Title: The Magic Mindset
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Publisher: HarperCollins India
ISBN: 978-9354227721
Pages: 258
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‘It is perfectly okay to feel sad about one’s
life or plans that didn’t work out. We are allowed to feel what we feel. One of
the most important steps in making a change towards positivity is accepting
what we feel instead of suppressing it.’
The Magic Mindset by Preeti Shenoy, is thought-provoking book. It focuses on wisdom and inner-guidance. Simple writing, Insightful quotes, and easily doable activities are the core point of this non-fiction book. If you are a beginner and naive to this genre then it can be your perfect pick.
Basically, this book is divided into four steps: Understanding, Practicing, Sustaining and Fun with the Magic Mindset (14-Day Activity Challenge). Preeti Shenoy accepts the fact that, ‘sometimes the very word ‘positivity’ is an irritant, for. It seems like a false sense of not seeing reality for what it is. How can we be positive about, say, our finances, when the credit card bills have piled and we are broke? How can we say that the world is beautiful when millions in it are dying? How can we be positive if a loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness? What if the person who means the most to us is snatched away suddenly? That is exactly what happened to me when I lost my father.’
While including her own life experience for better understanding, Shenoy didn’t hesitate of sharing various references, either books or movies, for instance: she mentioned Byrne’s The Secret and the very idea of ‘Law and Attraction’. How our thoughts influence our life. It is sensible thing to put all the exercises in the end of each chapter, which may help the readers to recollect the gist.
Shenoy also mentions the award winning 1997 Italian movie Life Is Beautiful, in which the main protagonist, Guido uses his sense of humour and imagination to keep five-year-old Joshua safe from the horrors of the camp.
In the Magic Mindset, Shenoy calibrates the instant ‘problem-solving’ techniques of current generation. ‘We often seek an escape from our problems by ‘going on a vacation’. Popular culture leads us to believe that by ‘taking a break’ from our daily life, we will come back refreshed, better equipped to deal with our stressors. I might have been doing the same with my vacation in Bhutan. But vacations are just that—mini-breaks. They do not magically make our problems disappear. No matter where we go, our problems will accompany us unless we develop a mechanism to cope— the magic mindset.’
Frankl says, ‘When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.’
Aside from that, sense of communicating well, one
of our daily rituals which left a great impact on our mind. Shenoy explains ̶ If we are equipped with ‘good communication
patterns’, we tend to feel positive in our relationships. We know deep down
that whatever the issue, we can talk it over and sort it out. But if the
communication patterns are negative, then we go around in circles, discussing
the same things over and over.
In her own words, ‘When we are stressed out, breathing is shallow, cutting off essential oxygen to our body cells. Be conscious of how you breathe. If you are getting too stressed while waiting for the interview or the exam to begin, walk away to a secluded spot. Deliberately take slow and deep breaths. Count your breaths as you inhale and exhale. Repeat positive affirmations to yourself: ‘Everything will unfold just the way it is meant to be. We don’t control anything. May the best manifest.’
Synopsis
Sometimes, it's not easy to find the silver lining. While positivity is about looking at the bright side of things, the magic mindset embraces and accepts that it is not always possible to do so. Sometimes things get so bleak that our mind refuses to accept that there can be a silver lining. In this book, Preeti Shenoy gives you a set of principles for every area of life, designed to help us shift our perspective from hopelessness to hope, from despondency to joy, from cynicism to belief - a belief that change is coming, and things are not as bad as they seem. Perfect reading for the difficult times that we are living in, The Magic Mindset is full of tips, suggestions, fun exercises and practical advice on career, family, health, relationships, finances, social media, and more. It also includes inspiring stories and anecdotes from Preeti's own life. A cornerstone for all those who want to change their outlook, The Magic Mindset helps us build a purposeful and joyful life.
About the Author
Preeti Shenoy, among the highest selling authors
in India, is on the Forbes longlist of the most influential celebrities in
India. Her books include When Love Came Calling, Wake Up Life is
Calling, Life is What You Make it, The Rule Breakers, A Hundred
Little Flames, It’s All In The Planets, Why We Love The Way We Do, The
Secret Wish List, The One You Cannot Have and many others. Her work
has been translated into many Indian languages. Preeti is also a motivational
speaker, and has given talks in many premier educational institutions and
corporate organizations like KPMG, ISRO, Infosys and Accenture and others. An
avid fitness enthusiast, she is also an artist specializing in portraiture and
illustrated journals.