Thursday's Treasure: The Strangest Secret

I am a big fan of Earl Nightingale.  He is widely recognized as the "dean of personal development".  In 1956, Earl Nightingale recorded a "pep talk" as he called it for his employees working for him at an insurance company he owned.  It electrified everyone who heard it and was eventually used in Earl's radio program call The Spoken Word.  It went on from there to attain a Gold Record, something rare for a work like this.  The recording became know as The Strangest Secret.  Earl's partner Vic Conant and Simple Truths Publishing have published this work into a book which includes text as well as a CD of the message. 

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After my treasured scriptures and religious works, this is hands down the best book I have ever read and I've read a lot of books.  It is short, easy to read and has pictures.  BEAUTIFUL pictures and even as an adult, I love pictures in books!  The caption says it all as it proclaims the book to teach "How To Live The Life You Desire".  Now that would be something worth learning.

The first page has a quote from Dr. Albert Schweitzer (a Nobel prize winner) that I love.  He was asked by a reporter, "Doctor, what's wrong with men today?"  His reply after pondering for a moment was, "Men simply don't think."  I'll agree with that.  Most days I don't think I think.  Life becomes a pattern of habit and ritual.  But when I do think...all sorts of wonderful things happen.  I redefine success, set goals, and dream of achieving them.  If I focus, I achieve them.  If I don't focus, I don't achieve them.  Makes sense doesn't it.  That's why I love this book because just reading a couple of short pages packs motivation to focus and achieve.

Earl discusses how to define success in your own life and that the two edged sword to achieving it is to learn to control your thinking and beliefs.  Henry Ford may have said it best, "Whether you believe you can or you can't, either way you are right."  He also teaches an effective way to set goals and persist in reaching them. 

I can't even begin to skim the surface of the knowledge and information contained in this short book.  I can only suggest you read it for yourself and see.  If you are a religious person you will love it.  If you are not a religious person you will love it.  If you don't, you may be the most pessimistic person on the planet.  I've lost track of the number of copies I have purchased and given away.  The book is not expensive and there's a link below if you are interested.  It is truly a treasure to me.