One Sentence Overview
The magic of thinking big gives you several starting points to develop and strengthen the most important trait of successful people: believing in yourself.
"Do what you fear and fear disappears."
The five big ideas from the book
- Success is possible only through thinking ambitious, positive thoughts.
- Belief in one’s power to succeed is at the core of success.
- Ambitious goals are not more difficult to accomplish and are often easier to realize than modest goals.
- People who make excuses for themselves will not make progress in life.
- Sincere enthusiasm puts life back into words.
Who is this book for?
The 13 year old teenager who is about to take a “what work is right for you” test, the friend who’s just had a major setback and anyone who spends the majority of their time complaining.
Who is this book for?
The 13 year old teenager who is about to take a “what work is right for you” test, the friend who’s just had a major setback and anyone who spends the majority of their time complaining.
Key insights
- “The starting point of all achievement is desire.”
- “You are the master of your destiny.”
- “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
- “Your greatest success will often come just one step beyond the point at which defeat has overtaken you.”
- “Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.”
- “Believing that you have the ability to succeed, and you will.”
- “Think about success, don’t think about failure.”
- “Remember that you are better than you think you are, don’t undermine yourself.”
- “When it comes to health, age, intelligence, and luck, don’t makeup excuses. Excuses hold you back and usually aren’t true.”
- “Fears hold you back whereas confidence propels you forwards.”
- “Take action against your fears, when you fear a situation, just face it and do it. Your fears will quickly be eliminated and you’ll receive a huge confidence boost.”
- “Use a positive vocabulary. Words that are positive and promising.
- “Avoid toxic words that imply failure and negativity.”
- “Stop getting caught up in tradition, just because something is usually done one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way. Remain open-minded and look for new approaches and new ideas.”
- “Be conscious of your environment. Some environments are going to encourage you and lift you up, while others are likely to hold you back.”
- Be likable. Consider what you like in a person and ensure that you are being that person.
- “There never is a perfect time, things always come up. You’ve got to stop waiting for the perfect conditions and just get started!”
- “You have to take action and be a doer. Ideas are only ideas. They have no value until you put them into action.”
- “Any setback should be studied, what can you learn from a loss and how can you use this information to ensure you have a win next time?”
- “Having goals is really important. Goals help you visualize where you are headed and where you want to be in one, five or even ten years from now.”
About the Author
David Joseph Schwartz, Jr was an American motivational writer and coach, best known for authoring The Magic of Thinking Big in 1959. He was a professor of marketing, chairman of the department, and Chair of Consumer Finance at Georgia State University. The book was one of Simon & Schuster’s all-time paperback best sellers
and has sold over 6 million copies. It instructs people to set their goals high and think positively to achieve them.
