The Magic of Thinking Big - Chapter 09

Dr. Schwartz claims that success depends on the support of other people. He goes on to say that the only hurdle between you and what you want is the support of others. Business owners depend on customers to buy their products, otherwise the business will fail. Schools depend on the students to enroll and teachers to teach, otherwise the school will fail. Government depends on people to vote, otherwise they'll lose power.

So now the question is, how do I encourage people to support me?

How do you get people to respect you and like you?

The author believes being likeable is the key to moving up in the world. If people like you, the will respect you and cooperate with you. If not, they will be filled with disdain towards you and you will struggle to get results.

He goes on to give us 10 principles to live by that will make us more likeable to the people around us.

These are incredible philosophies to live by. Work proactively to build friendships. Don't wait for the other person to introduce themselves. Go over there and make the intro. In your introduction, try to say something positive so that the relationship gets off to a good start. Complaining doesn't make people like you.

Avoid negativity in your own thinking. Avoid negativity in your discussions. Avoid talking negatively about other people. Thoughts attract similar thoughts to each other. So if you spend more time thinking positive thoughts, you will attract more positive thoughts.

When speaking to negative people, if you can't change the topic, politely excuse yourself and walk away.

Adapt your attitude. Instead of shifting blame,

ask yourself, "What was my role in making this situation deteriorate? And what can I do to make it better?"

The answers to these questions will make you a pleasant person

who is genuinely liked by others. You will truly be a man of value.