Mastering the Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews
Guest review by Joanna Daneman
I ended up buying quite a few copies of The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success for friends because I liked it so much, I read it cover to cover twice without stopping. I really believe in what the author has to say. The seven decisions are an attitude that (akin to positive thinking) can change how you view the world and deal with the world, and ultimately, how the world deals with you.
The seven decisions are:
The Responsible Decision: The buck stops here. I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success. I will not let my history control my destiny.
The Guided Decision: I will seek wisdom.
The Active Decision: I am a person of action.
The Certain Decision: I have a decided heart. Criticism, condemnation, and complaint have no power over me.
The Joyful Decision: Today I will choose to be happy.
The Compassionate Decision: I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.
The Persistent Decision: I will persist without exception.
The problem with motivational books is that they are inspiring to read, they make us feel great, but then we aren't really easily able to change our behavior. Reading is passive, changing attitude and behavior is active and more difficult.
The author gives techniques to master these attitudes. Some are as simple (on the surface) as smiling when you really don't feel like it. But smiling is a muscular action, and it fires neurons in the brain. The brain, even though it may be simmering about the hellish traffic you are in, the disastrous breakfast you just ate and the unpleasant meeting with the boss you are heading for, is not so bright. The neurons firing in your brain saying "I'm smiling!" tell the brain "I'm happy!" and you find you are turning on the good music and relaxing rather than tensing up and formulating curses at the driver in front of you.
There are many more of these techniques in the book. If you love "The Traveler's Gift" and want to get more out of it, I'd suggest this companion volume. I think it would make great reading with a book club or church group or at home for dinnertime discussions. Sometimes your future can be positively changed by something as simple as a smile--or this book. Highly recommended.
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