This book isn’t a traditional self-help book. It provides guidance on what to do in certain situations. Since it is written in that format, I’m only going to be providing an overview of the book below.
Each chapter has general guidance on what to do to achieve the desired outcome. Then he provides nice numbered summaries at the end of each chapter.
Introduction – this book is designed to help you avoid therapy.
Part One – Getting To Know your own brain – taking your mental inventory
Chapter one – the power of your unconscious: the freeway to change
Chapter 2 – the qualities of your thoughts: understanding submobdalities- People will often say things like that they are frustrated. It’s important to understand where the person is housing that feeling in their body. Our feelings move through our body and we can change how they move The pictures in our heads are certain size and characteristic. We also hear internal sounds. How do your feelings spin inside of your body? There different types of submodalities – Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory, Olfactory, Gustatory.
Kinesthetic include: location in the body, tactile sensations, temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, pressure, weight, intensity, movement
Olfactory/gustatory: sweet, sour, bitter, aroma, fragrance
Visual: number of images, moving/still, size, shape, color/black and white, focused/unfocused, bright/dim, locaiton in space, bordered/borderless, flat/3d, associated/disasscociated, close/distant
Auditory: volume, pitch, timbre, tempo, tonality, duration, rhythm, direction of voice, harmony,
Chapter 3 – Running your own brain: changing your neurochemistry – most problems are created by our brains therefore they are imaginary. Our solutions only have to be imaginary. Think of a time you felt good and step inside of that.
Chapter 4 – Building the new beliefs: the structure of uncertainty
Chapter 5 – Timelines: How you mentally code time – In time vs through time – The past and future don’t exist except in our minds. My timeline is in time. Through time is to the sides. In time is forwards and backwards.
Part 2 – Getting over it
Now that you have mapped out your brain, you need to change it.
Chapter 6 – Getting over bad suggestions
Chapter 7 – Getting over fears and phobias — Anxiety is build up of bad stories and images in your mind.Paying attention to your fears just makes them bigger. Over the years he eliminated fears and phobias for many people. When our fears become to big and grandiose and too generalized, we become afraid of the wrong things. One thing you should never be a afraid of is your own thoughts.
Chapter 8 – Getting over bad memories
Chapter 9 – Getting over grief
Chapter 10 – Getting over bad relationships
Chapter 11 – Getting over bad decisions
Part 3 – Getting Through It
Chapter 12 – Getting Through Compulsions & Bad Habits
Chapter 13 – Getting Through Physical Recovery
Chapter 14 – Getting Through Resignation
Chapter 15 – Getting Through Big Events
Chapter 16 – Getting Through Tests – don’t only think of the bad things that could happen to you because then they are more likely to happen.
Chapter 17 – Getting Through Obligations – this includes things like christmas work parties, etc.
Part 4 – Getting To It
Chapter 18 – Getting To Fun
Chapter 19 – Getting To Love – Focus on when you are going to focus on your family. If you are going to worry about work, then schedule time of when you are allowed to worry about work. Plan your day out. You can practice falling more in love with your loved one too.
Chapter 20 – Getting To Meet People
Chapter 21 – Getting To Important Duties (Taxes and Study)— people don’t put off procrastinating so you could be doing something that you need to do right now instead of procrastinating. If you love doing certain activities, it is possible to make it so that you love doing any activity.
Chapter 22 – Getting To Exercise – a lot of people want to exercise, but they just don’t get around to it. Why is that? You need to build a propulsion system so that the less you do something the worse it feels and the more you do something, the better it feels. People often don’t do things until they feel bad. You should do them sooner. People do this by building good habits. The more you make them a struggle, the more they will be a struggle.
Chapter 23 – Getting To Be More Organized – everybody wants to be more organized. You have to set aside time to do your organizing. Controlling chaos means after first creating more chaos and going through your stuff.
Chapter 24 – Getting To Make More Money – Everyone wants to make more money. Even the richest people in the world. He says that he believes that everyone should have a business on the side especially with the internet these days.
Chapter 25 – Getting To Make Big Decisions – when making big plans that will have repercussions for years. Take it a step at a time.
Conclusion
