The Strangest Secret - Book Summary
note: text in quotation marks is directly from the book.
Here is the strangest secret: your mindset and beliefs are the most powerful force in the universe. You can achieve whatever you dream of by defining exactly what you want, reminding yourself of that goal every day, and focusing exclusively on it for an extended period. Use the power of your thoughts to support the pursuit of your worthy ideal.
According to Nightingale, "A success is anyone who is doing deliberately a predetermined job because that's what he decided to do deliberately. But only one out of twenty does that." One out of twenty? Why so few? Nightingale explains that few people can intentionally achieve success because
(a) They don't know what to pursue and spread themselves too thin across multiple possible paths; and/or
(b) Their "crop" (mind) is poisoned with negative thoughts and limiting beliefs that prevent sustained action and positive thinking to sustain it.
“We become what we think about.”
We are the sum of our thoughts, and whatever thoughts we plant, the crop returns in equal measure. We can change our mindset and posture toward the world by maintaining a calm, unswerving attitude focused on a single goal. Such a shift creates fertility in all aspects of life, bringing abundance.
“Act as though it were impossible to fail.”
The book concludes with a 30-day challenge that guides readers in implementing its principles. It provides journaling prompts to help you define goals across multiple areas of your life and select one to focus on. You can also listen to the audio version of this classic here.
