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Hello 2012!

How are you going to bring in the new year? Like a lamb or a lion?

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Maybe it’s simply about finding out who you are and what truly makes you happy.

A lot of times these new year’s resolutions ultimately become lofty ambitions that slip further and further away from your grasp – not from lack of want but from lack of direction and a great support system.

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This Empowerment Pack includes the abridged version of PTB’s own “Power of Fear” Summit – a special version called The Ultimate Blue Print for Courageous Self Growth. You also have many of my own favorites participating like Barrie Davenport (a PTB blogger!), Dirk de Bruin (another  PTB blogger!) and Steve Aitchison and products I really want to check out like Katie Tallos “7 Week Life Cleanse” and “True Self” by Jonathan Wells in this bundle.

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Erin

Our thoughts create our experience. And the only way to improve our experience is to train our brains to consistently produce better thoughts. That’s the idea Judith Tramayne explores in Train Your Brain. She spent 37 years researching the subject before she was confident enough to share what she learned. Her belief is that spreading this knowledge will end famine, disease, and anything else that prevents “light (good)” from entering our lives.

Thoughts:

To lead a rich and fulfilling life, we need to understand two eternal and universal laws:

1. The Law of Abundance – “Every tree, plant, flower, and animal has enough reproductive capabilities in it to produce thousands of offspring,” Tramayne writes. No matter what we do to interfere, the universe will always be abundant.

2. The Law of Attraction – Everything is energy. That means we can attract anything we feel strongly about. “There is nothing mystical or magical about this knowledge,” Tramayne explains. “It’s merely a scientific fact.”

Whole Brain:

The mind can be divided into two parts: conscious and subconscious. But most of us give over to the conscious mind, which is why we struggle in life. Instead, we should make the conscious mind tell the subconscious mind what it wants and then have the conscious mind get out of the way so the subconscious mind can do the work.

Focus:

Most of our thoughts are repetitive and uncontrolled. That’s why they don’t give us what we want. The only way to get what we want is to control our thoughts. Seeing only the good we want in our lives allows the universe to bring us good things.

Faith:

Faith isn’t just about religion; it also means trusting in your sixth sense (inner voice). This is what guides us to make the right choices. Faith also puts us in a state of knowing that we’ll get what we ask for. This isn’t about luck; it’s about letting the laws of abundance and attraction work in our lives.

Trained Thoughts:

You can train your thoughts in three steps:

1. Quiet – meditate to find a sense of inner calm
2. Concentrate – discipline your conscious mind so you’re fully aware of all your thoughts
3. Replace – swap negative thoughts with an intense desire of what you want instead

This process isn’t easy. That’s because all the years of uncontrolled thinking are hard to change. But, with enough practice, it can become an automatic process.

Trained Focus:

To keep your focus and energise your thoughts, create your own collage of motivational pictures. Then take some time during the day to look over it. You don’t have to stare at it all the time; it’s just a way to get motivated and focus on what you want.

Rich Flow:

Sometimes the universe will bring you things you didn’t quite hope for. But you must say yes to these experiences too. Don’t stay in your comfort zone. Instead, follow your instinct. You never know where it may lead!

Rich Life:

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be rich and happy. Just don’t feel as though you need to hold on to your wealth. There’s more than enough to go around for everyone. Sharing is a way to keep the good going around.

Rich Gratitude:

Most importantly, always remember to be thankful for what the universe has given in the past, is giving in the present, and will give in the future. Spend some time every day reflecting on how much you have in life. This keeps your thoughts focused on what matters most. It also makes you realise that life is beautiful if you just open your eyes.

Conclusion:

I’ve been reviewing a lot of books on the so-called ‘Law of Attraction’ as part of research for a new novel. Some of the old ones are pretty good but many of the new ones seem to be jumping on The Secret’s bandwagon by relying on vague statements and ideas instead of concrete facts. (Making up equations so the whole thing seems more scientific doesn’t count!)

There are many parts in this book when Tramayne starts a point that she doesn’t go on to explain. For example: “Some matter (furniture, cars, money, etc.) is denser in its vibration and because it is, seems solid. But once this denser material is seen using high powered microscopes, we discover the truth — it’s constantly in a state of flux (moving energy) and not solid at all. That’s why it’s easy for humans at a higher vibration level (less dense) to call into our reality the matter (things) we need to survive.” Um, what does this mean?!

Her attack on meditation also makes it seem like all the time monks spend in faraway temples is a waste. According to her, the best way to control your thoughts is to tell them to shut the f**k up. Yup, that’s all it takes. She tried this and found total silence. Since then, she’s been aware of every thought that goes through her mind. Personally, this feels like just another gimmick, much like the annoying tendency for each chapter to lure you into the next even when there’s not much of a connection between them.

Overall, this isn’t a great book for anyone who’s still unsure about the law of attraction. It also doesn’t teach anything new to the people who already buy into the idea. I’m still not sure which of those two groups I fall into. Some of the new research on quantum physics (as well as the recent experiment at CERN) might mean this is all true. But some of the other assertions, like that there’s no such thing as coincidence, give me doubts.

I hope to find more answers as I continue reading and reviewing. Mostly, I’m just glad I can put this book aside and move on to something better.

What are your thoughts on the law of attraction?

Eugene Yiga is a personal development writer and consultant. He’s on a quest to read the 100 greatest books of all time before he turns 30 and shares his love for reading by publishing book reviews every week at eugeneyiga.com. Follow Eugene on Twitter or join the mailing list for instant updates and alerts.

Don’t forget to sign up for the PickTheBrain NEWSLETTER!

Related reading:

Book Review: The 7 Laws of Success by Will Edwards

“No matter what you have been told, no matter what has happened to you, and no matter what mistakes you’ve made, you can completely change the way you live every day of your life. You can focus the majority of your time on the things you enjoy, and you can also make an incredi­ble difference in the lives of other people while you are at it.”

Taking over the world isn’t just for genetically modified mice; it’s for regular people too. After four years volunteering in Africa, Chris Guillebeau started a social movement called The Art of Nonconformity. His mission is to take over the world and to help you do the same. Taking the road less traveled can be scary, but letting go of our assumptions, expectations, and comfort zones is the only way we’ll ever have what really matters.

The Unremarkably Average Versus the Remarkable Few

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther king, Jr.

The two most important questions in the universe are:

1. What do I really want to get out of life? Your ultimate goal is what you’d do if you had unlimited resources like money and time. Close your eyes and picture the perfect day from start to end. How can you start turning this into a reality? “If you take the time to write out the description of your perfect day and then combine it with your long-term goals, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you really want to get out of life,” Guillebeau writes.
2. What can I offer the world that no one else can? This question is a lot tougher than the first. The two also seem to be in conflict. But it’s possible to do something that’s good for you and that’s good for others. It’s the only way you’ll go to the next level.

The Crowded World and the Way to Break Through the Noise

Many might think there’s no point in following their dreams because so many others already are. But that’s not true: “When you finally come out with something truly worth caring about, people will notice.” The key is to silence the gatekeepers and critics. It’s about seeking out people who can help you so you can turn around and help others in return.

The Plan of Attack and How to Overcome the Challenges

“[If] you want to achieve your most significant goals, and you want to change the world for the better in the process, you really don’t need to jump through all the hoops that people hold up for you,” Gillebeau points out. The toolkit for world domination requires:

• Relentless Passion – This is the most important thing. “You have to be willing to give it your all, and for a long time with potentially few rewards,” Gillebeau explains. “In the short run, few people will notice, but in the long run, everyone will.”
• A Very Specific Goal – “If you had two minutes with anyone in the world who has the power to influence the rest of your life, what would you say to them?” Gillebeau asks. Think of this as your elevator pitch.
• Expert Status in Skills that Help Others – Since you need to work with and add value to others, you must have skills that radically improve their lives.
• A Small Army – Committed believers will add their own resources to support your cause. Don’t worry about the specific numbers because “a small, devoted army is far better than a large, uncommitted mob”.
• Friends of Friends – “A small army is critical, but in the long run, the friends of your friends may end up helping even more,” Gillebeau writes.
• Enough Money – Focus on the amount you need to accomplish the goal then figure out how to get it.
• Enough Time – To go from good to great, you need to spend a lot of time improving your skills.
• One-Way Communication – Speaking to your army will require a pulpit (e.g. website, blog, newsletter, etc.)

Work backwards from your outcome and break your large goal into small steps. Then take immediate action. The world will thank you for it.

Conclusion

This book was a nice read (and a very nicely formatted eBook for a change). There wasn’t much time to get into depth so you’ll have to go further if you want more.

Chris Gillebeau wrote this manifesto for “people who are serious about ruling – or at least changing – the world”. At times it’s hard to tell if he’s kidding or if he’s actually being literal. Maybe that’s why he held the hugely successful World Domination Summit and is on a quest to visit every country on the planet? Time will tell.

My only criticism was the tone sometimes came across as arrogant. Early on he offers the following instructions: “[Close] this report now if you’re comfortable with an unremarkably aver­age life… Thanks for your time! Have a great life.”

I’m all for independence and having strong opinions but isn’t there a point when you’re creating more dissension than you really need to? Or maybe this is the best way to weed out the people who won’t be serious soldiers in the exclusive club?

What do you think?

Eugene Yiga is a personal development writer and consultant. He’s on a quest to read the 100 greatest books of all time before he turns 30 and shares his love for reading by publishing book reviews every week at eugeneyiga.com. Follow Eugene on Twitter or join the mailing list for instant updates and alerts.

Don’t forget to sign up for the PickTheBrain NEWSLETTER!

Related reading:

Book Review: The 7 Laws of Success by Will Edwards

Gain pleasure. Avoid pain. That’s pretty much what we’re wired for. But is there more to life? Will Edwards considered the question and realized that there is. He realized that we need to wake up to our life purpose and dedicate ourselves to fulfilling it. That’s the only way we’ll live to the full. In 7 Keys to Success, he discusses what it takes to do just that:

1. Commitment

Most of us simply exist from one day to the next instead of really living. “To succeed, you must have a dream… and you must completely commit yourself to its ultimate fulfillment,” Edwards writes. The dream can be as big as you want as long as it’s your dream and not someone else’s.

2. An Open Mind

Once you’ve committed yourself to achieving your dream, the world will start helping you achieve it. But this only happens if your mind is open to see and experience this: “When you carry your own dream within, you too will be able to touch the hearts and minds of the people around you in much the same way; and it is a truly wonderful and uplifting experience when you find out for yourself that the universe does indeed help you to achieve your goal.”

3. Persistence

We can achieve even the biggest goals as long as we keep the end in mind and keep taking action to get there. No matter how tough things were in the past or our much we struggle in the present, persistence gives us power: “When you meet an obstacle, as you inevitably will, persistence determines what you will do; whether you will give up or keep going. Persistence is what gets you back on your feet, dusted down and ready to go again.”

4. Flexibility

If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve got. The only way to get different results is to change the approach from what isn’t working to what is. That’s where flexibility comes in: “Whilst persistence is an important quality, persistence without flexibility can indeed be futile because, without some flexibility in your approach, you could end up trying to move an immovable object for the rest of your life.”

5. Faith

Instead of pursuing their big dreams, most people settle for less. Somewhere along the line they were convinced by the world that following their passion wasn’t possible. And now they’re on a mission to discourage you too: “That’s why you need faith – a deep-down belief that, regardless of the evidence, you are going to make it! You are going to achieve what you have set out to accomplish. You are going to make a difference in this life.”

6. Thankfulness

“Thankfulness is fundamentally related to positivity and negativity,” Edwards explains. “It is so much easier to be positive about your life and the things that are going on in it right now when you are grateful.” If you’re reading this, you’ve definitely got a number of things to be thankful for. By constantly reflecting on them (perhaps in a gratitude journal), you become a more cheerful person, which makes other people more likely to support you and your efforts.

7. Passion

In the past, many people were too busy making a living to spend much time pursuing ‘higher needs’.  But with all the opportunities of modern life, we can and should go further: “Deep within your heart, there is a desire, the pursuit of which will bring you all the happiness, success and fulfillment you really want. To find your passion is to identify your own unique purpose in life… You can achieve whatever you want. You can be the person you were meant to be; and you can really live the life of your dreams. Those are bold statements but they are true; and more and more people are discovering this wonderful truth for themselves.” Isn’t it about time you discovered it too?

Conclusion

The principles in this book are not remarkably new and the dictionary definitions at the start of every section seem a little out of place. The tendency for the points to spill into each other was also a little distracting. But the inspiring stories in every section were a nice touch.

In any case, it’s always good to be reminded that life can be whatever we want it to be: “Do not make the mistake of believing that life holds no purpose for you. Remember that you are here only once. This is your life – right now! So make sure you live the life you were born to live.”

Eugene Yiga is a personal development writer and consultant. He’s on a quest to read the 100 greatest books of all time before he turns 30 and shares his love for reading by publishing book reviews every week at eugeneyiga.com. He also gives away free stuff without making you join his mailing list. Follow Eugene on Twitter for instant updates and alerts.

If you have read Think and Grow Rich you will know there are numerous mentions of this hidden secret. In fact, Napoleon Hill offers the following teaser in the book’s introduction:

“In every chapter of this book, mention has been made of the money-making secret which has made fortunes for more than five hundred exceedingly wealthy whom I carefully analyzed over a long period of years.”

I was therefore very happy when I recently received a copy of Brian Kim’s e-book The Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich. Would my curiosity finally be satisfied? I hoped so, but I must admit I was also worried that the secret Brian would identify would be a big let-down. I believe my thoughts were: “Please don’t be the Law of Attraction!”

What’s the Book About?

Brian doesn’t waste any time in his book, identifying what the secret is at the very start of Chapter 1. I’m happy to say it is not the Law of Attraction.

As previously noted, the secret is said to appear in every chapter of Think and Grow Rich. Brian is understandably keen to prove the secret he has identified is what Napoleon Hill had in mind. He devotes the second chapter to going through Think and Grow Rich chapter by chapter, pinpointing exactly where the secret is mentioned. Assuming you have read the book, you should find some satisfaction to going “Aha! That’s where it is!” I think you will also be more than convinced that Brian has indeed correctly identified the hidden secret.  The rest of the book goes into detail about how you can use the secret to obtain whatever it is you desire in life.

One thing I noticed is that there is some repetition in the book. However, I think this was a conscious decision on Brian’s part to make sure the reader fully comes to grip with the message of the book. As he says in the book, one common fault of success books is they ‘pump’ you up and that’s where it ends. The Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich is designed to forever change you way you approach a goal or desire.

Why Buy the Book

I highly recommend this e-book to people who have read Think and Grow Rich. If you haven’t read this classic, Brian has included a copy of this book in PDF format free with the purchase of his book.

Now, those of you who have read Think and Grow Rich may be wondering whether or not this book is worth your hard-earned cash. “Can Brian Kim really tell me anything new about success that Napoleon Hill hasn’t?” is what you may be thinking.

Well, the book succeeded in satisfying my curiosity about what Napoleon Hill refers to as the hidden secret, but it also did far more than this. I believe the book’s real value is that it helps everything you have read about self-improvement and personal development come together and click into place.

Think of success as a puzzle. We are all familiar with many of the pieces of this puzzle, principles such as courage, confidence, hard work, persistence, etc….. What is not so clear to many of us is how these pieces fit together to form the puzzle. Brian has done an incredible job in this book of giving the reader both the big picture, as well as a detailed process for making your deepest desires become reality.

The book is a healthy 122 pages, and Brian has also generously included two bonuses: a special report called The Three Biggest Mistakes People Make When Using the Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich and a workbook that accompanies the book bundled up as a special offer for Pick The Brain readers.

Click here to access the special offer for Pick The Brain readers and get The Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich by Brian Kim and the bonuses today.

“The Personality Puzzle” is the new e-book from Pick The Brain contributor Hunter Nuttall. Back in August we published Hunter’s first article for this blog: Introverts And Extraverts: Can’t We Just Get Along? If you enjoyed this article (and it seems many of you did – it received 90+ comments and 1119 votes on Digg), this book will be of immense interest to you.

What’s the book about?

“Sometimes I just don’t understand human behavior.”- C-3PO

“The Personality Puzzle” aims to help you understand what “makes people tick” via the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI originated from the ideas of revolutionary Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. His work was continued by an American mother and daughter team, Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, and resulted in the MBTI being published in 1962. The MBTI did gain some popularity in the 1980s, but according to Hunter the usefulness of it is grossly underestimated.

What’s so good about the book?

One of the best aspects of Hunter’s e-book is the way he combines psychological research and real-world examples. Here are just a few of things you will discover in “The Personality Puzzle”:

• Why Democrats and Republicans tend to disagree on drilling for oil in Alaska
• Why you may be getting paid less than a colleague for doing the same work
• Why a packet of M&Ms can tell you more about yourself than you ever thought possible

The book also introduces a potentially addictive new hobby: typewatching. This hobby simply involves trying to determine someone’s type from their behavior. Hunter shows you how to determine the type of both real people and fictional characters, including Albert Einstein, Forrest Gump, Randy Pausch and Darth Vader. Of course once you have read “The Personality Puzzle” and are armed with a newfound knowledge of the MBTI you will be able to typewatch any person you so choose. But be warned: disagreements are common when trying to determine the type of certain people (eg Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama).

As I hope you can see, Hunter has put a lot of effort into making this book fun. But I should also note that the MBTI has some important practical applications – eg it could help save a marriage or avoid conflict with a co-worker. You may laugh at this, but think about it for moment: if we each better understand the ways we’re similar to and different from others, we will then know how to better get along with each other.

Is it worth buying?

If you are like me you will find the book fascinating. The tests that Hunter links to in the book identified me as an INFP, so I was curious to find out 1) whether this indicator was correct and 2) what this could tell me about myself. As I read through the book I didn’t have any doubts that I was indeed an INFP, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with the insights this gave me about myself.

The 67 page e-book is normally $27.00, but Hunter is offering Pick The Brain readers 50% off this price for a limited time only. To find out more about the e-book and details of how take advantage of this offer follow this link:

“The Personality Puzzle: Understanding What Makes People Tick”

If you’re still not sure whether or not the book is for you, Hunter has kindly made available a preview copy:

Download Preview Copy of “The Personality Puzzle”

Finally, if you have any questions or comments about the MBTI and/ or “The Personality Puzzle” please share them below.

The first idea in The Little Book of Productivity, the new e-book written by Scott Young, is to understand the reasons for wanting to get more done in less time. Many of you will be familiar with Scott’s work from his regular contributions to Pick The Brain over the past year and his own self-titled blog, Scott H Young.

Of course everyone will have their own individual reasons for wanting to be productive. Personally, productivity is a subject I have taken an interest in due to the pressures of working two jobs and being the father of two boys under the age of two. I need to be able to get things done quickly and efficiently. As Scott points out, by becoming aware of these reasons you will be naturally motivated to stay productive instead of slipping into lazy habits.

There are many more excellent ideas in this book, including timeboxing, sprinting theory, Hofstadter’s Rule and operant conditioning. And that is exactly what The Little Book of Productivity is: a book of ideas. Scott’s book looks at 99 ideas related to productivity, with each idea taking up one page.

The book is very well organized (as you would hope a productivity book would be) and covers the following topics:

• Beating Procrastination
• Becoming Organized
• Staying Energized
• Getting Things Finished
• Automate Your Routine
• Productivity Hacks
• Doing the Right Work

Returning to my first point in this review – the backlash against productivity – I would like to point out that a book such as this doesn’t pretend to be answering life’s big questions. But there are plenty of other books for that. The Little Book of Productivity does, however, hope to improve your life. And as I’m sure you will agree, sometimes it only takes one idea to do this.

If you are interested in The Little Book of Productivity you can purchase a copy for $9.95 USD by clicking the following button:

If you would like to know more about this e-book, Scott has made the first chapter available to read for free here.

This e-book includes my best articles from my first year of blogging both on Pick The Brain and my own personal blog, The Change Blog. During this year I married, became a first-time father and relocated from Australia to Canada. Perhaps more importantly, during this time I underwent a personal transformation that changed both how I see my life and the world in which we live.

To grab yourself a copy of this free e-book, you simply need to sign up to my monthly newsletter, The Change Blog Newsletter.

I pack this newsletter full of inspiring and useful personal growth material. And I guarantee your information will be kept private and not shared.

Peter writes about how to change your life at The Change Blog. He is also the author of Starting a Blog and Audio Book Downloads.

Bill Strickland is an amazing man. However, instead of me telling you why, I would like to invite you to watch the above video from TED in which Bill shares his astonishing tale of redemption through arts, music and unlikely partnerships (with subtle accompaniment by longtime friend Herbie Hancock).

Competition

Bill Strickland has recently released a book, Make the Impossible Possible. I have read the book, and loved it, so I am very excited to have 15 copies of it to give away. All you have to do to be in the running to win a copy is to leave a comment below. Share your thoughts about the video, or tell us one thing you once believed to be impossible that you have since discovered is possible.

Find Out More

If you would like to learn more about Bill Strickland, see also:

• BillStrickland.org
• Manchester Bidwell
• TED Speakers: Bill Strickland

An interesting product I’ve been using for the past several months is the Paraliminals series from Learning Strategies. The best way to describe Paraliminals is a combination of guided meditation and neuro-linguistic programming. It’s best experienced with stereo head phones because it works by playing two different audio tracks simultaneously.

The experience is difficult to explain, but the two soundtracks compliment each other in such a way that it’s impossible to concentrate on either but your brain is able to absorb both. One voice usually tells a story, relevant to the theme of the session while the other repeats affirmative messages. The sessions cover a wide range of self improvement topics, including health, relationships, personal charisma, and motivation.

Behind the audible voice tracks are soothing nature sounds accompanied by binaural beats. The real power of the program is the binaural beats, which work by using two complimentary frequencies that interfere with each other to create pulsating phantom frequencies.

The beats affect brainwave patterns and help bring the mind to a state of focused relaxation. If you’ve ever used a guided relaxation program, where the instructor takes you through the process of relaxing each part of the body, then you’ll recognize the feeling of your body being totally relaxed while the mind remains alert.

The benefit of Paraliminals is that it allows you to reach this state much more quickly and helps to block out distractions. I’ve found myself using Paraliminals as a substitute for naps.

Instead of going to sleep and waking up groggy, I lay down for 20 minutes and listen to one of the CDs. There are a wide range of topics covered in the Ultimate You series, so I can usually find something that matches my goals for the near future. After listening to the program I get up relaxed, refreshed, and motivated to take action.

Does It Work?

I don’t think anyone is silly enough to believe that listening to a CD will somehow take the work out of success. If you approach Paraliminals with this attitude then you’ll probably be disappointed. That being said, I think those who have a strong desire to bring about positive improvements will find Paraliminals to be a helpful tool.

The biggest benefit that I’ve experienced with the program is the ability to reach focused relaxation in a matter of minutes. Instead of having to find an isolated place and exert effort to clear my mind, Paraliminals puts the process on autopilot. I can just lay back and listen.

If you’re interested in learning more, I’ve put together a page with more information about my experience with Paraliminals. I’ve also gone to the trouble of negotiating a significant discount, available only to PickTheBrain readers. Check out the Paraliminals page for all the details.