No one has complete control over their thoughts. But with practice, with deliberate attention, far more control can be achieved. Here are five rules that show you how.

1. Practice thinking to develop mental thrust.

Thinking is work. To develop your thinking process you must put the mind through exercises which lead it down new paths.

2. Add width to your thinking.

Narrow minded people have these characteristics. All negative.

a. They see only a small part of problems.

b. They are exceptionally prejudiced. They can hate intensely.

c. They are intellectually blind. They learn no wisdom as they mature.

To think wide remember :

a. Be careful of generalising with the all white and black approach.

b. Avoid sentences like, Hes no good, I hate, They are stupid.

c. Think two sides before you make your point. Nothing is all good and nothing is all bad.

d. Dont be to fast with your opinions.

3. Think like a crew member not like a passenger.

Assume your responsibility for what happens.

4. Listen and trade minds with people you want to influence.

Remember, it isnt how much you talk. Its how much you listen that determines if your brain will develop understanding and power to convince other people.

5. Develop you own wisdom builder.

Keep a journal. Get yourself a diary or notebook. Each day write the answer to this question in your diary, What great lesson did I learn today?. Remember, when you write, your mental energy is concentrated on thinking. What you write, you will remember more clearly as what you speak.

It isnt so much what you know when you start that matters. Its what you learn and put to use after you open your doors that counts most.

Fernando Soave Copyright 2003