The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz

I am big on thinking so bought this book as I thought with over 4 million copies sold it must be pretty damn good.

The reality, however, was that the book didn’t deliver what I expected.

Nevertheless, what follows are some parts of the book I highlighted whilst getting stuck into its 337 pages.

“As one thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

“Great men are those who see that thoughts rule the world.”

“There is nothing either good or bad except that thinking makes it so.”

“Life is too short to be little.”

You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.

Vaccinate yourself against excusitis, the disease of the failures.

The right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms every time.

Back on the farm a boy became a man when he proved he could do the work of a man.

Get used to having older persons working for you. Leaders in all fields soon find they are younger than many of the people they supervise. So get used to having older men work for you. It will help you a lot in the coming years when even bigger opportunities develop.

Accept the law of cause and effect. Take a second look at what appears to be someone’s “good luck.” You’ll find not luck but preparation, planning, and success-producing thinking preceded his good fortune.

…action cures fear. Indecision, postponement, on the other hand, fertilize fear.

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?”

…the better you are packaged, the more public acceptance you will receive.

Make no mistake about it. You are judged by the company you keep. Birds of a feather do flock together.

I’ve heard the argument many times “but I can’t afford to go first class.” The simplest answer is: you cannot afford to go any other way. Certainly in the long run, going first class actually costs you less than going second class. Then, too, it’s better to have fewer things and have quality than to have many things and have junk.

Act alive.

How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.

The test of a successful person is not an ability to eliminate all problems before they arise, but to meet and work out difficulties when they do arise. We must be willing to make an intelligent compromise with perfection lest we wait forever before taking action. It’s still good advice to cross bridges as we come to them.

“…I just regarded those first bad investments as part of the cost of my education.”

Over a period of time subordinates tend to become carbon copies of their chief. Be sure the master copy is worth duplicating.

Well, there we have it… some interesting quotes from The Magic of Thinking Big. I think the title of the book sold it more than its content personally, but as will all books they’re subjective to interpretation. Perhaps you will draw a differing conclusion.

Bye for now,

Sam