Think and Make It Happen

Think and Make It Happen. Cury, Augusto. Thomas Nelson: 2008

Dr. Cury takes positive thinking to the next level. In his book, he not only persuades the reader to think positively but argues that it is possible to train your brain to do so. He lays out 12 principles for training your brain to think positively and to focus more on the present. Dr. Cury has a doctorate in psychology, but writes for the everyday person. I have read a lot of books authored by doctors and most are written on a much higher level than the average person can read. They are full of technical jargon that requires a dictionary to be close at hand. Dr. Cury's book is easy read with very little technical jargon.

Each principle is designed to help the reader to “think correctly.” By thinking correctly, Dr. Cury means focusing on the positive and the beautiful things in life and not allowing your mind to focus on the negative things that cause us to miss the truly wonderful moments that crowd each hour of each day.

I enjoyed Dr. Cury's principles, but found myself wishing he had explained each prinicple more fully. For example, in the second chapter, he talks about the D-C-D technique (Doubt-Criticize-Determine), but he doesn't give enough examples to fully explain the principle. He also gives an example of a patient who used that technique, but again stops short in explaining the mental processes the patient used. While I realize space is always a concern, I believe he could have left out the first page or two of each chapter as he spent the first pages persuading the reader that the principle is important. I was convinced that all 12 principles were important after reading the introduction. Further persuasion was not needed.

As a whole, I believe the book is well written and the principles well grounded. I have been using the DCD technique and found it works beautifully. I am working to incorporate all 12 principles into my thinking on a daily basis. I am anxious to see how they work altogether, but I have to say I can see a difference already. I am thinking more clearly, more positively, and seeing the beauty in the little things.

Arm & Hammer Carpet & Room Pet Fresh

I have no idea how long Arm & Hammer have been making their aerosol pet fresh cleaner but I just discovered it. The can advertises a "Pet Hair Release" so I had to give it a try on my sofa. We had been out of town for several days at Christmas and prior to that I hadn't had time to vacuum. So, needless to say, the cat hair from three cats had accumulated. I have spent the last week trying to clean it off the sofa. I have vacuumed and vacuumed but just couldn't get it all.

Today, I tried the Carpet & Room Pet Fresh spray. It sprays a foam cleaner over the entire area. As advertised it dries quickly, but I am not sure it was exactly 5 minutes but it was definitely less than 10. Once dry, I vacuumed again and all the remaining cat hair came up leaving the sofa looking like new (or as close as our old sofa can).

I was impressed that the pet hair release really did work. The static that was holding the hair was no longer there and neither was the hair.

The only downside is that being an aerosol it left a nasty chemical smell in the air. If you are chemical sensitive, this is one product to stay away from. Next time I clean the sofa, I will probably open the windows to air out the house afterward.