Thanks Emma. I'm mainly concerned that the election debate is likely to be based on fear, prejudice and shock headlines. I recently listened to a very good audiobook called "Flat Earth News" which confirmed a suspicion of mine: that the press, and the tabloids in particular, are not taking a specific line, but rather that they are pandering to the perceived prejudices of their readers.

Good luck with your application! I'm not sure I'd want to get into local politics again, at least not while trying to earn a living at the same time. I'm sure you'll be excellent though. Do keep me posted!

Euan

I really like Pema Chodron's writing style - it's full of joy and totally down to earth. I have an audiobook by her entitled "Getting Unstuck" which is great. The rat poison analogy is brilliant and so, so true. I'm still prone to bouts of resentment, but am aware that it's really only ever going to hurt me.

Thanks for your comments, Jill. It's also worth noting that there are usually many routes to the same outcome goal. One good way is to set ongoing targets that are achievable and commit to them, in public if necessary! For writing, NaNoWriMo is a great way to specifically commit to writing at least a good part of a novel - I took part in 2009 and it was a great exercise in persistence and trust, one I would recommend to anyone.

Euan

Thanks for your comment - I like the idea of really breaking things up into smaller steps... you've added something really good there. By the way, I ought to note that the whole 'baby steps' idea is all thanks to Flylady (<a href="http://www.flylady.net)" target="_blank">http://www.flylady.net) as she uses the 'baby steps' idea as a means of keeping a clean tidy house... Thanks again! Euan

This is probably one of the first 'self-development' books I ever bought, and it's still right up there - even though I have to confess that I still have a great deal of work to do in terms of putting the points of the book into action.

I think you've done a great job again Brian in terms of bringing this book to life as you have with so many of the others. A 'definite main purpose' is really the central idea of this book and the most important thing to really work on, once you have that then you can bring the other principles to life: a burning desire, faith, persistence using autosuggestion, and so on.

I am also going to work through the Law of Success book which I have and is a lot bigger than TAGR - if I remember correctly, this is the book that was condensed to produce TAGR? Perhaps someone can correct me. Either that or TAGR was expanded to create Law of Success. Either way, they are both excellent books.

It's great reading others comments too, and how, just as the books and summaries each allow us to see universal principles from different angles and lit up in different ways, so the comments similarly show how each individual person can have a unique take on each book and the principles within.

Good work everyone!

Euan

I loved those descriptions too.

Incidentally, I watched a video on ted.com by Phil Zimbardo (it's short - only about 5 minutes and worth a look) in which he differentiates between different time orientations and he chooses six: past positive and past negative, present hedonist and present fatalist, future and a sort of transcendental future orientation. Past positive/negative people base decisions on what happened in the past - some based on positive memories and some on negative memories. The present oriented people base their decisions on what's happening now and what they feel like (present hedonist) or they act as if things are predetermined (present fatalist). The future oriented people made decisions based on the future (much like the rat racer) and neglect the present for it - either future in the sense of a future goal, or transcendental future in the sense of life after death.

If you get a chance, do have a look. It's probably a bit short to really get into what the categories mean in any detail, but it's food for thought. His argument is that we tend to have a mix of these categories to some extent.

Euan

Hi Sarah - thanks for your comment. I'm glad you found the post useful. To be honest I've been a bit slack in adding further posts to my blog, but you've given me some encouragement to do so - I have four posts in various stages of editing at the moment! Yes, motivation is an important thing to bear in mind when setting goals, in particular whether the factors beneath the 'top level' goal are about moving towards pleasure or away from pain. Another useful distinction which I will talk about in another post is the difference between outcomes and processes: the 'what you want' is the outcome, the process is 'how are you going to get it', and focuses much more on creating a process. For example I want to run the Loch Ness Marathon in October, but in order to get to the level where I can do that, I need a running programme which works up to that level.

Thanks - and do keep checking in for more. I'll look out for Emma Bridgewater's work.

Euan

Interesting how the use of specific words can change a lot. I used to hear it spoken about as 'wishing' versus 'wanting', but it seems that merely 'wanting' isn't enough. Being committed to something seems much more definite - even to the point at which you are committed to breathing, eating and sleeping.

Wow - just listened to this note and this is brilliant. That book is on my list! :)

Interesting that the ideas are starting to really come together from different books now - from Day 1 and The Four Agreements - being impeccable with your word and today and committing to not complaining.

I found it very interesting what Eker says about affirmations, and speaking AS IF something is already in place. I think affirmations are a big part of Think And Grow Rich, although I think Eker's outlook is a bit more subtle - he still talks about affirmations, but they are affirming a process rather than an outcome. Again, a brilliant concept - one I've also heard from Steve Chandler with his Club Fearless talks where he makes the distinction between outcome goals and process goals. That's very useful indeed.

Also Eker is spot on about - well, everything else! I like what he says about comfort zones. I also think he's got me won over when he talks about giving and receiving as two sides of the same coin, and wealth being a good thing as it then gives you the opportunity to make things happen for others - for causes and businesses you care about. Very good.

Unfortunately for many people like me (brought up in a northern English working class family) there's a very distinct outlook on life where certainly my grandmother would talk about 'knowing your place' and 'not getting above your station'. I think that outlook is fading but it's still there in the background and I have to be conscious not to lapse into that way of thinking.

All good anyway! Keep up the good work, Brian!

Euan

Hi Brian, I really love the ten principles and will be looking out for them to appear more and more through the books you are summarising.

I recognised the Greek word 'arete' from the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" where it is used to describe the author's concept of quality. He also describes 'arete' as a respect for the wholeness of life and, pretty much as you say, being true to yourself and making the most of your own abilities. I'll have to have another listen to that and see if it is useful.

By the way, I loved your 'fall on your butt 20,000 times' talk too, and it reminded me that as children we are much more prepared to keep pressing on towards a goal - think how many times the average toddler falls over! It doesn't stop them from getting up and trying to walk again! Your talk also reminded me of a quote by Muhammad Ali: "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

Euan