So what’s the big takeaway from this “Think and Grow Rich” series?

If you haven’t yet, check out my review of “Think and Grow Rich” Chapter 15 (link here). It’s about “How to outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear”. He talks about the six basic fears, the importance of avoiding negative influences, and provides a long list of self-analysis questions for you to reflect on. I make some closing remarks in my paid program that brings everything together. Today, I want to talk about “Thinking and Growing Rich.”

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“Think and Grow Rich” represents the capitalistic dream. It’s a dream that no matter where you are, you can become successful. It certainly takes hard work. The capitalistic dream is that it is possible to make even greater gains by thinking the right way or having the mindset. The dream is that you can make a change to significantly improve your life if you only thought differently. What’s there not to love? It’s “free” isn’t it?

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I’ve adopted the capitalistic dream, for better or for worse. And I’ve gone on the journey to try to achieve my personal goals through the consumption of those that evangelize the capitalistic dream. However, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been studying psychiatry during that time. So I’ve been able to sort through what works and what doesn’t work.

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There are a lot of good concepts to pull out of “Think and Grow Rich.” I personally have benefitted from learning new perspectives. However, perspective changes aren’t as free as you think. They come at a cost. The cost is a possible distortion of reality.

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I talk about this a lot but I’m surprised the idea isn’t more commonplace. The true key to success is to have a firm understanding of reality. To the extent that your perspective is too optimistic or too pessimistic, a perspective change will help. But if “Thinking and Growing Rich” means you double down on your misconceptions and distortions about the world, it can only lead to failure.

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This is easier said than done. But I don’t think it has to be.

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The journey towards understanding reality is a journey of self-discovery. And that is a fulfilling journey to embark on. What is the role of God in this journey of self-discovery? I don’t know. That’s a personal question with a personal answer. But if there is a role, I’m sure it’s an important one.

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So what’s the big takeaway from this “Think and Grow Rich” series? What’s the big lesson? I think it’s the following: It’s okay to have a dream. Just make sure you’re awake when you’re working on it.

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