{"id":493,"date":"2019-03-07T12:21:15","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T12:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greatideasgreatlife.com\/?p=493"},"modified":"2019-07-02T04:17:26","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T04:17:26","slug":"the-code-of-the-extraordinary-mind-by-vishen-lakhiani","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greatideasgreatlife.com\/blog\/the-code-of-the-extraordinary-mind-by-vishen-lakhiani\/","title":{"rendered":"THE CODE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY MIND by VISHEN LAKHIANI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>Elon Musk<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That was a quote from the billionaire Elon Musk. What makes him and other billionaires out there stand out from the crowd?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it money? Is it fame? Is it luck? Elon Musk is not born a\nmultibillionaire. The same is true for Steve Jobs and John D. Rockefeller.\nThere is a method, a code which anyone can follow to become extraordinary like\nthem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is what you will learn from this book. Everything\nstarts in your mind. Before anything else, you need to change the way you\nthink. As the Apple Inc. slogan goes, \u201cThink Differently\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this summary, we will learn to change your frame of mind.\nIf we act and think like everybody else, we can never be extraordinary. We will\nalso learn to be strong against criticisms and also, how to achieve true\nhappiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transcend the\nCulturescape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Steve Jobs once said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you.\u201d<\/p>Steve Jobs<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Our life is governed by rules. Since childhood, we are told what we should do. You should study in this school. You should finish college. You should have a high-paying job. You should marry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are being dictated by society even in what we should feel\nand what we should look like. What is the reason behind this? Humanity has\ncreated this set of rules. We are like fish swimming in a sea of rules, ideas,\nbeliefs and practices of people before us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are expected by society to accept and follow these rules.\nBut the point is, these rules are already out dated. They limit us. They\ncripple us. They hold us back. To become extraordinary, you must live out of\nthese rules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at the author\u2019s own story. VishenLakhiani\nworked for Microsoft. He even met Bill Gates in a welcome party for new hires.\nVishen studied hard to achieve this. He took up computer engineering in the\nUniversity of Michigan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vishen should be happy. After all, he has a stable job in a\ngreat company. He graduated in a top university. People see him as a success. But\nVishen is not happy at all. In only a few weeks, he quit his job at Microsoft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Vishen really wanted is to be a stage actor or a photographer.\nBut society does not see these as successful professions. People often say that\nthere is no money in acting or photography. People say that he should get a\nnine-to-five job. And so, VishenLakshianigave up his dreams.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question the Rules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The rules that we have are just created by people before us.\nIf we think of it, the rules are just merely opinions. We only follow them\nbecause they have been there since we were born. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we make decisions, we think that we are being rational.\nWe think that the decision came solely from our mind. But, whether we like it\nor not, we are constantly being influenced by our friends, our family and our\nculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is nothing wrong with following tradition. But the\nworld is evolving so fast. The rules, ideas and beliefs that we have must\nevolve as well.  If you just accept what\neverybody believes in, you are not being rational. If you just accept without\nthinking, you cannot be extraordinary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you must question the rules. You have a mind of your own.\nDecide for yourself if the rules are right or wrong. Do not blindly follow\nthem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, there was a 9-year-old Hindu boy who wanted to eat a\nMcDonald\u2019s burger. He was influenced by the many advertisements he saw. A\nMcDonald\u2019s branch is opening near his home. But the boy had a problem. He was\nnot supposed to eat beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the ads, the boy thought that a McDonald\u2019s burger\nis the best meal he could ever have in his life. But still, something is\nholding him back. So the boy went to his mother to ask, \u201cWhy can\u2019t I eat beef?\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His mother gently replied that it is part of their religion\nand culture. Still the boy is curious. Other people eat beef he said. \u201cWhy can\u2019t\nHindus eat it, too?\u201d So his mother set him to a quest. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go find\nout?\u201d she told him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 9-year-old boy read through the Encyclopaedia. He found\nout that to the ancient Hindus, cows are very useful. Cows help the Hindus in\nfarming. They also give milk. There are other animals there that the Hindus\ncould easily consume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, the boy\u2019s mother allowed him to taste the beef\nburger. The boy thought that the McDonald\u2019s burger was overrated. It\u2019s\ncertainly not the best meal he could have. But still, he was able to learn\nsomething. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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