Book Review By Prof.M.S.Rao– “MegaLiving” by Robin Sharma

“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I do not have it at the beginning.” - Mahatma Gandhi


I read the book titled ‘MegaLiving’ authored by Robin Sharma, one of the famous leadership gurus in the world who is specialist in life leadership. There are several ideas, insights and inspirations that are beneficial to the readers for their peaceful and successful living.

The book preludes with “There are people who make things happen. There are people who watch things happen. And there are people who say, “What happened?”

The book contains the revolutionary results of over ten years of research into the secrets of successful living offers you a highly effective collection of powerful, yet easy to use tools that you can use today to live with greater satisfaction, peace of mind and vitality. It contains excellent metaphors. It unfolds several success sutras for your successful living.

What Does Robin Say?

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson whilst ‘Twain attributed the secret of his success to the fact that “I was born excited.”

Start listening to the tapes of the great positive thinkers of this world such as Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, read the books of Emerson and Carnegie, learn the stories of those with much less than you who achieved life mastery.

Set aside at least one night every week to be alone with your spouse. Turn off the TV and leave the answering machine on. Focus all your attention on your life partner. Really talk and enjoy the company of this very special person.

An elite athlete does not stop conditioning after the first race is over but maintains a training regimen over many years until it is second nature.

Mahatma Gandhi started out as a very average lawyer with a small law practice in South Africa. He was a frail, weak man who roused hundreds of millions of his countrymen and brought down an empire with passive resistance.

Write out what motivates you forward and what holds you backward and eliminate the stumbling blocks that hold you back.

When your enthusiasm starts to blossom, your passion and energy blooms.

The memory is like every other muscle; you must use it or lose it. Get into the habit of using it. Stop making grocery lists, use your memory.

Join Toastmasters and find some good role models who will gladly share their secrets of success with you. Post pictures of Churchill and other powerful orators over your bed and surround yourself with positive motivators which will guarantee your success. Each time a fearful thought enters your mind, replace it immediately and forcefully with a mental picture of you as a fiery, dynamic speaker.

Sir Issac Newton, the father of classical physics had an exceptional ability to concentrate on a particular problem from morning until it was solved late in the evening. This mental giant said that “if I have done the public any service, it is due to patient thought.”

The first step to personal mastery and successful living is to learn how to run your mind like a winner. The second step is to understand once and for all that your mind can create magic in your life if you only let it. The only limitations in your life are those that you consciously set. When you think without limits and dream great dreams, wonderful things happen and powerful forces are set into play.

As one wise person has said: “once you find what you truly love doing, you will never have to work another day in your life.” People with far less than you have achieved great feats.

Just as a butterfly must shed her cocoon she flies out into the deep blue sky, you too must make an energetic effort to shed the cocoon of limitations that has enveloped your life and prevented you from self-mastery and life excellence.

Don’t think the way you think yesterday. Change your thought process daily by thinking innovatively.

Bill Gates of Microsoft fame became a billionaire in his early thirties. J.F.Kennedy became the President of the US in his forties. You have all of the qualities of such people; yours may not be developed to their true potential. Shatter the beliefs which cause you to think that you are not well educated enough, intelligent enough, fit enough, rich enough or happy enough to make this life your masterpiece.

Erasmus said, “A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit.” The heart of discipline is indeed habit. Discipline and will-power, like the biceps, are muscles to be conditioned and built up.

Kindness and consideration for those around you will ultimately give you lasting happiness as well as personal, professional and social respect. Start off your day by affirming aloud your commitment to becoming a kinder more considerate person. Then visualize the wonderful day unfolding in your mind’s eye, taking care to focus on every possible opportunity to show kindness to others. See this happening and it will indeed happen.

It is important to record your daily results, ideas, inspirations and challenges. There is something magical about writing things down. Your thoughts and focus becomes clearer and plans become burning desires when you commit them to the written form.

The Burning Candle: Find a very quiet spot at a quiet time. Light a candle, making sure the room is otherwise dark. Look at the candle for as long as you can and try not to blink. Study the shape of the flame, its texture and its movements. Don’t take mental focus always from the flame – if its drifts off to something else, gently pull your mind back and deeply concentrate on this beautifully empowering light. Each day you do this, your concentration will improve and you can focus without distraction for a longer time. You will also start to feel calmer and little things will no longer ruffle you.

Several studies have also found that married people live longer than their single counterparts.

Researchers studies 99 young Harvard men for the effects of optimism. By the time the study was published in 1988, the cheerier individuals were less affected with severe illnesses than their pessimistic counterparts.

The super achievers of this world, those people who live each second to the maximum and are living their dreams have one thing in common: they accept no limitations on what they can have from this life.

Make a list of the top 10 dreams that you have. Be creative and the more fun the better. List only those things you really want to have happen.

If your goal is to start a business, look for one of the many seminars available on the subject and go to it.

If you really want to have all that is yours, start today, not ten years from today.

Every morning, recite your goals out loud. Take at least 10 minutes every evening and visualize yourself doing what you want to do. Picture the fun and happiness you will feel when, at the end of your life, you have done all that you wanted to do.

Having a support network will keep you focused, motivated and inspired.

Small victories bring large victories. And do not be too hard on yourself if you don’t achieve a goal on schedule. Be flexible. Try another approach but never, ever give up if your aim is worthy.

In the early 1960’s researchers learned that every person has a Success Mechanism built into their mind.

Ideas and inspirations that you may have been exposed to in the past almost unconsciously, are still deep inside of your mind, waiting to be recalled to assist in your achievement.

Believe in your dreams, reach for the stars and have the destiny that you know is yours! Remember what Thoreau promised: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Fasting not only offers you health benefits, it is an ageless technique used to build will-power.

Start off the day powerfully with a glass of fresh orange or apple juice.

Elite athletes do deep breathing exercises to fully relax and achieve peak performance

The best strategy for using your subconscious mind to achieve your dreams:
• Get into a very relaxed state using one of the techniques mentioned in this book.
• Mentally picture, in tremendous detail what it is you want for ten minutes.
• Tell yourself out loud what you desire and that the result will come.

Remember the 80/20 Rule: 80% of the results come from 20% of your activities. Recognize which activities will make the difference in your life and get you to where you want to go. Then focus your energy and attention on these. This is one of the best Secrets of Successful Living.

Robin Provides Breathing Exercises for Perfect Health:
• Breath and hold: magabreathing.
• Alternate nostril breathing
• The pump
• The early riser
• Green fog breathing

The Keys to the Path of Mastery:
1. Commitment and desire
2. Knowledge & instruction
3. Kaizen & consistent practice
4. Persistence
5. Raise your standards and keep pushing
6. Even the teachers have the teachers
7. Seize and savor every single day because it is a miracle. So often we put off happiness to a later date.

Ten Golden Keys to Popularity:
• Remember people’s names. It is the sweetest sound they know.
• Smile often, laugh often. Know three great and clean jokes.
• Become a great listener. Use the 70/30 Rule. Listen 70% of the time, talk only 30%.
• Perfect your manners. They are a mark of true polish and character.
• Do small, kind gestures for people every day. Make every day count.
• Never say someone is wrong. Don’t argue. If you don’t agree, keep quiet.
• Inspire people, encourage people and befriend people.
• Develop your contacts. Write letters often and make phone calls.
• Be the most honest person you know.
• Give more than you receive. It always comes back in a river.

Top 200 Secrets of Success and the Pillars of Self-Mastery:

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We don’t act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle

Robin reveals top 200 secrets of success and the pillars of self-mastery. We shall look at few of them below:
• Sleep less.
• Listen to motivational tapes.
• Always answer the phone with enthusiasm in your voice and show your appreciation for the caller.
• Always plan one week ahead and execute.
• All peak performers appreciate the power of a quiet, clear mind which will concentrate steadily on all important tasks.
• Learn to be still.
• Don’t let your mind gloat like a piece of paper in the wind. Work hard to keep it focused at all times.
• Newton had a remarkable ability to sit quietly and think without interruption for very long periods of time. If he can develop this so can you.
• When a negative thought comes to your mind, immediately replace it with one that is positive.
• Set aside a few minutes each morning to plan your day. Plan around your priorities and focus on not only those tasks which are immediate but not important.
• Important but not immediate activities are those which produce long-term, sustainable benefits and include exercise, strategic planning, the development of relationships and professional education.
• Highly successful people are master interpreters.
• Soar to new heights. There are no failures, only lessons.
• Never discuss your health, wealth and other personal matters with anyone outside of your immediate family. Be much disciplined in this regard.
• Try fasting one day every two weeks. During these fast days, drink fruit juice and eat fresh fruits only. You will feel more energetic, cleansed and alert.
• Read “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen. And don’t just read this little book once, read it over and over again. It contains an abundance of timeless wisdom on living a fuller and happier life.
• Empty your cup.
• Drink a cup of warm water before a speech. Ronald Reagan employed this strategy to ensure that he maintained his honey-smooth voice. Mastery of the art of public speaking is a noble goal. So dedicate yourself to it. You will be judged by the caliber of your communication skills.
• Remain slightly aloof. Do not let everyone know everything about you. Cultivate a mystique.
• Master the art of public speaking. There are few natural speakers. One great trail lawyer stammered dreadfully but through courage and strength of conviction, he developed into a brilliant orator.
• Make it a point to attend inspirational lectures each month to consistently renew the importance of personal growth in your mind.
• Cultivate the art of walking half an hour after you have finished eating your evening meal.
• Never argue with the person you work for – you will lose more than just the argument.
• Drink jasmine tea which can be obtained from any Chinese herbal shop. It is excellent for your general health and is very relaxing. Also try placing a few slices of fresh ginger in a cup of water for a superb tea that will restore vitality and keep you in a peak physical condition.
• Work hard to make friendships, and all your relationships for that matter, stronger and richer. Call your friends, buy them small gifts of books or other items you believe they might enjoy.
• Make things look easy and people will say you are naturally gifted. Speak only good things and people will flock to you.
• Be kind, considerate and courteous. But also be shrewd and know when to be tough and courageous.
• Keep well-informed about current events, the latest books and popular trends. Many peak performers read five or six papers a day.
• Never discuss your personal development activities with anyone. Your strategies for expanding your mind and spirit are your own. Other might not understand the value of self-mastery and, further, will take away your credit when you meet with success by saying that you relied on techniques. Keep these self-development activities to yourself.
• 83% of our sensory input comes from our eyes. To truly concentrate on something, shut your eyes and you will remove much distraction.
• An excellent visualization technique: if you are worrying about something, picture the words of your worry on a piece of paper. Now ignite a match to the paper and watch the worry dissipate into flames. Bruce Lee, the great martial arts master employed this mental control device regularly.
• Readers are leaders. U.S.President Bill Clinton read more than 300 books during his short time at Oxford University. Some top performers read a book a day. Seek out knowledge and information.
• Get into excellent habit of reading something positive and inspirational before you go to bed and as soon as you awake in the morning. You will soon note the benefits as these thoughts will be supporting you throughout the day.
• Make it one of your goals to develop a dynamic, charismatic personality. Such a quality is something each one of us has the potential to develop but few do.
• Lao-Tzu prized three essential qualities for a person of greatness: “the first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”
• Become your spouse’s number one supporter, the one who is always there supporting and fueling hopes and dreams. Develop together and march confidently through the world as an army of two.
• Make a new friend or acquaintance every day. Keep an updated list of all contacts close at hand. Rich relationships are the DNA of a rich, rewarding life.
• Remember this ancient Indian proverb: “if you concquer your mind, you concquer the world.”
• President Kennedy would have regular naps in his White House office. Winston Churchill had the same practice and slept for one hour every afternoon to stay alert, focused and calm.
• Don’t talk when you are listening. Interrupting is one of the most common discourtesies.
• Great leaders have techniques to allow them to arrive at the top of the mountain. Read the biographies of the world’s leaders and learn from their habits, inspirations and philosophies.
• Drink deeply from such books. Surround yourself with them and read them constantly whether on the bus each day or before you go to bed. Let them inspire and motivate you.
• Keep your words soft and arguments hard.
• Be known as that person who goes the extra mile.
• Become a committed and sincere networker.
• Send cards on birthdays and little notes from time to time showing that you care and were thinking about your relations.
• Once every few weeks, leave your watch at home. In this society we often become bound to the clock and soon it governs our every action like a rigid taskmaster.
• Drown your appetite by drinking more water – ten glasses a day is idea. It revitalizes the system and purifies the body. Also, get into the habit of eating soups and more complex carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes and pasta which feed your hunger with far less calories than other less healthy foods. You truly are what you eat and must ensure that your diet is designed to maximize your energy and mental clarity.
• Today, write down the seven best qualities of individuals who you admire and post this list by your bed.
• Napoleon II of France had a special ability to remember the names of all those he met. His secret was to say “so sorry, I missed your name” after being introduced to a new person. This would cause the name to be repeated and reinforced within his memory. If the name was difficult, he would ask for the proper spelling.
• Browse second-hand bookstores every few months searching for lost treasures of character-building books. You will find gems on public speaking, improving your habits, time management, personal health and other important subjects for low prices.
• Be known as someone with a cool head, warm heart and great character. Your presence on this earth will long be remembered.
• Try eating only fruit and milk for a full day. Fasting is a powerful success strategy of the East that millions use regularly to maintain peak health and mental clarity.
• Peak performers are meticulous about the thoughts they allow into the gardens of their minds. You truly cannot afford the luxury of a single negative thought.
• Travel often.
• Just Do It!
• Sleep less, spend less, do more, live longer and be greater.

Robin outlines ten qualities of a charismatic leader:
1. Be committed to what you are doing.
2. Look like a winner and act like one.
3. Have big dreams, a vision and reach for the sky.
4. Steadily advance in the direction of your goals.
5. Prepare and work hard at every task you do
6. Build a mystique around yourself.
7. Be interested in others and show kindness
8. Have a strong sense of humor
9. Be known for the strength of your character
10. Have grace under pressure. (John F. Kennedy said that “the elusive half-step between middle management and true leadership is grace under pressure.”)

There are the 5 keys to making excellence your life standard:
1. Change your attitude
2. Get in the habit of being outstanding
3. Publicize your new standards to those closest to you
4. Try to get others to raise their standards with you.
5. Walk along the ocean or see that play you have missed.

Robin advises these powerful tips for health excellence:
• Stop overeating. Eat only what you need and push the rest away.
• Have as much fresh fruit as you can in the morning.
• Don’t eat after 8p.m.
• Eat a salad with every meal (it will help your digestion and increase your energy level significantly). Also, reduce your meat intake.

Master Keys to Your Leadership:
• Belief in your dreams. courage and supreme persistence
• Enthusiasm
• Consideration for others.
• Self-control and self-mastery.
• Well-developed social skills and diplomacy.
• The habit of doing far more than expected.
• Long term-planning and organization.
• Calculated risk taking.
• A burning desire to succeed and faith in success.

Additional Tips:
1. Start off easy (15 min/day) and think strong.
2. Have fun and maintain a positive, playful attitude.
3. Get a partner with a similar goal of physical mastery.
4. Cross-train with different sports to keep the regimen fresh.
5. Write down your 1,5 and 10 year fitness goals.
6. Use positive motivators like pictures of what you will achieve.
7. Use visualization techniques to focus on what you will be.
8. Make the program a habit. Do it at the same time daily.
9. Affirm each minor success – 1000 mile journey begins with one step.
10. Use the momentum of daily minor successes from your program to catapult you to greater challenges: aim high!

Takeaways:

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – W. W. Ziege

• Success outside starts from success within.
• Believe in yourself.
• Don’t let yourself to be bent by external environment. Learn to bend and blend the external environment.
• Circumstances are the creation of people and not the other way around. Peak performers, as opposed to the weak performers, have trained themselves to shape the events of their lives rather than being shaped by them.
• Stop being the prisoner of your past – become the architect of your future. Every event happens for a special purpose.
• There are no failures but only lessons.
• On an average day, the average person thinks about 60,000 thoughts. Even more startling is the fact that 95% of those thoughts are the same as the ones you thought the day before.
• Throw off the shackles of your old thinking patterns.
• Today’s thoughts build tomorrow’s dreams.
• Stay hungry for new ideas.
• Challenges allow one to grow and become tougher.
• Don’t make enemies.
• Never take your family for granted. Think for a moment about how you would feel if your mother or father were no longer here. What thoughts have you forgotten to express, what loving gestures would you have performed? Now pick up the phone and tell these things to those you love.
• What separates the medal winners from the “also rans” is the winner’s mindset.
• Shatter the myth, once and for all, that you are too old, too young, too tired, too taxed, too poor or too average to do extraordinary things.
• Garden your mind.
• Don’t let toxic weeds of negative thoughts to take over your mind.
• Learn to love adversity and to thrive on it. The great business leaders of our time from Getty to Ted Turner loved big challenges and turned them into opportunities for magnificent wealth.
• Set one year, five year and ten year goals for your personal development.
• Start calling problems as challenges.
• Deep breathing ensures that the blood is fully oxygenated, also providing for peak health.
• Most people pass through life without any idea as to where they are going.
• Take power-nap if you are tired.
• Food should be digested in the mouth before being digested in the stomach.
• Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote, “A feeble body enfeebles the mind.”
• The real secret of longevity is to grow younger by living with passion, zest and enthusiasm.
• Most surely, those who are young at heart and those who maintain a dynamic, challenging lifestyle are actively taking steps to beat the aging process.
• Daily workouts with crosswords, learning new languages, taking classes and best of all, reading good books, are all highly effective ways to stay mentally sharp as you age.
• Always see yourself as a person in peak health. Two or three times a day, shut your eyes and picture clearly the person you want to become physically.
• Anything that you want to be, you can be if you hold a clear picture of the desired goal in your mind with deep conviction and emotion that it will become a reality.
• Everything is created twice – first in your mind and then in the outside world.
• Miracles happen every day.
• The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and you must start off small if you want to achieve big results.
• Remember that happiness is not an oasis that lies at the edge of the desert, a place that you reach only when you are prosperous.
• Every man and woman in this world was born to succeed, be wealthy and be prosperous.
• Finally, knowledge will give you power but character will give you respect.

Conclusion:

The great philosopher of India, Patanjali said: “When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their bonds, your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”

Robin’s study and research on successful people is well reflected and crafted through this book. The book is easy to understand for an average reader. It blends both eastern and western values and philosophies. It contains several exercises that help the readers to practice and perfect. It provides 30 days program at the end of the book. After reading this book you will view the world differently.

The book makes difference in your life. It is a great book in the category of self-improvement books. I strongly recommend everyone to read this book and apply the preaching in your practical life for ensuring all all-round personality and success.