and then act in accordance with them, then good things will happen.

Some particular ideas:

• The absolutely maximum upper limit of what you might achieve is the size of your goal, so if you set your goal high enough then you’ll still do very well even if not making your goal
• Fear is usually focused on unexpected events in the future so action is a form of cure because by working towards the future you mitigate the events
• Only allow yourself to keep & make positive thoughts about other people (i.e. always assume the best in others’ intentions)
• Smile and try to be a ‘likeable’ person
• Focus on what really matter, including letting argument go (as almost all are not that important)
• Success comes from experimentation and practice with progression
• Try to keep mixing with new people to exposure yourself to new ideas
• Listen as much as possible (more than talking)
  • Don’t gossip. It is not flattering
• Make yourself look important and make others feel important
• Accept that humans are different with lots of variations, then think of these as positives rather than complaining or resisting
• The conditions for a project are never perfect so just start and begin to turn your ideas into action
• Define your 10 year goals and your 30 day goals
• Just “be human” in order to be a good leader
  • Think what is the most ‘human’ thing to do when you’re making decisions about how to act as a leader
• Take time to think and just be with your mind [resonates with lots of others who have suggested to just ‘be bored’]

This book focuses on the mental processes and describes that this can be used to change your behaviour. Tony Robbins is certainly in this camp, too. However, the alternative perspective would be that it is easier to change your thoughts by action, than vice versa. This is the ‘fake it ‘til you believe it’ mantra, however that takes enormous mental effort (and is stressful) to put on a superficial facade in the hope that your thoughts eventually change. As with most things, I expect that there is a time and place for both. Stoicism and Alderian psychology would suggest that you are in control of your opinions and therefore should be flexible to control your behaviour via thought, though clearly not straightforward

More books like this:

• How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie
• The happiness project by Gretchen Rubin
• Magic of thinking big by David J. Schwartz

Here are one, two, and three other summaries/reflections on this book.