Influences...

In ''Think and Grow Rich'' Napoleon Hill talks about the mastermind group, having a group of people or a group of resources which will assist you in achieving your goals.

I was just looking at a post on four-hour- work-week:

Envision the 5 books that have most impacted your life. How would your life be different if you’d never read them?

Where might you be today if you’d never met the most influential teachers in your life, past and present?

How would your options be affected if you could never again read a book, menu, or sign?

Personally, I'd say that the 5most influential books I've ever read would be in no particular order:

1) A Drink with Shane Macgowan... I took so much from this book, Shane Macgowan is a VERY intelligent guy, this book pointed me in the direction of some very interesting and cool stuff which has both stimulated my mind and kept me entertained A LOT.

Through this book I discovered amongst other things: James Joyce, Carl Jung, Resevoir Dogs, Mandalas, Venus in furs which in turn led me to discovering the magical Velvet Underground and their influential 'leader' Andy Warhol, and a lot more for sure. Hmm I might read it again. If I hadn't read this, I would almost certainly be stuck in some form of chode hell, and my first love probably wouldn't have considered me to be as interesting.

2) The Game by Neil Strauss... it seems for some reason, almost cliché to have this in the list; actually I'd already read David Deangelo for about 7months or whatever before I bought this... but strangely the influences I attained from this, almost certainly saved me from being a total needy desperate loser forever.... it came at a time, actually, that's a whole other story; I'll be sure to post about it one time. Nevertheless, it's had a MASSIVE influence on my life.

3) A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle... I only read this about 3 or 4 weeks ago, but the information contained within, for me was paradigm shifting. This has totally altered my world-view. WOW. To think of what ''I'' used to be like. WOW.

4) Frogs Into Princes by Grinder and Bandler... I didn't even finish this, I will though. This book totally shifted how I view my interactions with people, and how I communicated.

5) The Dirt by Motley Crue + Crazy from the Heat by David Lee Roth... reaffirmed my beliefs in what is possible. I also pulled a cute lesbian in about 15seconds after reading Diamond D's book, but... yet again, that's another story.

Basically, without these books, and without certain influences, a lot of which I actually discovered through these books, to put it bluntly: I would be a massive seething chode.

I would still be a an absolute needy, desperate, fat, unintelligent, impoverished loser without any semblance of hope.

This for me totally reaffirms the importance of reading books, and great literature for me.

Without powerful influences in my life, to point me in the right direction... I might have got where I am now; but it probably would have taken at-least ten years. The influences I've had in my life, one or two in particular by following their lead I have totally changed my life.

If I could never, read a book, menu or sign again... who knows where I'd end up. It could be an interesting journey. I have total belief that I'd come out the otherside okay though, and that belief is invaluable, I don't think I could have gotten that without my influences; and that fire of desire that comes with wanting to succeed.

-Michael