The Magic of Thinking Big

Every now and then, one read a book that truly inspires. This is exactly what David has achieved with the Magic of Thinking Big. Not only does he inspire "big" thinking, but he also takes it one step further to inspire action to make it happen. The book is filled with ideas and techniques that can be applied in our everyday life whether at home or at work. These are illustrated by real-life examples that the author draws upon - in which these techniques have proven further success, happiness, and satisfaction to those who have implemented them. Many of the ideas presented, constitute the basis for true leadership. A very enjoyable and educative read. It is structured in such a way as to allow the readers to read and implement specific ideas/techniques presented in one chapter without necessarily reading the entire book. This is in my opinion, the most effective way to take advantage of the wisdom presented. A highly recommended read! Below are excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful: 1- "The thinking that guides your intelligence is much more important than how much intelligence you may have." 2- "Knowledge is power - when you use it constructively." 3- "Action cures fear." 4- "Look at things not as they are, but as they can be. Visualization adds value to everything. A big thinker always visualizes what can be done in the future. He isn't stuck with the present." 5- "Practice adding value to things... Practice adding value to people...Practice adding value to yourself." 6- "...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?" 7- "Big success calls for persons who continually set higher standards for themselves and others, persons who are searching for ways to increase efficiency, to get more output at lower cost, do more with less effort. Top success is reserved for the I-can-do-it-better kind of person." 8- "In summation, use these tools and think creatively...Believe it can be done...Don't let tradition paralyze your mind. Be receptive to new ideas. Be experimental. Try new approaches. Be progressive in everything you do...Ask yourself daily, "How can I do better?"...Ask yourself, "How can I do more?" Capacity is a state of mind. Asking yourself this question puts your mind to work to find intelligent short-cuts. The success combination is business is: Do what you do better...and do more of what you do...Practice asking and listening...Stretch your mind. Get stimulated. Associate with people who can help you to think of new ideas, new ways of doing things." 9- "How you think determines how you act. How you act in turn determines: How others react to you." 10- "The way we think toward our jobs determines how our subordinates think toward their jobs." 11- "The person who does the most talking and the person who is the most successful are rarely the same person. Almost without exception, the more successful the person, the more he practices conversation generosity, that is, he encourages the other person to talk about himself, his views, his accomplishments, his family, his job, his problems." 12- "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." 13- "Persisting in one way is not a guarantee of victory. But persistence blended with experimentation does guarantee success." 14- "A second way to profit from the "Be-Human" rule is to let your action show you put people first. Show interest in you subordinates' off-the-job accomplishments. Treat everyone with dignity. Remind yourself that the primary purpose in life is to enjoy it. As a general rule, the more interest you show in a person, the more he will produce for you. And his production is what carries you forward to greater and greater success."

"THE MAGIC OF THINKING BIG" by David J. Schwartz This is my second-time reading this book (first time being in 1999, shortly after I joined the Amway biz and shortly before I joined the Air Force), and after these years I still find it to be one of the best self-help books I've ever read. True enough, a lot of the material that Dr. Schwartz teaches within is seemingly common sense that should be boneheadedly obvious....yet in this day & age, common sense really ain't so common, and it's all to easy to lose track of the principles & power of positive thinking when we're surrounded by so much toxic negativity in the world RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS (and noteworthy passages): --p. 2: "There is magic in thinking big. 'If Thinking Big accomplishes so much, why doesn’t everyone think that way?' I’ve been asked that question many times. Here, I believe, is the answer. All of us, more than we recognize, are products of the thinking around us. And much of this thinking is little, not big. All around you is an environment that is trying to tug you, trying to pull you down Second Class Street." Hear, hear! Negative Nancys, Dream Killers, Debbie Downers, and Oxygen Thieves! Or as Gabe Suarez terms 'em, "Rats, Shoemakers, and Lizards." --p. 3: "...there is at least 50 times as much competition for jobs on Second Class Street as for jobs on First Class Avenue. First Class Avenue, U.S.A., is a short, uncrowded street." A First Class travel junkie like me takes heart in this! "....minds like Milton, who in Paradise Lost wrote, 'The mind is its own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven.'" I've witnessed this myself repeatedly, in school, the military, law enforcement, and contracting alike. --p. 4: "Start out with this thought of the great philosopher Disraeli: 'Life is too short to be little.'" Ah, if only the late great USC Professor and leadership guru Warren Bennis (G-d rest his soul and Fight On Forever) were still around to discuss that particular quote! --p. 12: "Currently, there is some talk of building a tunnel under the English Channel to connect England with the Continent. Whether this tunnel is ever built depends on whether responsible people believe it can be built." And yes, Dr. Schwartz (may you Rest In Peace), the Chunnel has long since become a reality. --p. 37: "We often hear that knowledge is power. But this statement is only a half-truth. Knowledge is only potential power. Knowledge is power only when put to use—and then only when the use made of it is constructive." "Einstein taught us a big lesson. He felt it was more important to use your mind to think than to use it as a warehouse for facts." [author's original emphasis] --p. 39: "Ask yourself, 'Am I using my mental ability to make history, or am I using it merely to record history made by others?'" Wow, powerful stuff right there!! --p. 50: "Jot that down in your success rule book right now. Action cures fear." [author's original emphasis] --p. 131: "Pay twice as much and buy half as many." (Regarding wardrobe) --p. 154: "Let’s face it. Some folks, being jealous, want to make you feel embarrassed because you want to move upward.....It happens in the military service when a clique of negative-minded individuals poke fun at and try to humiliate the young soldier who wants to go to officers’ school.....You’ve seen it happen time and again in high schools when a group of lunkheads deride a classmate who has the good sense to make the most of his educational opportunities and come out with high grades. Sometimes—and all too sadly often—the bright student is jeered at until he reaches the conclusion that it isn’t smart to be intelligent." I can relate from personal experience! --p. 165: "Go first class in everything you do. You can’t afford to go any other way." Life's too short to live it as a cheapo! --p. 182: "People like to be called by name. It gives everyone a boost to be addressed by name. Two special things you must remember. Pronounce the name correctly, and spell it correctly. If you mispronounce or misspell someone’s name, that person feels that you feel he is unimportant." (Similar to what Dale Carnegie teaches in "How to Win Friends and Influence People")

In a group that I was in, someone recommended this book. I bought it. That was in 2013. I never bothered reading it. Fast forward to a couple of months ago. I started challenging myself to read 10 pages a day. A member in another group that I am a part of, recommended this book. I dusted it off and started reading it. Why did I wait so long? Although this book was written in 1959, the principles behind it still ring true. In my opinion, that's when you know it's a good book. It talks about changing your mindset. You have to believe you're a winner, in order to be a winner. It gives you tips on harnessing and developing your ideas; how to treat people--you are not PULLED up to a higher level job, you are LIFTED up by the people you interact with. You have to be likeable. This book tells you how to win friends and influence people. It tells you how to turn defeat into victory. The thing I liked most about this book is that it doesn't just TALK about these things. It gives you tips and a roadmap on thinking big. This book is a timeless classic, and I am glad I took the time to read it. I will definitely start applying these principles to my life. The only issue I have with this book is that the format of the book could have been more defined. Some of the concepts run together, and really should be separated by an extra line.

This book very much mirrors Denis Waitley's series of self-help books/audios--The Psychology of Winning-The Ten Qualities of aTotal Winner. I have found Waitley's other books are based on the same theme just different anecdotes--the message is the same. The Magic of Thinking Big essentially gives the same suggestions almost verbatim as the Waitley series. With that said it is my opinion that Schwartz's book is a good supplement to the Waitley series or the other way around depending on which material you read first. It reaffirms the other author's work. In a nutshell--Schwartz (and Waitley) maintain that an individual develop self confidence and not focus on negativity or fear that prohibits an individual from reaching personal goals. If there is a difference between Waitley and Schwartz it is this context--Waitley goes into much rhetoric about goal setting and reaching those goals. The way an individual feels on the inside has very much to do with how the world views that said individual--it is here where the commonality of the two authors do very good jobs on how an individual molds that part of their person in order to change the way they view themself. There are plenty of exercises and checklists that one can go by in order to help them reach a better you. I recommend this book.

"The Magic of Thinking Big" by David Joseph Schwartz is a truly magnificent book that left a profound impact on me. Reading it reminded me of my father, Walter Leon Freeman, who always emphasized the importance of thinking big. From March 17, 1944, St. Patrick's Day, to April 31, 2023, Easter, his words echoed in my mind, urging me to reach for the stars. This book taught me that thinking big isn't just about dreaming grand dreams; it's about seeing the small things in life from a different perspective. It's about understanding that our thoughts shape our reality and that by thinking positively about ourselves and others, we can achieve great things. Schwartz's words made me realize that while material things may come and go, what truly lasts for eternity is our thoughts. We will be remembered not for our possessions but for the impact our thoughts had on the world and how they helped shape society. I wholeheartedly recommend "The Magic of Thinking Big" to anyone seeking inspiration and guidance on how to live a fulfilling life. David Joseph Schwartz did an excellent job of articulating his thoughts and sharing them with the world. Thank you for this incredible book. Deon C Freeman 3/25/2024

This book provides you with workable methods and not shallow promises, and techniques that are very original. This book sets up a plan for impressive living with the resources you already have. The book says that you do not need to be greatly intelligent or need to have a massive brain to be successful. The book says that if you believe you can be successful, then you will be successful. The intellectual level of the book is strong. The author has a PhD in psychology and he was a professor at Georgia State University. To me, it seems like Schwartz's guidance in the book is instituted in psychology. He also gives many real life scenarios to clarify his opinions. Schwartz is a skilled writer. The book's effectiveness is great. Schwartz talks about methods about how to gain success that include; believing in yourself will take you to greater highs, stop coming up with excuses, building up your confidence, thinking ingeniously and using that to solve problems, focusing on your features, getting into the habit of positive thinking and how to lead yourself by thinking rather than memorizing. In the book there are diagrams and summaries of the chapters to help you easily apply the knowledge to your own life. Even though the book was written five decades ago, the book still has advice that applies to the present. Everyone should read this book. It positively influences your prospective on beliefs, goals and success. The book helped me overcome some self-doubt and helped me to understand to use my thoughts to improve my actions. This book can benefit everyone. It does not take much to make the simple changes that Schwartz suggests in this book. This book helps you positively improve multiple areas of your life.

Really nice book to make your thinking like a winner

This book is an absolute must have self help book for anyone trying to overcome self doubt and limited thinking. If you are ready to be empowered this book is for you.