Chapter 1. The Magic of Thinking Big (visualized)

1 visualized chapter in your inbox every week(ish). Kicking off with The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. Chapter 1: Believe you can succeed and you will.

Key takeaways

Only people that truly believe in success will find ways to get there.

Because while disbelief attracts more reasons for why things should fail, true believe will find possibilities for how it could succeed.

Replacing negative thinking with positive thinking is the superpower that separates the average Joe from the big guys.

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My thoughts

This book was published in 1959, but the concept of really believing seems to be now more alive than ever.

If I open social media today, chances are that some self-proclaimed guru tells me that if I just manifest hard enough I can get all that I wish for. At least that’s how I always perceived it.

This first chapter made me realize that it might actually mean the same as David Schwartz wrote all these years ago. That if you really believe in something, the road toward it will start to reveal itself.

You still need to travel the road, but it’s the difference between thinking “I’m not sure I’ll get there” and “I know I can get there, but how?”. In the first scenario, you doubt the end result and your mind is closed off to any opportunities, while in the second scenario you actively look for them.

As a minor real-life example, several of my friends can’t do any DIY around the house. Seriously. Even for hanging up a picture frame, they need to ask others. And they’re not embarrassed because they’re born with two left hands. So it’s out of their control.

Garbage. They’re all capable of the physical movement required for drilling a hole in the wall. There is nothing special to it.

Except if you truly believe you can’t. Then it’s impossible.

So this concept works both ways as this famous quote of Henry Ford exemplary illustrates:

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.

More visuals

I visualized the concept of mindset driving action here and here as well. Take a look and show some love if you like it! ❤

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Useful quotes

Those who believe they can move mountains, do.

The how to do it comes to the person who believes he can.

The “Okay-I’ll-give-it-a-try-but-I-don’t-think-it-will-work” attitude produces failures.

“A person is a product of his own thoughts.”

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Reading status

Get the book by David J. Schwartz here.¹

We’ll continue next week with chapter 2, where we talk about Excusitis :)

• Ch 1. Believe You Can Succeed and You Will (this issue)

• Ch 2. Cure Yourself of Excusitis, the Failure Disease (next week)

• Ch 3. Build Confidence and Destroy Fear (upcoming)

• Ch 4. How to Think Big (upcoming)

• Ch 5. How to Think and Dream Creatively (upcoming)

• Ch 6. You are What You Think You Are (upcoming)

• Ch 7. Manage Your Environment: Go First Class (upcoming)

• Ch 8. Make Your Attitudes Your Allies (upcoming)

• Ch 9. Think Right Toward People (upcoming)

• Ch 10. Get the Action Habit (upcoming)

• Ch 11. How to Turn Defeat into Victory (upcoming)

• Ch 12. Use Goals to Help you Grow (upcoming)

• Ch 13. How to Think like a Leader (upcoming)

1. This is an an Amazon affiliate link designed to make me rich (i.e. when you buy anything using this link, you support my work but it doesn’t cost you a penny. Win-win ❤)