Discover How to Tap the Hidden Treasures You Already Possess
Discover How to Tap the Hidden Treasures You Already Possess
© 2003, Roger Haeske

If you are at all like me, you love to learn, to read and to listen to audio programs. Therefore, you probably already have some great sources of information in your home to help you make more money, improve your relationships, to learn how to speed read, etc.

If you've already read those books you probably aren't excited about them. But did you get the full benefit out of any of those books. Have you mastered what they are talking about?

If you think about it, you can really get excited again. Except this time you will really apply the knowledge in these books. No more just reading and then moving on. You are going to make a serious study of these books. I call this the Discourse Study Method.

At one point in my life, I used to study monthly spiritual discourses. Now I apply that same study technique to books. The discourses were about six pages of 8.5 x 11 size pages. I would study one of those per month in depth. As soon as I received the discourse I'd read the whole thing. At the end of the discourse there was a monthly spiritual exercise to practice. So I'd usually practice that exercise daily for 15 to 20 minutes.

Next I'd read a page or even a couple of paragraphs per day of the discourse. I'd think about what I read during the course of my day. I contemplated it to understand its deeper meaning.

I also had a journal and any thoughts or insights I received due to studying the discourse I would write down. Doing this daily study really helped me to learn the principles much better. My whole life started reflecting what was written about in the discourses.

The even more amazing thing was that there were many times that I would receive a new discourse and the very thing that was going on in the discourse was going on in my life at that particular time. This was amazing to me. These things didn't happen to me in the previous month, but they did happen just before I'd received my discourse.

This must have happened at least 20 to 30 times over a 10-year period. My life actually aligned with something I hadn't even read yet. I had numerous other types of similar coincidences while studying these discourses.

Anyway, this is not the main point I'm trying to get at but I wanted to share that with you. The main point is that you can take your favorite educational book and actually learn it. All you have to do is read it gradually on a daily basis and study it. This study should only take about 10 to 20 minutes per day. Then all you have to do is practice the action steps in the chapter.

I even have a version of the classic "Think and Grow Rich," in which there is a study guide. They actually show you how to read the book to get the most out of it. You can do this same process for any book. You can even adapt it to audio programs you might be listening to. By the way the book is called, "The Think and Grow Rich Action Pack." I highly recommend it.

Only by a deep study, contemplation and practicing the principles in the book will you be able to reap the full harvest of the book. I'm telling you it works like a charm.

Most people just read a book, but they don't take notes or take action. Or maybe they take some action but then they stop. You don't want to do it like that. You want to get the full benefits the book has to offer you.

So here's what I suggest you do. You can even add your own steps. What I'm saying is in no way complete. But if you do what I say you'll be able to extract the pearls of wisdom the book contains and dramatically improve your life. You'll also get excited because you won't have to go out and buy a new book. You're old books will give you plenty to work with.

1. Choose a chapter from a book that you really want to master. You should study that chapter for one week.
2. The first day you read the whole chapter to get an overview.
3. The following days you can read a page to a few pages. Or whatever you have to read so that you will have reread the whole chapter by the end of the week. Therefore, in a short period of time you have at the minimum read the chapter twice.
4. While reading you should underline points that are important to you. You should make notes about how you feel in the margin.
5. Keep a journal so that you can write down additional realizations that your readings elicit.
6. Mentally review what you have read when you have free time throughout the day. Contemplate the meaning.
7. At the beginning of the book write down the page numbers and a brief description of key things you have read. That way you can find them quickly in the future. How many times have you read something only to have to search throughout the whole book to find it again later? This way you have a quick reference to any key points you might need.
8. Do the exercises or activities recommended to do in that chapter. If there aren't any exercises then maybe you can create your own.
9. Talk about your realizations with a good friend. Try to explain all the details to him or her. This is a great way to help you memorize what you have read. I do this all the time and it works quite well.
10. Total time per day spent on this should be no more than 15 to 45 minutes. It of course depends on what you are studying and what the book is asking you to do.
11. After the week is up, go on to the next chapter that you want to master. You can gradually go through the whole book like this. You can even redo a book say a year later. You are guaranteed to have new and valuable insights each time you do it, because you have changed. If a book has 12 chapters it will take you 12 weeks to complete. It will take you a long time, but you are no longer just reading you are mastering.

So if you feel you haven't received the full benefits from a book or learning program you've purchased, then maybe you should consider the doing the Discourse Study Method I've just outlined for you.


- posted by Roger Haeske @ 10:08 PM