The Practicing Mind

Will this book really make a difference?

Short answer - yes.

Long answer - whenever I read reviews on self help books my overriding question is always " did it actually change your life in some significant way?"
I listened to this book to and from work for several weeks so that I could absorb the messages contained within each chapter and I have to confess there has been a fundamental shift in my outlook on life.
I am a chronic perfectionist and this book has enabled me to stop obsessing about the goal to enjoying the process in aiming for the goal and detaching from the outcome. Not easy to begin with but life is so much more enjoyable now.
I have applied the principals contained within the book to my yoga lessons, to starting my own business and to refurbishing my home.
There is an age-old profound message within the pages of this book and if you are ready to receive the message it could change your life for the better.

8 people found this helpful

Life changing

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A good friend had found this book so inspiring he had gifted it to 10 of his friends, including myself. I am a consultant ophthalmic surgeon and a highly driven, motivated and (I would like to think) organized person but despite seemingly having achieved many of my professional goals I still find that I regularly berate myself for not achieving more in every aspect of my life, leaving me constantly stressed and frustrated at my perceived underachievements. In the last week I have listened to this book twice over. It has already changed my life for the better - no understatement. It has just a few vital themes which are explained in beautiful simplicity with the author's true life illustrations which are easy to relate to despite his professional background being a million miles from my own. It is about enjoying the process of life and all the richness that it brings. It is genuinely liberating. By applying the principles in only the last few days I am already feeling more in control, calmer and I am letting go of that nagging sense of having a thousand things I should be doing. I will be re-listening to this repeatedly until I am fully applying these principles and will be passing on this gift to my nearest and dearest.

What could Thomas M. Sterner have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I have no suggestions. It ticked all the boxes for me

What does Thomas M. Sterner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The fact that it is the author reading the book, despite not being an actor brought authenticity to this work.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The chapter about teaching and learning from children, in particular his experience with his own.

Any additional comments?

An inspiring read. Brushing my teeth will never be the same again!

7 people found this helpful

Essential Reading For Any One Aspiring Greatness

If you could sum up The Practicing Mind in three words, what would they be?

practical, simple, instructive

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Practicing Mind?

Describing the perfection of a seed transforming into a flower as perfection at every stage of development and then comparing those stages to when one stays present and learn to enjoy the process at every stage of what we are doing.

Its easy to get frustrated when one loses focus on the task at hand or the process that needs to be carried out to achieve our goals.

We have to get into the habit of following the process and enjoying the journey on route to achieving the goal

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Chapter 8 and 9 where my favourites

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I completed it in two sittings

Any additional comments?

If you are someone who gets frustrated when things are not going your way and need to understand how winning is done, Especially if you are an entrepreneur, business, sales or parenthood (the author shares a lot of practical experiences)... get this book!

6 people found this helpful

Worth Re-Listening to :-)

Some of the insights made me stop and think about my own routines. As the book reiterates, our whole lives are a series of routines that we can change if we are conscious/mindful of them.

I really liked the idea of drastically slowing down an activity that you would normally rush. It forces you into the present moment and you even begin to enjoy the process.

4 people found this helpful

One of a few life changing books

The author is a musician who practices a lot in order to improve. He also has a business where he fixes pianos.

He found that he was frustrated by not reaching his goals.

He studied the problem and found that many people in the West focus on the end goal and "will be happy when".

He found that in the East they focus instead on the joy of the process of slowly making progress towards the goal.

Some of the items that I learned from The Practicing Mind are as follows.

His story about the seed flower journey is life changing. It helps us realise that we are perfect now.

Slow down and act deliberately and the results will come 40% quicker. Slow down and observe yourself doing your work slowly.

Get lost in the joy of the process. It is a mistake to look at the end goal and not being happy til there.

With patience you are always experiencing your goal.

Your goal should always be learning or progressing.

He mentiones the infinite nature of progress.

Stay in the process, aware of goal but focused on process. Simplify break goals Small (fitness + cleaning shed etc).

DOC Do Observe Correct (fun) instead of looking at goal (victory) all of the time.

Fretting has no effect on getting things done.

The real thrill in anything is the anticipation. Enjoy the process and practice of getting the goal. Avoid instant-gratification. Car advertisements show perfection not reality.

3 people found this helpful

A great reminder everyone needs

I was on midway of listening to this book when I had to do a test. It was an analytical test where I had to use some new excel tool which I had no prior experience with. The test took two hours with 30 questions. The first half an hour I got panicked and thought I wouldn't be able to do it. However, I remember the author's word to slow down and be in the moment and I became more relaxed and eventually finished the test.

2 people found this helpful

love it

Love it and will listen to it again in the near future. I opens another way of thinking.

2 people found this helpful

Well worthwhile listen

Would you listen to The Practicing Mind again? Why?

Yes. It contains a number of very helpful insights, it's engaging and I can see a time where I will re-listen to it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

Which scene did you most enjoy?

N/A although the writer uses numerous good analogies from the worlds of sport and music to effectively illustrate some of the more abstract points.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Once you've heard the book you'll understand how ironic this question is.

Any additional comments?

The book offers a refreshing take on present mindedness which was an enjoyable listen.

As the author states, he has designed the book so you can dip in at any point which made it very easy to enjoy in bite size chunks.

I am very fussy about narrators and this does have a slightly odd style at points. This wasn't enough to affect my enjoyment of the book but I would suggest you listen to the preview before buying.

2 people found this helpful

wonderful concepts. spolied by monotone delivery

i loved and felt inspired by the ideas in tho book. but i struggled to maintain attention due to the monotone voice of the reader, which had no variation in pace or expression regardless of content. I'd still recommend as the content is excellent and other readers may not have the same reaction to the reader's voice as me.

1 person found this helpful

Process matters, not profuct

That is the lesson I learned: process matters, not the product. This view of life results to focus, calmness, and being present. In the book there are suggestions on how to see things that way: break your tasks into small pieces, do them shortly, and more importantly slowly.
I am very glad to have a chance to listen to this book. The voice is also pleasant and easy to listen to.

1 person found this helpful