National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

The Millionaire Inside

Early this evening while I was writing at my computer, I overheard a panel discussion of millionaires on TV discussing the influences in their lives that led to their wealthy status. The show was CNBC’s “The Millionaire Inside”, featuring top financial mentors.

Their focus was not on how they became wealthy, but why.

I looked up from my keyboard when I recognized the voice of Larry Winget, whom I met ten years ago, before he became a NY Times bestseller author. At that time he was a balding, eccentric fellow who trademarked his looks with a wardrobe of about 30 different pairs of colored glasses. He was confident about who he was and didn’t mind taking a different path in life to reach his goals. And, he seemed to have good common sense.

When I heard Larry tonight, he surprised me as he told a story about his childhood. At school one day he tore a hole in his only pair of jeans. He kept wearing them every day to school until one a kid in his class humiliated him by saying, “Larry, are you so poor that you only have one pair of jeans?”

Larry was so embarrassed that he vowed he would live his life so that one day he could wear whatever he wanted to wear and live wherever he wanted to live.

In the past 20 years he said he read 4,000 thousand books to elevate himself out of his circumstances.

Surprisingly, most of the other millionaires had similar stories. They wanted to change their lives and free themselves from the humiliating lifestyle they had as youngsters. And, each of them took positive steps toward a better life by reading.

Reading-the Cure for Depression

A growing number of therapists are recommending a therapy called bibliotherapy, which suggests that reading self-help books can stimulate your mental well-being. Two studies in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy were published in May that discussed the positive effect reading self-help books made on patients that were depressed or had other mood disorders. This concept has become so popular that the national health system in Britain is prescribing self-help books for thousands of people seeking help for mood disorders.

From the Bookstore to Your Bookshelf

This should not come as a surprise to any of us. Rummaging through bookstores on the weekend has been my escape for years. The second I step through the doors of a Barnes & Noble bookstore, I am at home among a blur of colorful volumes of books filled with thousands of words. It is like knocking on the door of different friends each visit. But, after I explore the neighborhood, I usually end up in the self-help section, thumbing through books that help me look at life with fresh insight.

Restored Emotional Loss

If you are facing breast cancer, you will likely experience an emotional as well as a physical loss. The sense of loss of control of your life can plummet you into despair and make coping difficult.

The loss of a breast does not mean you have lost yourself. Reading a good book can reinforce your grip on your emotions. You can begin to put order back into your life while you are still physically recovering by starting with a healthy mental outlook. Whatever area you lack, read about it. If you feel it, someone has written about it.

Thought for Today

Emotions do not have to rule your life. Read to renew and refresh your mind.

Live Life,

Janelle