Noticing your own life - from a different perspective

One of these great "mystery" stories where an unknown person is able to make changes in another's life simply through noticing and commenting.

But the key point here is that our mysterious "Jones" helps his chosen subject to notice thing for themselves.

A first lesson: "whatever you focus upon, increases."

Too easy to say - and of course this flies right up their with self-help books and "The Secret" DVD. Any of us could figure this was coming. But it goes beyond simply noticing that the world around you depends on what you concentrate on. It's the point that you aren't the effect of the environment you are in, or came from, or how rich your family is.

Andrews points out a very, very civil point before the first 20 pages are over: if you just let your thoughts run willy-nilly around and become negative from all the negative news and politics and general tabloid atmosphere around us - then all you are focusing on is bad stuff. So the world around you is going to get worse.

Perspective is the point that this fictional character is telling his subject. Perspective is what you view life through.

The book continues through Jones teaching various principles of living life. Some of them new, all of them familiar when you read them.

Andrews tells these principles in an engaging form - through the lives of the people Jones helps. Each of them are near-riveting with the insight into human nature and interaction. But below them all are the simple basic principles which anyone can use to improve their life, their relationships, and the world around them.

Now, to be sure, reading fiction isn't your usual approach to getting self-help data into your life. But that doesn't mean it's not an effective one. With only 177 pages, this book gives a good shot in the arm, while edited for a fast and easy read - perfect for all the rushing around we do today.

Because in all that rush, we can easily lose our perspective - which "Jones" held as one of the most important qualities we can have, or share.

So I'd say if you get a chance to get a copy, do so. Anyone could use some nice principled fantasy in their lives. Could help. Couldn't hurt.

Thinking like a Christ - easier than you consider

It's just too easy to think like Jesus did. Really, we work too hard at keeping ourselves from doing just that.

Dr. Augusto Cury, a leading psychiatrist and author, did a complete psychological study of Jesus and turned as a result from an acknowledged atheist into a believer.  He tells about his progress and what he found in this 215 page book.

What he was fascinated with the impact a healthy mind can have on emotions and life. After many years of research and founding The Intelligence Institute, he concluded:

• Every person is a genius because everyone has the power to think.
• Harnessing "mind power" has been scientifically proven to enhance a person's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
• The human act of thinking is the greatest wonder of the universe.

This book is simply an approach to enable people to discover for themselves though Cury's 12-point program  exactly how they can get the benefits of a healthy mind into their own lives.

He uses Jesus as an example frequently throughout the book, as the mental profile he completed gave true insight into not just the Son of Man, but every person who walks or lives on this planet.

My own interest was in how he described the method where Jesus taught people how to think. (This starts up on about page 33, part of Principle 2 chapter.) Jesus taught by example. Where he was broke all the time, having no house or immediate support, he was rich in spirit and so was constantly supported by all who met him. But it goes beyond charisma.

Cury points out,

"His mind was so admirable that he transformed his quality of life into a garden even though his world was falling down around him and he was surrounded by downpours of discrimination....

"The young Galileans who followed him, although unsophisticated, anxious, and lacking power and self-control, learned lessons that kings, politicians, and intellectuals didn't learn. He taught them to recognize their limits, to not be afraid of their failures, and to control their thoughts."

That is an admirable skill few have today - or have had in the recent centuries. Too often we are lead by people who are too human, regardless of how they are promoted in their election process. They cannot even routinely inspire people, let alone allow them to change their thinking process and evolve their life to one of fullness.

While several modern self-help books, CD's and DVDs come closer to this reality - it is perhaps the reason that we need to listen to these over and over to really get their points. Because we don't have a singular and dramatic persona in our life where we can take this example.

Cury gives us a start with his 12-point program that anyone can follow in their own lives - with nothing more than this book. But he also gives us intimate knowledge of how one of the greatest philsophers to ever walk this earth might confront and resolve the various situations we each face in life.

I recommend this right up there with all the greats of self-help. And along with any Scripture studies you might be doing or considering.

We cannot do less than we already are. So any opportunity to let our own light shine is one we should grasp with both hands and start running with it toward our own goalposts.