Book Review: Think This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe

About the Book:

Instant New York Times Bestseller

Unlock your potential by cultivating self-awareness and curating a fulfilling life full of self-improvement, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset. Leadership expert and entrepreneur Dr. Josh Axe teaches 12 revolutionary mindshift transformations to beat the grind and reach the life you've always wanted. Redefine success and replace the limiting beliefs of yourself with the healthy mental toughness to think this, not that.

Perhaps you're busy but still feel empty. Maybe things haven't turned out how you'd hoped, and life seems stale and unfulfilling. What if you could wake up every morning excited about your purpose, knowing you're fulfilling your greatest potential?

A more meaningful life is within your reach, and it starts in one place: your mind.

Living with a mindset of false narratives will keep you stuck, locked in a prison of unpursued dreams and goals. But cultivating a new mindset based on what is actually true will set you free—free to start exploring and growing beyond the limits you thought you had.

In Think This, Not That, Dr. Josh Axe unpacks the top twelve mental barriers holding people back from realizing their potential and becoming the greatest version of themselves, and contrasts each one with a new empowering mindset, such as:

• Don't simply drift; clarify your purpose.
• Don't define success based on what you accomplish; base it on who you become.
• Don't be the victim; be the hero.
• Don't be a slave to your vices; overpower them by building virtues.
• Don't live by popular opinion; follow enduring principles of wisdom.
• Don't allow unintentionality; visualize a strategy.

Whether you want to improve your physical or financial health, raise the quality of your relationships, or take your career to new heights, these mindshifts will help transform your life.

It's time to break through your limiting beliefs and find out who you can become, to build a meaningful life through new thoughts and actions, and to make the switch from what's stalled you toward a life of ultimate significance.

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My Thoughts:

Thnk This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe gave me a lot to think about. It’s not a book to read too quickly (because there are many ideas to consider) or too slowly (lest the momentum and train of thought be lost). Honestly, I probably need to read it again to cement some of the ideas deeper in my mind while I continue working on my vision board (an exercise from Chapter 11).

Think This, Not That held Christian undertones throughout, but it’s during Chapter 7 (Build an Unshakable Identity So No One Else Does It for You) that spirituality and God began to be discussed more openly. The content often felt like a combination of traditional Christian ideas with lots of motivational, self-help narrative. In my opinion, it’s best let the Holy Spirit illuminate what in this book works for the individual reader (and I think Dr. Josh would likely agree with that). For instance, Chapter 5 (Rewrite Your Role in the Story) was very motivational, but ultimately, a miss for me. Sometimes a person endures such severe trauma that even with counseling, prayer, and healing, they may always have scars (physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual) that prevent certain achievements and/or resilience.

Chapter 6 (Assemble a Team to Fulfill Your Dreams) felt unrelatable. I agree that we need community for encouragement, companionship, and inspiration, but Dr. Josh presented the ideas based on his own experience which included a “team” of celebrities and extremely wealthy people who gave him opportunities that just aren’t common for most people.

I will say that Dr. Josh seemed to be very authentic in his desire to help people and make the world a better place. And I have no doubt that Think This, Not That will help many readers, myself included. Chapter 1 (Create a Breakthrough by Unlimiting Your Beliefs) made quite an impression in my mind and has helped me have a more positive, open mindset. Chapter 9 (Bust Vices by Building Virtues) has stuck with me and reminded me to do things with excellence. Though I’ve finished off the book, I still flip back through it, rereading quotes I underlined and notes I made in the margins.

Think This, Not That by Dr. Josh Axe offers readers a resource of best practices and positive mindsets.  In my opinion, nearly everyone could glean inspiration from this book, but not all of this book will be applicable to everyone. 4.5 Stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.