7 Thoughts to Live Your Life By: A Guide to the Happy, Peaceful, & Meaningful Life (Master Your Mind, Revolutionize Your Life Series) Kindle Edition

This book deserves to be widely read. I’ll summarize it here, and I’ll recommend the author make it less expensive to get it a wider audience. As a Kindle ebook, it is convenient to read and inexpensive to reproduce. A lower price might even prove more profitable (depending on the elasticity of demand).Engineer/author I.C. Robledo has already penned several helpful non-fiction books. This one may be closest to his heart, as it has come from his own struggle with depression, augmented with his deep reading of the relevant literature and serious thought about the issue of how we can have happy, worthwhile lives. Here are the 7 Thoughts, listed by number, with his comments and mine.Thought #1: Focus on what you can control, not on what you cannot control. Robledo identifies this as his most important point. We waste our energies if we focus on things over which we have no control. I think of the legendary King Canute of Britain who had his courtiers join him at seaside and observe the tide coming in, while he commended it to stop, as he demonstrated to them there are forces beyond his and theirs. Robledo includes other people among those entities beyond our control, though perhaps within our influence.Thought #2: Focus on the positive, not on the negative. A fine old song told us, “You’ve got to accent the positive, eliminate the negative, and don’t mess with Mr. In-between.” Norman Vincent Peale’s classic book The Power of Positive Thinking taught that same lesson to millions. Robledo identifies as the most important thing for us to control, something we can control: the thoughts we harbor. The Old Testament Bible‘s Book of Proverbs says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he….” To inhabit a positive world, one must think positively. The New Testament advises we think and speak about “whatsoever things are true…honest…just…pure….” We are not what we eat, but what we think.Thought #3: Focus on what you can do, not on what you cannot do. This chapter starts with a quotation from Martin Luther King, Jr., exhorting us that if we cannot fly, then run; cannot run, then walk; cannot walk, then crawl; “…keep moving forward.” Yoda of Star Wars urges, “Don’t try, do.” Positive thinking is a start, but actions trump thoughts and words. Our thoughts can help produce our results; “self-fulfilling prophecies” reflect this truth. The labels we affix to ourselves should be affirmative to harness this.Thought #4: Focus on what you have, not on what you do not have. Count your blessings, we have been advised. Of the billions of people on this Earth, you are likely among the most fortunate if you can obtain and read this book. Appreciate that. Use what you have to make tomorrow better, for yourself and for others. Wanting more may inspire productive action, but it can also cause foolish regret. Robledo cites Buddha as identifying this desire for more with disappointment and unhappiness. Is there ever enough? You must learn that there is enough, and we almost certainly already have enough. We all have minds, life, possessions, loved ones, values…. “our task is to learn to want what we already have.” Practice gratitude as your attitude. Eschew envy!Thought #5: Focus on the present, not the past and future. Another life counselor advises, “Be here now.” Be mindful of the present, paying little heed to the past and worrying little about the future. One is done, the other almost out of our control. While having goals is necessary to orient our actions, it is better to concentrate on having a system you use to pursue your goals; then, whether you get there or not, you can at least be pleased with how well you are carrying out your system, and you can enjoy the journey. I “enjoy” doing the exercise routine I schedule for even-numbered days: I am at least pleased to carry out my planned efforts, without worrying a lot about whether I am getting stronger or adding to my endurance…though I know I am. “The trick then is to focus on the enjoyment of a process.”Thought #6: Focus on what you need, not on what you want. The more we seek, the more unhappy we will be if we do not get it. Fortunately, we can focus primarily on what we need, a much smaller set of things and conditions than the nearly infinite list of our possible “wants,” a list that advertisers and other influencers help lengthen daily. Remember that, in some ways, “less is more.” Our needs are crucial; our wants, optional. The advice, “know thyself” includes knowing what we need and what we can do without.Thought #7: Focus on what you can give, not on what you can take or receive. Giving is noble and can be satisfying. When we think about our lives, we can be proud of what we have given, as well as happy about what we have received. To some extent, one must give to get, but giving is its own reward. Enlightened self-interest is defensible, but it is even more attractive when coupled with generosity. As you satisfy your needs and some of your wants, there will likely come a time when sharing with others will seem appropriate.

While this is a sort of cookbook approach to living, I think most readers will find some useful ideas here about some of the issues we all face at one time or another. There is a lot of common sense here, but there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes common sense is not as common as we might like to think. Ideas like staying positive, focusing on what you can control, living in the present, focusing on what you have rather than what may be lacking, etc. may seem pretty obvious, but it is easy to get sidetracked and move away from them. This book will not change anyone's life, but it may help readers to take a second look at things and change their own lives.

As a Family Physician with over 40 years of clinical experience, I was blown away by this book. I had figured out about 30% of the ideas outlined in the book, but the 70% were a true revelation for me. I have immediately put into practice these seven thoughts with a dramatic improvement in the quality of my life. It works because I have chosen to make it work. As the book points out, I am in charge of myself and my life and I am in the best position to make things better. I am using this book as a guidebook to get there.

This great book is about 7 thoughts that can help you have a good and peaceful life. The book is simply written which makes it easy to read and understand. I recommend this book to everyone who is confused and don't know what he/she must do to have a good life. It is a book that worth your time.

This book helped me in every area of my life!!! I am recommending it to all my family and friends, as well as my patients and coworkers. The author is very wise, kind, mindful, and compassionate.

This is a book that doesn’t break new ground but reminds us in a very useful way of things we should know and practice. Very worthwhile read.

Isaac Robledo's books are easy to read and full of useful information. Really enjoyed reading the 7 Thoughts to Live your Life By. This book was recommended by one of my teachers and it's been great!

This book had several thoughts for us to ponder. Seven in fact. Great read for people who like to think thoughts about life.

7 useful thoughts but he could, and should, have summarised it in about 20 pages. Then it would have been worthwhile.

Highly recommend this book. I put so many of the 7 ways to live my life into practice everyday! Such an excellent book and a easy read to

I was initially attracted to read I.C. Robledo’s “7 Thoughts to live your life by” because of Thought #1, which is “Focus on what you can control, and not on what you cannot control.” This thought reminded me a lot of Stoicism. If, like me, you are interested in Stoicism and Buddhism, you will enjoy this book, because it gives you very practical things to think about in striving towards peace of mind. I recommend this book for all the wisdom that the author imparts.

Exceptional book with many life changing ideas and insights. This is the 3 book I have read by the author and each one is in the same category. They can be considered textbook and must read at least several times to get all of the information they contained.

Reading this book will give you a different/more productive way to look at your life. If you want to live a good life, don't let life live you, YOU live the life you want