I won’t even lie, I bought this book because of the caption. Like what do you mean ”Dont believe everything you think” Took me a while but I eventually got to read and I must say it’s a very interesting read. It’s something I recommend despite disagreeing with few things the author wrote.
In this post, I’d tell you what I learnt from the book and the things I disagreed with. Hopefully it can help you decide if it’s worth your time or not. This book is actually a very short read and was authored by Joseph Nguyen.
What I learnt in this book.
I actually learnt to know that it is okay to think. I think a lot as a chess player and I try to consider every possibility at every given time. However, in some situations in life I tend to think less because I feel thinking a lot more would make me believe less in myself.
”True peace comes when you realize you are not your thought, you are the awareness behind them.”
This particular part stood out to me because I think very less of myself in some situations and after covering all the possibilities I think most times I’m lost. But understanding from this book made me realise, it’s one thing to think, it’s one think to believe the thought. Nguyen breaks down the difference between thoughts and thinking. It’s something I appreciate him for doing and making me see things in a different light.
What I don’t fully agree with
The idea that all suffering is created by thought not by circumstances.
The author say this, but I don’t really agree. I think there are many external factors that play into what a person becomes or things we undergo in life. Nguyen emphasizes that suffering isn’t caused by what happens to us, but by how we think about it. I disagree because, many times there are things that happen to us that we can’t even think our way out. I get that our mindset can change or how we handle things can change based on our thoughts however, the external factors matters a lot. For someone like me in Nigeria, there are already so many factors that affects progress. So even if I change my mindset and think differently. Those factors would still hit me hard. Infact this philosophy makes me think this book isn’t applicable to everyone.
All Things Being Equal
Yeah this might seem like an abstract but I realized this books makes a lot of sense if one is in a stable condition. A book such as 48 laws of power which I love so much and even this one works better when you are living a stable life. But who is living one? What percentage of the world’s population is living a stable life.
I try to understand the books based on the author’s thought process but anything that ignores external factors makes it difficult for me to adhere to.
Conclusion
While this is a short read, and a book under 105 pages. I think there’s a lot that would make you contemplate or question your thought process.
Do I think it’s a good book? Uhm yes, generally this book brings a different perspective or angle to life. It can give you the same thing alcohol or weed would do. It can change your perspective or how you look at things. I say alcohol and weed because this book won’t solve all your problems either. I highly recommend for anyone in the Hive community looking to grow inward while spreading good energy outward.