One of the books that’s had the biggest impact on my life?
10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace
by the late, great Wayne Dyer.
As I see it, his “Father of Motivation” moniker falls ludicrously short.
“Father of Changing Lives” wouldn’t be an overstatement. I can’t beat the drum for Wayne enough.
And this book was by my
side in more ways than one as I wrestled with the decision to quit my job back in 2021.
On first reading, some of the passages in the book stopped me cold.
One section in particular took me from lying flat on my sofa to sitting bolt upright, my heart pounding and my chest vibrating. It was like
Wayne was gazing into my soul, talking directly to me and my situation. This passage put a lot of things in perspective and spurred me on.
However…
Most of the book impacted me the way a pocket-sized travel guide to Mexico impacts me. Sort of
interesting. Kind of useful. But certainly not life-changing.
I still dip into the book every now and then.
Some of those original passages have lost their power. They’re just words on a page now.
But the cool thing is that
other passages have started to pop and come alive for me.
And yes,
inspire me.
There’s a lesson here.
You don't always need to look somewhere new to find new ideas, insights and perspectives.
Not even close.
Instead, I’ll wager a mango margarita that you can find new ideas in old places. Especially if you’ve found useful ideas there before.
Revisiting a source means bringing new knowledge to something familiar.
Which, in turn, lets us see things in a new light.
The Greek philosopher and all-round good egg Heraclitus once said "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's
not the same river and he's not the same man".
So if you’ve enjoyed a dip in the river before, why not take a dip in that river again?
Who knows what you might find.
Food for thought perhaps.
- Tom
p.s. I have an offer for you today.
If you’d like to know which 6 short paragraphs in 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace had such an impact on me the first time I read the book, I’ll happily tell you.
Just hit reply and tell me a book which has had a big impact on you in some way.
In return, I'll share those 6 short paragraphs with you.