Review of The Magic of Thinking Big
I often hear people say, “This book changed my life,” and it used to make me wonder why I hadn’t yet found that one book that would change mine.
I’ve read many books, some of which have certainly impacted me, but that one “life-changing” book had always eluded me.
Books have, without a doubt, shaped parts of my life.
I haven’t read as many as I should have, but I’ve had my fair share of both fiction and non-fiction.
Kafka, Umberto Eco, Naipaul, Amritlal Nagar, Dostoevsky, Camus, Salman Rushdie, William Dalrymple, Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie — these have been my intellectual companions over the years when I’ve craved stimulating literature.
But in the last few years, dealing with personal struggles, self-help and life-improvement books have become my primary focus.
I’ve gone through Atomic Habits, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, How to Win Friends and Influence People, The Secret, Start with Why, The War of Art, Peak Mind, and countless others.
Each, in its own way, touched my life.
And then, somewhat randomly, I stumbled upon The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz.
And it did, in fact, change my life.
I’ll be honest — there’s nothing revolutionary in the book.
Maybe it hit me at just the right moment in life when I was ready for a shift.
The book triggered a thought process that jolted me out of a stagnant mindset.
It’s an old classic, first published in the late 1950s, and like many classics, it has resurfaced in recent years through word-of-mouth recommendations.
That’s how I came across it.
As the title suggests, the book is all about changing how you think.
Schwartz consistently prompts readers to “think big.”
He doesn’t just encourage you to aim high; he also lays out practical steps on how to rewire your thinking patterns to support those ambitions.
But what does “thinking big” really mean?
It’s a phrase we hear all the time, but Schwartz digs deeper.
He’s talking about reshaping your thoughts to align with your goals, whether you want to become wealthy, gain influence, or just improve your circumstances.
It all starts with how you think.
Schwartz argues that age, wealth, or social connections don’t matter.
When you change your thinking, you shift into a mindset that attracts new opportunities.
The book provides actionable advice for fine-tuning your thinking, starting with simple but impactful habits.
One of the ideas that stuck with me was the connection between posture and mindset.
Schwartz references a study linking poor posture and sluggish movement to negative self-perception.
He suggests that simply walking 25% faster, standing taller, and moving with purpose can change your attitude and boost your confidence.
Confident people walk briskly.
They appear as if they have somewhere important to be.
This resonated deeply with me because even though I use a power wheelchair, I noticed a similar pattern.
When I’m feeling drained or demotivated, I move my wheelchair slowly, almost reluctantly.
But when I’m feeling confident and driven, I move faster, more purposefully.
It’s a small change that has a profound impact on my mood.
Another idea Schwartz explores is the concept of “mind food.”
Just as our bodies reflect the quality of the food we consume, our minds reflect the environment we immerse ourselves in.
Surround yourself with negative influences, and your thoughts will follow suit.
Want to adopt better habits?
Start spending time with people who already have those habits.
Schwartz offers plenty of relatable analogies like this throughout the book, making abstract concepts easy to grasp.
One of the most memorable analogies he uses compares feeding your mind with negative thoughts to pouring dirt into your car’s engine every day.
Over time, that engine becomes so clogged it tops working properly.
Similarly, negative thoughts create mental clutter, leading to worry, frustration, and self-doubt, ultimately derailing your progress while others speed ahead.
Schwartz’s advice on managing emotions and interactions is practical and easy to implement.
For example, when introducing yourself, make it a habit to offer a warm handshake, make eye contact, and say, “I’m very glad to know you.”
Simple steps like sitting in the front row of a meeting or making more eye contact can boost your confidence and change how others perceive you.
The pivotal thought for me?
Capacity is a state of mind.
If you want to be someone different, start thinking like that person today.
When faced with a decision, ask yourself, “Would the person I want to be do what I’m about to do?”
If not, don’t do it. If yes, go for it.
One of the biggest roadblocks Schwartz highlights is the belief that big accomplishments are beyond your reach.
If you’ve already convinced yourself that you can’t do it, you’ve already given up.
The naysayers around you, those who tell you it’s impossible, are often unsuccessful themselves.
Their opinions can be poison if you let them in.
A quote that stayed with me from the book is: “The important thing is not where you were or where you are, but where you want to get.”
At first, The Magic of Thinking Big might seem like just another self-help book repeating the same old ideas.
But something about the way David J. Schwartz presents his insights truly moves you.
The concepts may seem simple, even old-fashioned, but the wisdom is timeless.
It applied in the 1950s, 800 years ago, and it will still apply 800 years from now.
After reading the book, I renegotiated my contract and received a 60% raise.
I doubled my writing rate.
When one client initially balked at my new rate, I stood firm.
With renewed confidence, I spoke with him in a way that, a couple of weeks later, he came back and agreed to my terms.
I’ve pushed my daughter to work harder, started getting up earlier, and have become more focused and aggressive towards both my personal and financial growth.
Whether it was the book itself or the fact that I read it at exactly the right time, it doesn’t matter.
The Magic of Thinking Big is a good book to read.
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