Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want

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If I can spell “agriculture,” I’ll bet I can learn to spell any other word in the world. I’ll bet I can learn to spell better than Bobby Farmer. or the highly publicized individuals who do outstanding work and get recognized for their achievements.

Throw away those murder weapons! Remember, the only way to get full power, to develop full go force, is to do what you want to do. Surrender to desire and gain energy, enthusiasm, mental zip, and even better health. And it’s never too late to let desire take over.A rare self-help book that's actually informed by evidence. A host of perceptive, practical tips for getting out of your own way and making progress toward your career goals.' Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again and Originals Being a doctor at Johns Hopkins does not make me any better in God's sight than the individual who has not had the opportunity to gain such an education but who still works hard.”

All-in-all, the book was a bit misleading, because more than half was devoted to other individual’s stories that I did not think would be present. The book also suffers a bit from the organization. If Carson was adamant about adding the stories of those individuals in this book, he should have clarified what THINK BIG was before telling their stories; I think that would have made his points stronger and clearer. I ended up skimming two chapters until I ended up at the part of the book where I wanted to be: Carson describing his THINK BIG philosophy. It’s natural to want to belong, to be accepted, to have group approval. But ask yourself, “Which group do I want to have accept me: the group that laughs because it is secretly jealous or the group that is making progress by doing things?” The author of this book knows about hardship. Ben Carson grew up in inner-city Detroit. His mother was illiterate. His father had left the family. His grade-school classmates considered Ben stupid. He struggled with a violent temper. In every respect, Ben’s harsh circumstances seemed only to point to a harsher future and a bad end. But that’s not what happened.

Entertain the impossible. It's easy to think “small” in your life, because it's easy to feel obligated to be practical or realistic about your dreams or goals. Thinking big requires you to move beyond thinking realistically and toward what might seem improbable or even impossible. [2] X Research source

Attitudes do more than show through. They “sound” through too. A secretary does more than identify an office when she says, “Good morning, Mr. Shoemaker’s office.” In just five words one secretary says, “I like you. I’m glad you’re calling. I think you are important. I like my job.” But another secretary saying exactly the same words tells you, “You bothered me. I wish you hadn’t called. I’m bored with my job, and I don’t like people who bother me.” We read attitudes through expressions and voice tones and inflections. Want to write a note to a friend? Do it now. Got an idea you think would help your business? Present it now. Live the advice of Benjamin Franklin: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Remember, thinking in terms of now gets things accomplished. But thinking in terms of someday or sometime usually means failure. The way we think toward our jobs determines how our subordinates think toward their jobs. The job attitudes of our subordinates are direct reflections of our own job attitudes. It’s well to remember that our points of superiority—and weakness—show up in the behavior of those who report to us, just as a child reflects the attitudes of his parents.

Let the master thought “I will succeed” dominate your thinking process. Thinking success conditions your mind to create plans that produce success. For example, if you’re working on that speech for school, and you’re committed to doing something different with it, ask a friend to listen to what you have and be honest about how they think it’s going. It might be painful to hear that they think what you’re trying just doesn’t work, but it will ultimately make you better. And getting a new perspective helps you stay motivated. If you’re writing a speech, starting small might just mean making a list of things you want to give a speech about. Tell the truth. If you tell the truth all the time you don't have to worry three months down the line about what you said three months earlier. Truth is always the truth. You won't have to complicate your life by trying to cover up.” In a year and a half—by the middle of sixth grade—I had moved to the top of the class. Unfortunately, I had not been content just to read and to learn. I also felt I had to let everyone else in the world know how brilliant I had become. At the time, I honestly believed that I knew more than any of the other kids in my classroom. I thought I was brilliant; actually, I was quite obnoxious.

What immediately strikes you about this book is Dr. Schwartz's truly inspiring vision for what we can all achieve with the right mindset. His principles are not overly complex or laden with jargon. Instead, they are clear, concise, and punctuated with engaging anecdotes that make you feel like you're sitting down with a wise friend.Believe me,” she went on, “my weekly improvement plan works. Just by conscientiously asking myself, ‘How can I do a better job?’ I find the answers. It’s a rare Monday night that I don’t come up with some plan or technique that makes that profit and loss statement look better.