Reviewing Unlimited Power

Unlimited Power is actually a pretty old book. In fact I found it a fun throwback to the late 80’s in some of the things Tony says in it. Despite that, and actually unsurprisingly to me, the content is incredibly topical today.

The book starts with the basis about how what we tell ourselves and what we hear from others shapes the programming of our brains. That programming has a direct impact on who we are and what our potential is. The rest of the book is a handbook for programming your own brain. In a greater sense, taking control of your life and creating something amazing where you might otherwise be simply taking the path more easily laid out before you. Robbins does a great job of creating his own glossary of key terms which he defines himself. This is a very effective way to get your lessons to stick with the reader and he demonstrates a mastery of this.

NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming is what he’s talking about and Robbins does a great job (as he does with every system he trains you on) explaining what it is, and how to use it for yourself.

He goes on to explain how a state works, which is simply your state of mind. That state is influenced by a great many things. All of which can get you into a position where you can be successful in your tasks and what you do, but you must understand that state, to a pretty granular level.

To follow that is a perfect segue into belief since it is what can help shape our state. This is where some of the programming comes from and is very helpful to returning to a state which brings you the resourcefulness to be successful.

Many books have fluff chapters or are rife with fluff. I found Robbins book to be quite lean on fluff. When he told a supporting story to the idea he was trying to get across, it was clearly relevant to the point, and compelling. Real world examples to highlight the impact of the systems he taught. Despite being a long book, it was easy to stay involved.

The programming part has several facets to it. One is simply to model success you’ve already had or that someone else has. It’s not as easy as imagining having a pile of money. Robbins goes into sub modalities, or the granular details of what the experience you’re modeling is. The feelings, smells, words, and so much more that make this up. Truly, if one can master the sub modalities they can master modeling success.

Robbins puts together many tools for you to use on yourself, and others. Step-by-step processes to learn which can lead you out of negative thinking and a resourceful state. The added bonus throughout the book is that he teaches you in a manner that can not only help you but the people around you. Truly a man that is committed to teaching a world to fish. I really enjoyed how these processes are explained within the context of helping others.
Once you learn about how you can work with others, you can begin to understand the strategies which work with them to better understand you. This leads to another important goal of the book, communication. Not just communicating with yourself, but with others. We can’t effectively communicate if we don’t know what is important and what isn’t.

As I said, everything is part of your state, and physiology is no different. From our posture to our breathing and more, Robbins has systems that address it all. They’re not miracle systems either. They take time and practice to master. This is one reason I would recommend having a physical copy of the book to make notes and annotate. You will likely be going back to it as you proceed with learning these different tactics and lessons.

Did I mention detail? How about the details of different foods and how they break down in your gut? How about educating you about enzymes and acids? There are words he uses to explain what he means that you probably wouldn’t see outside of chemistry class. He’s got the studies to prove it too in the section on how to take care of your body. Impressively backed up by the science too.

After you get through section one, you’re ready for section two. I have read other books which so clearly indicate the fluff that they would suggest skipping the first part in order to get to the meat of the second. I recognize there’s meat in the second part of Robbins book – PLENTY, but without a framework established in the first part, it won’t be as effective as it could be. The book is all about success, the BEST success and that requires work and study. So don’t skip part one to get to two. You’re just not going to get what you need to be the best.

There’s a section on lazy communication that I find fits very well with Mindset, and that is avoiding generalization and all the nastiness that comes with it. There’s nothing more limiting than grouping problems together that really have no business being combined. When we do it leads to overwhelming feelings and freezes us in place. It’s so easy to do and Robbins gives a great mnemonic tool you can use with your hands and fingers to snap you out if it.

I found a number of chapters on interpersonal relations. There’s a great chapter on conflict resolution. Between the steps given and the stories to support them, it almost makes me want to go out and find conflicts to solve.

There’s another part in helping to deal with the wider world which is a wonderful transition into what makes us a better member of society, with eyes wide open, thoughtful and loving.

I can’t recommend this book more if you are truly serious about making the best changes in your life. To date, there’s nothing more comprehensive and well-written.