Microsoft Word who will cry when u die doc

40. 
Cure Your Monkey Mind
To get the best from life, you must be completely present and mindful in every minute of every hour of every 
day. As Albert Camus wrote, “Real generosity towards the future consists in giving all to what is present.” Yet, 
on most days, our minds are in ten different places at any one time. Rather than enjoying the walk to work, we 
wonder what the boss will say to us when we get to the office or what we will have for lunch or how our 
children will do at school today. Our minds are like scampering puppies or, as they say in the East, like 
unchained monkeys, rushing from place to place without any pause for peace. 
By developing present moment awareness and an abundance of mental focus, you will not only feel 
much calmer in your life, you will also unlock the fullness of your mind’s potential. When too many 
distractions compete for your attention, the power of your mind is dissipated in all those different directions 
rather than concentrated on one point like the rays of a laser beam. The good news is that you can practice 
becoming more attentive to the present and develop this skill within a relatively short period of time. 
One of the best ways to cure your monkey mind is through a technique I call “Focused Reading.” Every 
time your mind wanders from the page into a daydream or a worry, make a check mark in the right hand margin 
of the page. This simple act will increase your awareness of how poorly you concentrate and, since awareness is 
the first step to change, help you to build the skills you need for a clearer, quieter mind. 

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41. 
Get Good at Asking
“He who asks may be a fool for five minutes. He who doesn’t is a fool for a lifetime,” goes the wise Chinese 
Proverb. It makes me think of an ad I read in the classic fields recently that said, “To the beautiful woman in the 
brown suede coat at the drugstore at [street location provided] on Saturday, November 28 @ 4 p.m. You 
bumped into me in front of the magazine section. I would love to meet and chat.” The man who placed this ad 
then left his phone number. Destiny had given him an opportunity – possibly to meet the woman of his dreams 
– and he had squandered it. And now, after regretting the fact that he “did not ask,” he has had to resort to 
placing an ad in the newspaper in the desperate hope of finding this woman. 
The more you ask, the more you get, but it takes practice to get good at it. Success is a number game. As 
the Buddhist sages observed, “Every arrow that hits the bull’s eye s the result of one hundred misses.” Over the 
coming weeks, flex your “asking muscles” by asking for a better table at your favorite restaurant, for a free 
second scoop at your local ice cream shop or for a complimentary upgrade on your next airline flight. You 
might be surprised at the abundance that will flow into your life when you just ask sincerely for the things you 
want. Remember, the person who asks for what he wants at least has a chance of getting what he wants. The 
person who does not ask has no chance. One of the best books I have read on the power of asking is The 
Aladdin Factor, written by my friend and speaking colleague Mark Victor Hansen along with self – esteem 
expert Jack Canfield. Full of practical ideas and simple techniques, the book also contains a wealth of inspiring 
quotes like this one from Somerset Maugham: “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but 
the best, you very often get it.” 

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