Useful Belief: Because It’s Better Than Positive Thinking

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       April 15, 2016

 

Author  Chris Helder

Distributor:      Wiley
ISBN:                 978-0-7303-2742-4
Publisher:         Wrightbooks
Release Date:   December 2015  

Website:    www.wiley.com 

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Chris Helder has put together a very useful little book, in size, not content , offering up the philosophy of ‘Useful Belief’ as verses Positive Thinking, because as he says and rightly so, if all you get  is lemons, making lemonade will not always solve the issue. There is a definite need to have another aspect to consider.

Positivity in all of its usefulness does not always cut it, whereas Useful Belief more often than not can and will, end up making sense out of an issue or event that defies understanding. Written in the first instance as a traveller’s tale, he takes the journey of a businessman, Simon, travelling to Barcelona to present to a conference.

While Simon is delighted to be heading to Barcelona, a place he as always wanted to go, he is challenged by a variety of issues both personal and professional. He makes a series of three chance encounters; the first meeting up with a school friend also travelling, but to Singapore with her assistant, to present at a conference of health professionals.

The second is the young man sitting next to him on the flight to Singapore who, once he finishes his work, spends time talking with Simon about the ‘Red Toyota Theory’ and the ‘Reticular Activating System’, and how both affect the way we view and live our lives.

The third is one of the guest speakers at the Barcelona Conference who talks about the manner in which we view what we do and how, and by applying ‘Useful Belief’, amazing changes can be created.

Over the course of a few days Simon is given a new perspective, a fresh approach, a new framework and motivation to make the changes he so desperately needs to be able to undertake.

Chris Helder offers up challenging material to all who undertake to read this book as it challenges the way we view life, go about reacting to situations and also helps redefine the manner in which we choose to live our lives.

Powerful, positive, intriguing, informative and interesting the chapters are clearly set out with ‘Checklists’ at the end of each section which highlight the points presented and definitely offer up food for thought.

Deliberately kept as a small book, so that it will easily fit into a bag or briefcase, can be taken on a plane or read in one sitting, the words are simple, the effect powerful, the philosophy, life changing.