Summary of Gary van Warmerdam's MindWorks

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The primary source of a person’s happiness is within them, and is determined by the negative thoughts, opinions, criticisms, self-judgments, and beliefs they hold. Unless a person addresses these factors and develops a healthy belief system, external success will be emotionally empty.

#2 The inner world of the mind greatly affects how we feel. We can’t control the external world, and we may be successful in our field, make lots of money, and receive accolades from peers, but still be unhappy.

#3 Our belief system affects our emotions. If we believe that an event will make us feel a certain way, we will feel that way. But if we believe that an event is only a trigger for our story and emotional experience, we will still feel the event but not necessarily the emotion it causes us to feel.

#4 The emotions we feel are often caused by our own self-criticism and the beliefs we have about being laid off. If we attribute our feelings entirely to external factors, we tend to ignore the beliefs that are at the root of many of our emotions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669397595

IRB Media

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Insights on Gary van Warmerdam's MindWorks

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 17

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The primary source of a person’s happiness is within them, and is determined by the negative thoughts, opinions, criticisms, self-judgments, and beliefs they hold. Unless a person addresses these factors and develops a healthy belief system, external success will be emotionally empty.

#2

The inner world of the mind greatly affects how we feel. We can’t control the external world, and we may be successful in our field, make lots of money, and receive accolades from peers, but still be unhappy.

#3

Our belief system affects our emotions. If we believe that an event will make us feel a certain way, we will feel that way. But if we believe that an event is only a trigger for our story and emotional experience, we will still feel the event but not necessarily the emotion it causes us to feel.

#4

The emotions we feel are often caused by our own self-criticism and the beliefs we have about being laid off. If we attribute our feelings entirely to external factors, we tend to ignore the beliefs that are at the root of many of our emotions.

#5

We can become flexible and change our opinions and beliefs at will, even those regarding negative experiences. By changing these beliefs, we can change how we feel about things in the past and in the present.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The solution to dealing with anxiety, fear, insecurity, anger, jealousy, depression, and the like is to change our negative thoughts and beliefs. However, this is not always easy. We must learn that underestimating the task of changing a negative thought can lead to unnecessary frustration and be detrimental to our success.

#2

The struggle within Bill’s mind was the new paradigm he was trying to adopt clashed with the existing structure of beliefs, which pushed back with negative thoughts about this different approach.

#3

The same process that conditioned Pavlov’s dogs to respond to the sound of a bell was at work in Bill’s upbringing. He was rewarded with praise and attention when he did what others wanted, and punished when he failed to meet expectations. Over time, his mind developed an image of himself as a failure.

#4

The positive-reinforcement game is what keeps Bill’s emotions in check. If the game is not kept going, Bill might feel bad enough to look inward and see what else is going on. However, occasional small successes might earn him enough approval to keep reinforcing the pattern that accomplishment and other people’s opinions determine his happiness.

#5

Changing beliefs is difficult, and it can be even more difficult to change negative beliefs into positive ones. Some approaches attempt to change these emotions by adopting an