This not so much a review of the book – I’m not quite ready to do that – It is instead an off the cuff response to a series of comments made on another site. The comments prompted me to examine whether I thought the book could help me get “rich”.
Tim Brownson, wrote an article on his life coaching website in which he declared his earnings for 2008 were somewhere in the region of $30,000.
In the comments one of his readers pointed out they thought the title of his book, How to Be Rich and Happy was somewhat misleading given that Tim clearly is not rich in terms of his personal financial wealth.
It was suggested that people would fall into the trap of believing that the word “rich” in the title was being used in the context of wealth when in fact the authors (for there are two of them) may have intended the word rich to mean an abundance of joyful experiences combining to create happiness (or something like that).
I don’t intend to get into that debate but I did just want to mention what was in my mind at the time that I bought the book and when I first read through it.
Happiness is my goal for sure, but as part of the happiness I do want to enjoy a certain level of wealth and financial freedom. That doesn’t mean being a billionaire, or necessarily being a millionaire but it does mean having an income large enough to support the kind of lifestyle I want to lead. I haven’t determined what that income needs to be yet, but right now it would make me happy just have an income of any sort (being in debt is pretty miserable). I guess I’ll try to put a figure on it at some point later.
For years I have been looking for a book to help me understand myself better, so that I can start to unlock my potential and thereby achieve financial freedom. How to Be Rich And Happy came along at the right time and because I knew of Tim’s work and his excellent reputation I bought the book.
Prior to that I’d read loads of books which were chock full with guff and filler designed to pad out the pages and inflate the price of the book as well as the author’s ego. There was some good stuff in some of those books but getting to it and then piecing it all together was too much.
This book isn’t like that. This book dispenses with the filler and gets to the valuable information quickly.
For me, the challenge has always been the battle with my mind, or if you like, my thoughts. Thoughts which then lead to certain negative or unhelpful patterns of behavior. (Perhaps the word battle might not be the best choice but I’m going to run with it anyway).
For example, in my opinion, a task such losing weight or getting fit is not a battle with food, or a battle with the body, it is a battle with the mind. My body can’t take me to the fridge and fill my face with food without cooperation from my mind via my inner dialog. The same thing goes when it’s time to go running, unless my inner voice encourages me to put my running shoes on, it’s not going to happen.
Becoming happy or successful or wealthy is a battle with the mind. It requires the ability to focus the mind beyond the irrelevant and trivial issues that usually occupy my head, many of which I have absolutely no control over.
The problems in my marriage have been caused by the way I think about my relationship. The problems I had at work were caused by the way I thought and reacted to different situations. The problems I face with parenting are caused by the way I think about the needs of my children, and how I react to their requests. The problems with my online business have been caused by the way I think about it, and the importance I attach to it. And it’s fair to say that all these issues are interlinked and any problems created are compounded by the combination of all these issues together.
I’m well aware that my mood and my emotions have a very significant impact on my ability to function effectively. It is often my mood and my emotions that derail my very best efforts in life. I want to have greater control over that because if I continue the way I am I certainly won’t be either rich or happy.
Reading this book has helped me shift my thinking and it is no over exaggeration to say that I’m getting immediate benefit from the content of the book. But the onus is on me as the reader to take the benefit from the book. I have to actually work at this to make it happen and I knew that before I’d even read the first page.
The voice I hear inside my head, the self-talk, the internal dialog, is beginning to change and it’s changing quicker than I expected it to. I’m making real progress.
I’m satisfied that this book fulfils my needs and does not make any false promises.
As to whether “rich” deserves to be in the title? Absolutely.
But understand that you have to do something to make it happen. One major theme running throughout the book is that rich and happy people have certain values, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and mindsets. The authors give plenty of examples and it stands to reason that emulating these attributes or qualities allows the possibility of similar success.
If you’re looking for a detailed step-by-step guide to instant wealth creation you’re going to be disappointed, because it doesn’t exist. Not in this book or any other.
If you have the desire to change your life for the better, and you understand that you’re going to have to work at it, then this book is for you.
The choices are:
Buy the book and get a fantastic blueprint for changing the way you think, and therefore feel, and therefore act – and possibly (if you work at it) achieve the success and happiness you desire.
Or don’t buy the book and continue searching the web for glib lists entitled “10 Quick And Easy Steps To Mega Wealth and Blissful Happiness” and other such quick-fix magic-bullet solutions, but don’t blame me if in six months time you’re stuck where you are now moaning about how unfair life is.
Do I believe the book can help make me happy? Yes I do.
Do I believe the book can help me become rich? Yes I do.
The book delivers on the title and I am confident it will do what it says it will do, IF you USE the information it contains.
Thanks for reading,
Andy
Declaration of Interest: Each book sold through a referral from this site will earn me a commission. I’m currently using this book to change my life and I write about it here on my blog. It is my firm belief that other people will benefit from the book and so I’m happy to promote it. You are under no obligation to buy this book at all, whether through my site, another site, or indeed the authors’ own sites.
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Thank you, Andy
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