The Magic Of Thinking Big

We choose our thoughts AND our life becomes what we think.

Photo of front cover from Annelie’s own book copy.

Last week I survived the nightmare of traveling from Florida to Washington DC by train. The train ride, back and forth, took 40 hours. Imagine that; a whole work week of just sitting in a chair with nowhere to go and nothing to do, except looking out a boring window. I almost lost my mind.

Oops, wrong track.

Last week I experienced the luxury of traveling from Florida to Washington DC by train. The train ride, back and forth, gave me 40 hours of freedom to just be. Imagine that; no plans, except sitting in a comfortable chair with the option of filling 40 hours with activities of choice. What a gift that was.

Normally, I bring several books in my back pack when I travel. But since I also wanted to write, knit, think and ponder about my incredible life, I brought only one. This book is old and full of scribbles. I have had it for years. I have read parts of the book from time to time, especially when I felt small and lost.

Finally, between Florida and Washington DC, I read the book cover to cover. It was an awakening to the power of human thinking.

This transformative book, The Magic Of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, PH. D., teaches us that the key element to achieving success lies not in our circumstances, but in the power of our thoughts.

Of course, the word success means different things to different people. I assign the meaning of success to pursuing and getting what we want in life. For certain, we cannot get what we want unless we clarify our thoughts. Keeping those thoughts steady, serve as a beacon of hope and a roadmap to success. This helps to remove misery from life.

Most of us don’t think big because we have not learned how to think big. When we think small, our lives become small. That makes us miserable.

A small thinking person, generated from Microsoft word, AI copilot.

This book taught me how to grow my thinking; banish misery and embrace big thoughts from this day forward.

AI generated person sitting on a park bench, thinking big thoughts. Image from Copilot in word.

Here are six guideposts to get you started on thinking big.

1. Decide what you want and define what success means to you. Bring your ideas from your head and into the world by writing them down. Plan and set clear goals. Don’t be afraid to think big. “Big ideas and big plans are often easier — certainly no more difficult — than small ideas and plans.”, writes Dr. Schwartz. Do one thing to day and do another thing tomorrow while you move towards success.
2. Believe in your thoughts and act accordingly. If you believe your glass is half-full, be grateful for it. If you want to write a book, believe that what you write matters. Dr. Swartz likens the mind to a “thought factory”, where your focus shapes your output. By focusing on positive outcomes that we believeare possible for us, we can overcome doubtful thoughts that are sure to come and visit whenever we feel down and vulnerable.
3. Enlarge your thinking and remember that your achievements will never exceed the scope of your thinking. “Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think”, is another statement from the book. Visualize possibilities and use empowering language to inspire optimism. You might need a little training but keep at it. We are what we think we are, and we decide what that is.
4. Eliminate excuses that we frequently use to hold ourselves back. At times, we all do this when we don’t feel like doing something that we ought to do. Dr Schwartz calls this Excusitis, the failure disease. It is all related to a mind-deadening thought disease. The author reminds us that the excuses made by mediocre fellows, could be, but aren’t made by a successful person.
5. Take proactive action because thinking big requires action. “Your objective is to make successful action habitual”, writes Dr Schwartz. Writing a book is a perfect example. If you write 30–60 minutes before work every day, it becomes a habit. I know this because I did it. Before I retired, I rose at 4:30 in the morning to have time for my morning ritual that included writing. Before starting my nursing shift at 6:30 am in the hospital, I had already taken another step towards completing my book, Say Yes To A Better Life. I still prefer to write in the morning.
6. Regular Self-reflection is a way to stay true to our thoughts, true to our desires, and true to our goals. The way to stay aligned to our goals and values is to regularly reflect on our actions, thoughts, and feelings in order to understand ourselves better. Self-reflection also helps us to make necessary adjustments as we go along. Rereading text that resonates with us and rehearsing thoughts that are big and bold must be part of our regular self-reflection. This is the fuel that runs our engines.

Image of Annelie’s own book copy that is full of scribbles worth remembering.

The number of these guideposts are like a spit in the ocean compared to the sea of information found in the book. I want to give you one word to remember from this story. One word that will honor your self-worth is to Believe. Fill your thoughts with the belief that your goal can be accomplished.

The magic of thinking big is not just a concept, it is a way of life. As far as I know, we only get one shot at life; make it spectacular. The magic of thinking big knows no age limits. If you are a Boomer girl like me, remember that age is not a limitation but a testament to your wisdom and resilience.

Thank you.

. . .

🇳🇴Annelie Holmene Pelaez believes that everyone has an attribute to share with others. Promoting cardiovascular health and helping adults over age 65 is her contribution. When we don’t let age define us, but rather empower us to grow, we discover health and happiness are byproducts of who we are.

Annelie is the author of the book, Say Yes to A Better Life, available at Amazon.

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