I'm aware that people have various opinions about self help books and on their ability to help us ( if they are able to help us at all), however there's this book that caught my attention as I was searching for reference material for an assignment that was long due.
The title said 10 secrets for success and inner peace and you can imagine my skepticism as there are hundreds of books written on success and most of them I find out to be just elaborating on facts that we already aware of.
I read the paragraph the author has written in the introduction and he has mentioned, i quote;
"when you feel peaceful and successful, you want to extend and export that peace and love. the violence hatred, prejudice and judgement in our world suggest that we have miles to go to reach a world of inner and outer peace"
These words got me thinking and ultimately made me turn the pages and continue reading the text and i thought he has a worthwhile message to pass along. the 10 secrets he has shared in the book is a summery of an enlightening conversation one should have with itself.
1st Secret : Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing
Sounds easy, but is it? From early childhood we have been conditioned to accept the world the way our parents, teachers, friends and culture tell us it is and this conditioning may make it hard for us to keep an open mind that's not attached to the achievement of culturally accepted outcomes.
2nd Secret: Don't die with your music still in you
Find your passion and follow it even if it means marching to your own drumbeat when it's different from what everyone else or society says you should be doing.
3rd Secret: You can't give away what you don't have
love and respect yourself so that you will have love and respect to give to others.
4th Secret: Embrace Silence
Silence helps us cultivate inner peace and becoming more peaceful helps us deflect the negative energy of those around us.
5th Secret: Give up your personal history
Many people hang onto past pains and use their personal history to justify their current self-defeating behaviors which only leads to more pain in the present. Dr. Dyer suggests that we view our past history with compassion for all that we've been through and then practice living in the moment.
6th Secret: You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it
Any problem can be resolved with a spiritual solution. He suggests that we need to change our mind, thoughts and beliefs in order to find a spiritual solution to a problem.
7th Secret: There are no justified resentments
Resentment is like venom that continues to pour through your system doing poisonous damage long after you've been bitten. You can remove the venom by making a decision to let go of resentments.
8th Secret: Treat yourself as if you already are what you like to be
As you place more and more of your energy on what you intend to manifest, you start seeing those intentions materializing.
9th Secret: treasure your divinity
we must think of God as a presence that is everywhere, including ourselves.
10th Secret: Wisdom is avoiding all thoughts that weaken you
What you choose to think about is the source of your experience of reality. Choose to replace dis-empowering, weakening thoughts with empowering thoughts of peace, joy, love and acceptance.