I read the book “Follow your Heart” in 2001 after I faced my life’s first major breakdown. Life has never been the same since.
It is one of the first books I recommend my clients read. Here is a summary of the ten key concepts the book covers.
1. We are here to learn lessons, and the world is our teacher.
When we fail to learn a lesson, we get to take it again… and again! Then once we’ve learnt the lesson, we move on to the next one. (and we never run out of lessons!).
2. The universe has no favourites.
Your success and happiness depend on natural laws and principles; so USE them. Eg. the Law of Cause and Effect. The universe rewards effort, not excuses and no effort is wasted. Have the discipline to do little things you don’t like, and you can spend your life doing the big things you DO like.
3. Your life is a perfect reflection of your beliefs.
When you change your deepest beliefs about the world, your life changes accordingly. The beliefs that you hold determine your quality of life. It’s not your job, it’s what you believe that makes the difference.
Enjoy what you have. It’s not what happens to you, it’s HOW YOU SEE IT!
4. The moment you get too attached to things, people, money… you screw it up.
The challenge of life is to appreciate everything and attach yourself to nothing.
5. What you focus on in life expands.
We have about 50000 thoughts a day and any conscious thought repeated over a period of time becomes a programme. Positive thinking shapes your subconscious. Our subconscious mind is a collection of all our thoughts. Our most common thoughts have created our strongest subconscious behaviours. THOUGHTS REAP RESULTS; so think about what you DO want!
6. Follow your heart down the ‘journey of life’.
Your mission in life is not to be without problems – your mission is to get excited about something(s). You don’t work for your boss – you work for YOURSELF! Your life will only work when you take full responsibility for your CHOICES. And your CHOICE of VOCATION is top of the list. The world is a market place. Once you develop a skill, people will pay you for it!
When we express our talents, we find joy. Being rich is not a goal; it’s a by-product of the process.When you care about what you do, enthusiasm carries you through. When you are passionate about something, no-one else has to motivate you.
7. God, the universe is never going to come down from a cloud and say: “You now have permission to be successful.”
You have to give YOURSELF permission. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. “Stay cool” living in the present moment. Forcing things never works. It’s not where you start; it’s how you
finish.
8. When you fight life, life always wins.
If you want more peace of mind, stop labeling everything that happens as “good” or “bad”. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself a break sometimes. Develop an ‘attitude of GRATITUDE’. Peace of mind comes from contemplating on what you already have… and not on what’s lacking in your life.
9. How do you love people? Just accept them (as they are)..
Complete acceptance is unconditional love. We are here to learn to love one another. Pain is inevitable; whilst misery is a choice. Love your neigbour, as well as yourself.
10. Our mission in life is not to change the world – our mission is to change ourselves.
And by changing ourselves for the better, we help change the world. There are no “outside” solutions, only “inside” solutions. Whenever we change, everyone else changes! Your experience of the world is actually you experiencing yourself.
NOTE: The book is available on Kindle also.. The writing style is humorous, yet profound.