Chapter 21. Zen and the Art of Internet Marketing
Want to hear something wild? I've discovered the most fascinating thing: At the top level, where the really successful Internet marketers seem to effortlessly acquire money, success, and power, there is quite an interest in Oriental philosophy.
Oriental philosophy, specifically early Tao and Zen writings, has been my secret weapon since my early college days. I don't talk about it much, but when it comes to focusing on the task at hand, being completely "in the moment," and creating products at light speed, the techniques I've learned from Tao and Zen writers never let me down.
I'm talking about Tao and Zen as taught up to about the fourth century a.d., when they were philosophies and their writings were just collections of intelligent ways to operate in the universe.
Around that time, somebody had the bright idea of turning the philosophies into religions, an idea that would have amused Lao Tsu, for example, the guy who started Taoism. They get a little boring after that.
Imagine my surprise when I started recognizing the same techniques, with a different spin, coming at me from the marketing and wealth-building books I've been reading!
The Power of Impossible Thinking is a great example. It explains how your belief systems are choices, and how you can choose to change them. It's brilliant, once you learn the trick. You can choose specific belief systems that are task-appropriate, without becoming attached to them.
That's right out of ...
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