University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Awaken the Giant Within
Book

Awaken the Giant Within

How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Financial

Anthony Robbins
Free Press, 1992
First Edition: 1990
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Author and "life coach" Anthony Robbins takes on the gargantuan task of analyzing how the mind and body work, and how you can take control of every part of the process. He explains that all human actions and decisions originate in the pain-versus-pleasure principle. He then teaches you how to rewire your neurology so you associate pain with negative emotions and events, and replace it with the pleasure of the positive. Reading an Anthony Robbins book is like viewing a transcript of one of his self-empowerment seminars. The personal revelations, stories, anecdotes and analogies are fun to read, but the essential messages are buried beneath page after page of verbiage. Only the most patient and devoted Robbins follower will extract all the gems of wisdom from this lengthy treatise, but getAbstract.com thinks it is a worthwhile pursuit for the seeker who is willing to make this book a long-term companion.

Summary

The Power to Change

You have the power to create long-lasting change in your life, but you have to be willing to make the effort. Begin by demanding more of yourself than ever before. Decide what you want in your life and what you will not allow to intrude. Then raise the bar on your standards. Change your belief system so that it expands rather than limits your chance of success. Once you make the commitment to live by a higher standard, you will automatically modify your strategies and develop new ways to meet this commitment.

The Power to Decide

Everything that happens in your life begins with a decision. Therefore, you must take control of your decision-making processes. This means fine-tuning your focus, clearly understanding your values and developing a plan of action to achieve the results you desire. To make powerful decisions, employ these six tactics:

  1. "Remember the true power of making decisions."
  2. "Realize that the hardest step in achieving anything is making a true commitment - a true decision."
  3. "Make decisions often."
  4. "Learn from your decisions."
  5. "Stay committed...

About the Author

Anthony Robbins is a self-empowerment pioneer and an expert in motivation. He offers seminars, chairs several companies and has written a number of other books, including Unlimited Power.

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