Book Summary - The Code of The Extraordinary Mind
- Viswani
- Dec 2, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: May 8
I will start with a funny story of mine connected to this book.
In the year 2018, I wanted to read this book. The title was so inspiring, it practically screamed, "Read me, or you'll regret it forever!"
But alas, I was in my junior year, and my wallet was emptier than a zero-calorie snack. Desperate, I made a deal with my Aunt: if I scored 650 marks on the weekly NEAT test, she would buy me the book. Spoiler alert: I never even got close to that score. Fast forward to September 2024, and I finally read it! I always knew this book would change the way I think, and it did. I'm really, really grateful to Vishen for publishing this masterpiece—it completely shifted my life perspective.
Get ready to dive into an exhilarating journey with Vishen's incredible book! Crafted with precision and flair, this masterpiece is brimming with the groundbreaking ideas and wisdom of world-class legends like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington, and many more! As if that weren't enough, Vishen has gifted us with a mind-blowing meditation technique that will transform your everyday life. This book is summarized so brilliantly that every part will stick with you forever. But trust me, you absolutely must experience it firsthand! Let's get started. Ikuzo!
This book changes your belief system, transforms your thinking, introduces new models of reality, harnesses luck, promotes blissful living, and sets goals, among many other benefits.
It contains four parts, each subdivided into laws, totaling 10 unconventional laws that make you extraordinary. Additionally, it includes a bonus meditation technique practiced worldwide, including by me.
So the Four parts of the Code of the Extraordinary Mind:
Part 1 - Living in the Culturescape
It is essential to recognize that we may have been navigating our lives in the wrong direction all along. We can abandon the socially accepted norms that dictate how life should unfold. A crucial aspect of achieving extraordinary outcomes lies in discerning which rules to adhere to and which ones to challenge. While rules are meant to provide guidance, they often confine us within limitations that do not reflect our true potential. Thus, we find ourselves in two distinct worlds: the world of absolute truth, grounded in facts, and the culturescape, which is shaped by opinions and collective agreements.
We must challenge the rules by questioning everything. What if life is not intended to be safe? The concept of safety is often overstated; in fact, playing it safe may hinder our ability to experience the excitement and fulfillment that life has to offer.
Law 1 - Transcend the Culturescape
Extraordinary minds are able to identify culturescape and choose rules that help them grow, they take the path less traveled.
Oh, of course, we all just love looking to others for guidance when we're clueless. I mean, who needs independent thought when we can just imitate the nearest person? Genius!
And let’s talk about brules—those delightful little bullshit rules we inherit from family, culture, and school. Remember that thrilling moment when you got to choose your religion? Oh wait, most of us didn't! Our lives are just a collection of other people's ideas about love, money, and morality. Isn’t it fantastic how tightly we cling to these outdated notions of right and wrong? Politics, education, traditions—just a big ol' buffet of brules begging to be discarded!
But seriously, do we really need to stick to one religion? Is that a requirement? Can spirituality even exist without all the dogma? Sure, religion might have its pretty moments, but let’s not forget the guilt and fear it often brings. Blindly accepting these dogmas? Oh, that’s definitely helping us evolve as a species. Not!
Religion is an aging model that needs to be updated. Your spirituality should be discovered not inherited.
We don't have to work hard to be successful. It does not make any sense to spend the majority of our waking hours at work, to earn a living, so we can continue living a life where we spend the majority of our waking hours at work. It’s a human hamster wheel. Therefore, always seek work that you love. Any other way of living misses the point of life itself. It won’t happen overnight, but it’s doable. Do you have a memory of doing something you disliked just to follow the herd?
Law 2 - Question the Brules
Extraordinary minds question the Brules when they feel those Brules are out of alignment with their dreams and desires.
You were born to do this. The great gift of being human is our capacity to see the world anew, invent new solutions—and then use what we know to transform our lives and change our world. Culture isn’t static. It lives and breathes, made by us in real-time in the flow of life, meant to change as our world changes. So, let’s do it! It starts at home, with you. Your life, on your terms.
Part 2 - The Awakening
When an old belief no longer serves you, you have every right to swap it out. Replacing outdated models of reality is essential. Change your accepted models of reality, and dramatic changes will happen in your world.
Law 3 - Practice consciousness Engineering
Extraordinary minds understand that their growth depends on two things: their models of reality and their systems for living.
First, we need to identify the key areas of our lives where we can apply consciousness engineering, and second, we need to pinpoint which of those areas could use some rebalancing.
Vishen highlights 12 key areas of life where we can implement conscious engineering:
Vishen emphasizes that, “What you know you believe is much smaller than what you don’t know you believe.”
This statement underscores the importance of self-awareness in personal growth. Much of becoming wiser and striving for the extraordinary involves recognizing the unconscious models of reality that we carry with us, often without realizing it.
Law 4 - Rewrite your Models of Reality
Extraordinary minds have models of reality that empower them to feel good about themselves and powerful in shifting the world to match the visions in their minds.
Optimizing Our Models of Reality
In life, we build models of reality to navigate experiences and decisions. These models need constant optimization to align with our true desires.
The Importance of Reflection
Regularly reflecting on our systems is essential. We must ask ourselves if they guide us toward our goals and align with our values. If not, it’s time to seek new models that better represent our evolving understanding.
Awareness: The Key to Discovery
Awareness is fundamental for discovery. By fostering mindfulness, we can spot gaps in our models and embrace new perspectives, enhancing our adaptability in a changing world.
Let’s commit to continuous improvement! By evaluating and refining our models regularly, we can keep them relevant and effective in fulfilling our deepest desires.
Law 5: Upgrade your systems for living
Consistently spend time on discovering, upgrading, and measuring new systems for living applied to life, work, heart, and soul.
Part 3 - Re-coding Yourself
By recognizing and embracing culturescape rules while letting go of the brules, we can create our own unique models of reality. As we continually upgrade these models, we experience a wonderful sense of freedom from brules, allowing our growth to flourish and accelerate.
Law 6 - Bend Reality
Extraordinary minds have bold and exciting visions for the future, yet their happiness is not tied to these visions.
"Have big goals—but don’t tie your happiness to your goals. You must be happy before you attain them."
Our happiness should not be confined by the judgment of success; instead, we should cultivate joy in the present moment to pave the way for achievement. A happy state of mind can generate more energy and momentum, leading to quicker success.
It's the ideal state where you we will be happy in the present and we have vision for future which drives us.
Vishen powerfully describes the Four States of Human Living
The Negative Spiral: Individuals in this state constantly believe they are unworthy and are perpetually consumed by worry.
The Current Reality Trap: These individuals experience fleeting happiness in the present but lack long-term fulfillment.
Stress and Anxiety: They possess a vision for the future yet remain fixated on success, leading to constant worry about future outcomes.
Bending Reality: These individuals are genuinely happy, with their vision serving as a driving force. They feel supported by the Universe, recognize every opportunity, and embrace the joy and freedom to live life on their own terms.
Law 7 - Live in Blissipline
Extraordinary minds understand that happiness comes from within.
Vishen distinct happiness into three varieties. Happiness from special and Unique experiences, Happiness from growth and awakening and Happiness from Meaning.
Blissipline comes from Gratitude, appreciating the reverse gap (your past self to present self), forgiveness (forgiveness is the ultimate self-healer, believe me), and The Practice of Giving. Embrace these elements of Blissipline, and watch as they guide you toward a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Law 8 - Create a Vision for Your Future
Extraordinary minds create a vision for their future that is decidedly their own and free from expectations of the culturescape.
Till now, everything has been going well, but what’s next? To propel ourselves forward, we must give our minds a clear vision. When we do this, something truly interesting begins to unfold. Personally, I have witnessed the transformative power of having a clear vision, especially after I set my goals. This journey has led to remarkable experiences and opportunities.
The Power of 3MIQs
Vishen Lakhiani describes the 3MIQs (Three Most Important Questions) as the ultimate booster for setting goals in life. By engaging with these questions, you can unlock your potential and chart a course toward your aspirations. It looks like this.
Next Steps
To embark on this exciting journey, I encourage you to refer to the "How to Set Goals" post. This resource will guide you in unlocking your vision and taking actionable steps toward a fulfilling future. Keep reading almost there.
Part 4 - Becoming Extraordinary
Extraordinary Minds have a calling, a pull to shift things and make a dent in the Universe.
Law 9 - Be Unfuckwithable
When you’re truly at peace and in touch with yourself. Nothing anyone says or does bothers you and no negativity can touch you.
When your goals are self-fueled goals you don't seek validation from outside opinion. Instead you are truly at peace with yourself and the outside world.
Law 10 - Embrace your Quest
"The most extraordinary people in the world do not have careers. What they have is a calling."
It's like nature creates all the time and looks for the people who are awake. When the opportunity knocks at the door, take it if it's the thing you're actually looking for. Remember, sometimes we have to destroy part of our life to let the next big thing happen. Vishen calls this "the beautiful destruction."
Failure is often nothing more than good luck in disguise: the destruction of an old way of life so you can create the next grand vision of yourself.
The Bonus Meditation Technique
It is called "The Six Phase Meditation," where we will be concentrating on different areas of life. It starts with:
Compassion
Gratitude
Forgiveness
Future Dreams
The Perfect Day
Finally, Blessing
It's Available on Mindvalley website.
Yay, you've made it till the end. You've successfully unlocked The Code of The Extraordinary Mind. I really appreciate you for taking your dreams seriously. You deserve all the good things. Thank you so much for reading. Which ideology hits you differently? Share it in the comments below.
Until then, Matane.
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