Reclaim your dreams: an eBook review

Reclaim your dreamsA few days ago Jonathan Mead (Illuminated mind) tweeted who would like to review his new eBook on their blog. I took the chance and tweeted back that I would like to do a review. Lo and behold, the eBook was in my email a few days later and I read it “cover to cover” straight away.

For those of you who don’t know Jonathan, he’s a blogger who isn’t afraid to go against the stream or to leave the stream entirely. To unstream as he puts it. Exposing our presumptions about productivity and life and challenging us to think before we actually (mis)take something for the truth.

So what is this book about exactly? The title gives a slight hint. “Reclaim your dreams” is a book about – and I’ll put it bluntly – stop caring about what others think and do what you want to be doing. Going into the army because your father and grandfather were in the army, now is that a good reason to enlist? Or is it peer pressure and indoctrination about how life should be?

On the inside cover we find several statements about what this book is:

  • This is a declaration of authenticity, and act of spontaneity, and a call to live deliberately.
  • This is an invitation to dream
  • This is a permission slip to be ridiculous

He hit the nail on the head with those statements, this book really does grab you and shakes you about until you realise that you’re not actually living your life. Watching what other people do on TV, Reading about what other people do on Blogs, Listening to what other people do with Music.We read about it, hear it, see it, want it, but don’t act on it. The solution is all about getting out of your comfort zone and getting back in the driver’s seat of your life in stead of standing on the sidelines watching life flow by. You’re invited to dream and to make the dreams become reality even if they are ridiculous according to others. Who are they to judge you’re dreams? It’s your life and you’ll want to live it just the way you like it. Permission granted.

Jonathan writes about the same mountains I’ve been writing about and how to tackle them.  How to take small steps and don’t look so much towards the top. Whatever we do, don’t let not knowing keep us from moving. Not knowing something is actually a natural state, it’s impossible to know everything. The only thing we know for sure in any venture is that somewhere along the way we will get confronted with not knowing. “If you only do two things – take consistent action and lose your fear of failure – you’ll already have a 95% chance of success. Guess what not fearing failure means? It means you can stop being paranoid about asking for what you want.” Fear of failure also comes from fearing the unknown, get comfortable with the unknown. Jonathan will also teach youhow you can go “social skydiving” and have a hard look at your lifestyle choices.
The book contains enough exercises to keep you busy and more than enough food for thought to keep you busy for a lifetime. Yes, a lifetime, if you grasp what Jonathan is trying to convey. It’s very powerful and it’s ruthlessly honest. A wake-up call for the mind.
You can get your copy at:
Trust me, it will have an impact.
If you’re wondering what others have to say about the book, here are some more reviews:

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 1:30 pm and is filed under Book reviews, Skills and habits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  1. Opinionated Ant says:
    April 22, 2009 at 10:00 pm

    Great Review.

    I’ve never read an e-book before but this review has peaked my interest not only in e-books in general but Jonathan Mead’s new book in particular.

    Thanks.

  2. Blake says:
    April 23, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    “this book really does grab you and shakes you about until you realise that you’re not actually living your life.”

    I absolutely agree Christiaan. I too had a chance to read his creation, and I was floored. It instantly gave me a greater desire to leave behind my unnecessary, limiting beliefs and truly go after I want.

    I enjoy your writing as well. I was just about ready to contact you and inquire as to why you hadn’t setup a self-hosted wordpress blog, then I read your post about the deal you made. Hope you accomplish it sir!

  3. mindthebeginner says:
    April 23, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    Nice to read that you enjoyed my writing as well as Jonathan’s. The self-hosting will indeed be a reality in the near future. To have a (very small) addition to my income so I can pay for my tuition I will however resort to some sort of advertizing or other means of additional income. I hope my readers will forgive me for that.

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