I didn’t know a lot about President Lyndon Johnson, but I’ve enjoyed learning about him via Wikipedia.

While reading the terrific book, The Magic Of Thinking Big, by Dr. Joseph Schwartz. In a section about “Thinking Right Toward People,” Dr. Schwartz featured the 10 Point Formula For Success created and followed by Lyndon Johnson. And now I share it with you…

10 Point Formula For Success

  1. Learn to remember names. Inefficiency at this point may indicate that your interest is not sufficiently outgoing.
  2. Be a comfortable person so there is no strain in being with you. Be an old-shoe, old-hat kind of individual.
  3. Acquire the quality of relaxed easy-going so that things do not ruffle you.
  4. Don’t be egotistical. Guard against the impression that you know it all.
  5. Cultivate the quality of being interesting so people will get something of value from their association with you.
  6. Study to get “scratchy” elements out of your personality, even those of which you may be unconscious.
  7. Sincerely attempt to heal, on an honest Christian basis, every misunderstanding you have had or now have. Drain off grievances.
  8. Practice liking people until you learn to do so genuinely.
  9. Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation upon anyone’s achievement, or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.
  10. Give spiritual strength to people, and they will give genuine affection to you.

Magic_Of_Thinking_BigWhen I find something helpful in a book I underline it and fold over the page corner. These “dog ears” let me return to the good stuff in a book.

I’m pretty sure this book has the most dog ears than any other I’ve ever read. It was written in 1959 and – other than a few outdated salary and home price references – it is incredibly relevant today.