54 pages • 1 hour read
Ed MylettThe Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and Success
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 6-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapters 6 Summary: “One More Association”
Chapter 6 discusses how the one more thinker can surround themselves with positive influences. This is partly accomplished through having a strong “inner circle,” a group of close associations who influence how you engage with the world. According to Mylett, “to succeed in life, your peer group’s standards must align with your own” (81).
Mylett draws concentric circles to define the importance of relationships. The outermost circle contains many strangers; the innermost circle contains a few influential people, like parents, mentors, best friends, and partners. However, “not all life‐long friends and family members end up being in your inner circle” (73). Acquaintances and casual relationships make up the rings between the strangers and the inner circle. The point is to make yourself the “bull’s eye” of the circle to attract better associations—that is, to get important, powerful, and influential people closer to you at the center.
Mylett has three to five inner circle friends. Based on individual preference, this number can vary. People who inspire and make you want to be a better person are always welcome in an inner circle. To evaluate the inner circle, you should ask if these people improve your “financial affairs, your relationships, emotional health, faith, physical well‐being, or provide the love every person needs” (89).
Chapter 7 Summary: “One More Dream”
Chapter 7 details how the power of imagination can create success: The “happiest people in life operate out of their imaginations and dreams, and not their histories” (91). When people use the past to determine their future, they can end up with flawed visions that hurt their progress.
Mylett recommends that you gain awareness of the patterns of the past. Ruminating on negative emotions and experiences can only serve you if you manage these thoughts toward positive and intentional actions. Connecting with the past in meaningful ways, whether through family or childhood friends, can also be beneficial. Another method is acceptance. You need to accept that the past— both negative and positive experiences—has made you what you are today.
Dreaming is a natural human process. Sometimes, however, dreams can be uncomfortable because they can plunge the thinker into unfamiliar ways of being. This discomfort is good because it means that progress is happening. Readers can “replace negatives with dreams and visions that are exact, specific, and repetitive” (99). Likewise, once positive dreaming is made into a habit, you can let the subconscious run freely to manifest actions that realize your life vision.
Chapters 6-7 Analysis
The argument in Chapter 6 claims that the associations in your life not only dictate your success but also can be dictated by your intentions. Though Mylett describes this argument visually as concentric circles, he doesn’t visually represent the circles in the book, so readers are tasked with imagining his concept. The concentric circles of relationships relate the more important associations in the center and the least important on the periphery. The inner circle doesn’t need to be made up of family and friends. In fact, if those people affect negative influence, Mylett urges readers to drop them from their associations or, at least, move them to a farther area of the circle. Mylett emphasizes the importance of the self in this description. A key concept here is that individuals have the capacity to change their lives at will. Therefore, The One More Mindset should remind the reader that they are the center of their circle. Likewise, this mindset means that the reader can audition people for their inner circle to find the most valuable people in their life. In his advice about relationships, Mylett insists on the power of the individual to exercise free will to alter the things and people in their life. Mylett doesn’t tell readers how to approach the difficult and uncomfortable situation of dropping people as acquaintances, friends, or family, nor does he explain how to add people to the inner circle. This is important because it shows The Power of One More is not a how-to book as much as it is a collection of advice and strategies that readers can apply to their lives in their own way.
Chapter 7 broadens the focus of “one more” thinking onto dreaming. Defining dreaming as the “product of your imagination at work” positions the reader in control of their imagination and, therefore, in control of their dreams (97). Since this is the case, the imagination should be used for visualizing personal success. Mylett identifies a problem with most people: They let their dreams take control instead of controlling their dreams. Consequently, negative dreaming habits result in sadness, anxiety, stress, and depression. Mylett encourages readers to use the abstract concept of positive dreaming and visualizing to “intentionally act upon your dreams” (101). In this sequence, dreaming leads to acting. Conversely, in Chapter 6, the action of identifying and selecting positive associations leads to healthier and more productive thinking habits.
Neither of these sections explicitly addresses Achieving Goals With Neuroscience and Quantum Mechanics or The Power of Faith Accomplish More. However, the implicit presence of these themes is apparent in Mylett’s language. He frequently praises the benefits of cultivating awareness through intentional thoughts. This claim relates to Mylett’s discussions on the reticular activating system and the power of prayer, both of which are meant to change the mindset of the reader dramatically.
