The Inside Out Revolution

I read this book in one sitting and I’m about to start it again.  It was eye-opening and made complete sense all at the same time.  The main take-away for me was:  The way I think ultimately determines how I experience my life.  I am creating the quality of my life with my thoughts.  At the end of the book I was reminded of an experience I had a few years ago:

In 2005, I decided to look for another job.  My current job was good and something that I enjoyed but my interest was waning and I wanted to make more money.   So I decided to look around.  After a few months I discovered an opening at another company and I sent in my resume.  Once they received the resume they called me and we scheduled an interview.

I was not nervous or anxious or anything.  I wanted the job but I knew that whether I got the job or not, everything would be okay.  (Note:  the best time to look for a job is when you don’t need one.) My happiness or sadness did not depend on the outcome of this interview.  The interview went well and at the end the person interviewing me asked me what my salary requirement was.  I told her and she immediately let me know that it was too high and her superior would never approve it.  I smiled, shook her hand, thanked her for her time and told her to have a good day.

Less than a week later the HR rep from the company called me and offered me the job for the salary that I requested.

What does this have to do with creating my life with thought?  I equate this experience to how I should think about my day to day life.  My life is not made up of individual experiences but how I think about these experiences.  Sort of like a glass half full/half empty scenario.  We spend so much time chasing happiness but the truth is happiness is already within us … it’s our natural state of being.  We just have to learn to stay in our natural state and not allow outside experiences to derail our thinking.   We’re only one new thought away from a completely different experience of being alive. 

It’s a good book.  It’s not a how-to manual.  It’s more of a conversation with a trusted friend.  Best $17 I’ve ever spent.