Real wealth is emotional, psychological, and spiritual.

I have always loved Tony Robbin’s talks and materials because they are practical and positive. His new book, Unshakeable, to be released February 28, 2017, is a super easy read and I highly recommend it to uncover the truths in investing and living a happy life.

I attended a lecture by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Ottawa in 2004. He started his talk with a simple statement, “The purpose of life is to be happy.” It was a life turning event for me to hear such a simple truth. To be happy is not a simple process. You have to acknowledge Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. In this hierarchy, you cannot reach ultimate happiness until you have achieved each level. The first level is your material needs.

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This is where Tony Robbin’s new book starts. His premise is that money can give you the means to be happy. However, it is not a means unto itself. Mastering the means of money will give you freedom to explore the other levels in the Maslow Hierarchy because you will be unshakeable.

We all dream of achieving that tremendous inner peace, that comfort, that independence, that freedom. In short, we all dream of being unshakeable. But what does it really mean to be unshakeable? It’s not just a matter of money. It’s a state of mind. When you’re truly unshakeable, you have unwavering confidence even amidst the storm. It’s not that nothing upsets you. We can all get hooked. But you don’t stay there. Nothing rattles you for any length of time. You don’t allow fear to take you over.

The key lesson in the book is to control what you can control… and let go of the rest.

…you’ll finish the book with a strategic plan that provides you the tools to help you win the game We all know that we’re not going to become unshakeable through wishful thinking, or by lying to ourselves, or by merely thinking positive, or by putting photos of exotic cars on our “vision boards.” It’s not enough to believe. You need the insights, the tools, the skills, the expertise, and the specific strategies that will empower you to achieve true and lasting prosperity.

Robbins offers the idea that you can be in a beautiful state right now, regardless of your level of material wealth. So why wait to be happy, he challenges?

Real wealth is emotional, psychological, and spiritual. I it’s not about living somebody else’s dream. It’s about living a magnificent life on your own terms.

If you’re not happy, you can’t have a magnificent life, no matter how fat your wallet.

The secret of living an extraordinary life is to take control of the mind, since this alone will determine whether you live in a suffering state or a beautiful state.

What Robbins has come to realize is that the single most important decision in life is this: Are you committed to being happy, no matter what happens to you? It’s your choice whether to live in a suffering state or a beautiful state. You have the capability to become a master of enjoyment, to fill your mind with appreciation, to be happy no matter what. Best of all, the joy in you will affect everyone around you.

I made a commitment through my cancer journey and aided by yoga to live a beautiful life — to thrive. It is a choice. I love this book because it gives you the practical knowledge and tools to give you the freedom to make explore those choices — financial, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. I highly recommend this book to everyone.


Originally published at dralanviau.com on February 27, 2017.

Originally published at medium.com