"Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough." Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

"I won't lie to you: It won't be easy. It's not like the second you start saying Let Them, you get everything you've ever wanted. Anyone who promises you that is lying to you." (Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory)
Before I begin - I've had one of those weeks. You know, the one where you blink, and it's gone? That's pretty much what my week felt like. I had the best intentions with this week's promised book, which you may recall was going to be Evolve Your Brain by Dr Joe Dispenza. I started reading it, and the book is so phenomenal that I knew I would have to dedicate more time to it to do the work justice. It's clear from the first few chapters that Dr Dispenza is laying the groundwork for something significant, and I need a bit more time to work through the book. That said, my focus is on a different text, with a few references to other books and podcasts for good measure.
Writers speak of vomit drafts, and I sometimes feel like the final versions of my posts are those initial vomit drafts. Some planning goes into these posts, of course, but I often retch thoughts and words onto this virtual page and hope for the best. Every so often, I am incapable and/or unwilling to edit. But edit, I must, and last week, I trimmed a fair amount from my post. The content I removed last week dealt with the regularity, persistence and steadfastness required to write a weekly blog and achieve one's goal in general. I felt there was value in the quotes and some of what I had written last week, so I wanted to include them in this week's post, hence the quote from Mel Robbins' The Let Them Theory.
There's An Obvious Pattern Developing
I'll cut straight to the chase. It's habits. Habits are the backbone of progress. I've written about habits in Spoiler Alert, the post about Dr Joe Dispenza's book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, in which the author wrote: "If you want a new outcome, you will have to break the habit of being yourself, and reinvent a new self." Habits are also (quite obviously) the focus of James Clear's Atomic Habits, and in my post, It's in the little things...; I included the author's quote: "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them." Even Mark Manson focused on habits in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck; he just called them 'values' instead (at least that's how I interpreted it). So, during this self-help journey, while I have identified core themes like remaining present, staying positive and keeping fit and healthy, no theme has come through more potent than forming good habits.

Circling back to Mel Robbins's quote about it not being easy, I heard a quote on David Duchovny's Fail Better podcast that nailed it:
"Well, I think what's true, sadly, is that, you know, these lessons that we learn, they're not cut and dried. It's not over with. Once you get it, you don't have it. You actually have to exercise it daily. It's like you have to relearn it."
Much like I did with segments from Mel Robbins' podcast with Dr Aditi Nerurkar, I repeatedly rewound the above quote. It is from Duchovny's talk with the actor Rob Lowe in an episode titled The Buoyancy of Rob Lowe, where they speak about having to repeat life lessons and how repetitive that learning is and needs to be. Of that repetitive learning, Duchovny goes on to tell Rob Lowe:
"And it might be a disservice, you know, to look at all those books on the shelves in the self-help section that promise these things that once you get through this particular course, you're going to be okay, when, in fact, it's every day from now until the end, that you're going to have to try to be some version of yourself that you can be proud of."
I listened to this particular podcast the same week I read The Let Them Theory, so there was a reverberating message that ultimately helped inform my choice for this week's replacement book.

The Greatest Salesman in the World was first published in 1968, seven years before The Greatest Miracle in the World. I love the latter, of course, but there's a degree of sentimentality to that book, which I wrote about a few weeks ago. When it comes down to it, though, I prefer the former because its message resonated with me a lot more than that in The Greatest Miracle in the World.
A self-help and motivational book by any definition, The Greatest Salesman in the World offers life-changing principles through the story of Hafid, an aspiring salesman motivated to achieve his goal by the love of a woman. Much like The Greatest Miracle in the World, the book includes mystical elements. While 'Miracle' is centred around 'The God Memorandum', wisdom is imparted to the lovelorn, aspiring salesman Hafid through 'Ten Ancient Scrolls'. The Greatest Salesman in the World is as practical as they come, serving as a guide that, if used in the manner the author prescribes, would take ten months to work through. That said, I will only focus on one aspect of the book. Luckily, it directly relates to my point about habits.
"No, my son, do not aspire for wealth and labor not only to be rich. Strive instead for happiness, to be loved and to love, and most important, to acquire peace of mind and serenity."
The Scroll Marked 1

I hope that this blog's regularity and personal insight have indicated to my readers that this is a passion project. I love reading these books, but writing about them gives me an opportunity I do not take lightly. It's not simply a frivolous writing exercise for me - I am aware that the insight and wisdom inherent in these books can change my life - if I adhere to them. Using mindfulness and meditation to manifest wealth and material things is not my goal, so the above quote stood out. I speak from experience when I say that when one feels anxious and/or depressed, achieving peace of mind and serenity is like hitting the mental health jackpot. Money and materials things can't even come close.
I feel a sense of accomplishment that I have habitually posted these blogs for almost six months. However, I have lots of work to do in other areas, so I am most decidedly still a work in progress. Nailing these habits has been as hard as both Mel Robbins and David Duchovny have said they are. It is a lifelong pursuit but one can take incremental steps to better one's situation.
I am in a liminal phase: slap-bang in the middle of a rite of passage that I hope will take me from inner turmoil to peace of mind and serenity. In last week's post, I mentioned feeling a degree of excitement and an air of possibility. But, I am teetering on the edge because I am either going to cross a significant threshold or I'm going to dive off the precipice. It will all depend on how I adjust my habits, which, truth be told, isn't great at the moment. The Scroll Marked 1 is all about inculcating good habits. I will work through this scroll for the next thirty days. It's as simple as that, and I'm going to end today's blog with the following:
"In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of the habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I will obey, which precedeth all others is - I will form good habits and become their slave."
Coming Up Next Week
Take 2: By hook or by crook, Evolve Your Brain by Dr Joe Dispenza will be covered next week.
#anxiety #depression #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #selfhelp #mindfulness #youarenotalone #thereisnostigma #theletthemtheory #melrobbins #failbetter #davidduchovny #lemonadamedia
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