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Get this episode's summary, PDF mindmap, related quotes, and YouTube version:https://www.seanrosensteel.com/blog/the-power-of-now-summary---------This summary doesn’t begin to do this book justice. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to pick up a copy for yourself. This is one of those reads where you’ll want to revisit it time and time again for years to come.Be sure to share this summary with someone you love!  ---------Subscribe to my YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ASCJhQa3_emnRHvEdv8NA?sub_confirmation=1Subscribe to my e-newsletter:https://www.seanrosensteel.com/Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/seanrosensteelfan/Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/seanrosensteel/Subscribe to my podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sean-rosensteel/id1485286583---------Buy “The Power of Now“ Now on Amazon:https://amzn.to/2shKszBListen to “The Power of Now“ on Audible w/Free Trial:https://amzn.to/30S4HiH*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

1.    Addiction is not a diseaseAs the subtitle suggests, this is the premise of the entire book. This isn’t a new perspective by any means, as the argument as to whether or not addiction is a disease can be traced back to the time of Aristotle.Marc suggests addiction is viewed as a disease for two primary reasons: It really does change the brain, and people really do lose control over their behavior.  But if these are the two primary drivers, then what about behavioral disorders?  When people aren’t addicted to substances but instead to things like porn, sex, gambling, or video gaming. Why aren’t these considered diseases, too?Not surprisingly, these disorders show brain activation patterns nearly identical to those shown in substance addiction.To further Marc’s point, the same kind of brain changes seen in substance addiction also show up when people become absorbed in a sport, join a political movement, or fall in love.If addiction is a disease, then apparently so is love!Marc believes the disease model has outlived its usefulness. In fact, he argues for most addicts the disease model probably does more harm than good.2. Brain change is a consequence of learningMarc does an elegant job of reframing brain change as a consequence of learning rather than a consequence of addiction. In fact, brains are supposed to change. If the brain isn’t changing, the brain isn’t learning.This is known as neuroplasticity, and it’s the result of a normal brain, doing exactly what it was designed to do.Marc argues that even the more extreme cases of brain change don’t necessarily imply something’s wrong with the brain. However, it may imply a person has not been using his or her brain to its best advantage.With long-term addiction, some regions of the brain may actually lose a fair amount of synapses – this is known as “pruning” – and it shows up on brain scans as a loss of gray matter volume.What’s fascinating is that studies have shown this reduction in gray matter volume to have reversed over just several months of abstinence, returned to normal baseline levels within six months to a year of abstinence, and then – miraculously - increased beyond the baseline level becoming more elaborate, more sophisticated, more flexible and more resilient than those who have never taken drugs.Marc suggests neuroplasticity includes the development of addiction, but it’s also the springboard to recovery.3. Quitting is a continuation of developmentInstead of viewing quitting as recovery, getting past one’s addiction should be viewed as more of a developmental process. In fact, it’s a continuation of the same development process that brought about the addiction in the first place.  Through this process, many addicts get to a point where addiction no longer means relief; abstinence does. And in the same way that addiction was learned over time, abstinence itself becomes a pattern, a habit of its own.When this occurs, that burning desire which was once focused on a disempowering, short-term fix gets rerouted; it’s now in a league with more empowering goals like freedom, self-preservation, self-control, happiness, and peace of mind.See, every human being needs to see their own lives progressing, as going somewhere, moving forward from a meaningful past to a compelling future. Marc suggests addicts begin to outgrow their addictions when they’re able to reflect on their lives, connect their past to their current conundrum, and imagine a bigger, better, brighter future.Buy Now on Amazon | Listen on Audible w/Free Trial*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

1. Everyone has trapped emotionsDr. Nelson suggests that some of our emotions can become trapped in our bodies when the processing of these emotions is interrupted for whatever reason. If an emotion becomes trapped, you’ll tend to feel that emotion more readily and more often than you otherwise would; he also suggests you will attract more of that emotion into your life.So how do we release these trapped emotions? That’s what The Emotion Code is all about. I won’t spoil anything here, but if you’re interested in learning a step-by-step process for quickly releasing these trapped emotions – not only for yourself, but for others as well - Dr. Nelson reveals it all in this book.You can tell he comes from a place of giving and abundance as the entire framework is laid out in a highly detailed way.2. Your subconscious knows bestMany of us are familiar with the idea that we only use about 3% of our brains. If this were true, we wouldn’t be alive. The other 97% of our brain is busy helping us survive. Beating our hearts. Helping us remember to breathe. Growing our fingernails. This is referred to as the subconscious part of our brain.Dr. Nelson suggests that you can ask your subconscious if you have any trapped emotions through muscle testing. He describes multiple ways you can perform muscle testing on yourself as well as on others.I must confess I’ve never really taken muscle testing very seriously; but one of the tests he describes is called “The Sway Test,” and it was so simple I couldn’t resist giving it a try. What surprised me about this test was its ease and accuracy. While I’m no expert at muscle testing and I still have a lot to learn, I’m beginning to see how valuable and effective it can be for all of us.I think it’s worth mentioning that Dr. Nelson doesn’t want us to use muscle testing for making major life decisions or asking our subconscious how to win the lottery. In the context of this book, it’s to be used for health-related questions having to do with whether or not trapped emotions are present in our bodies.  3. You choose your emotionsI love this idea: We can choose our emotions instead of allowing negativity to choose us.Dr. Nelson references Viktor Frankl, a psychologist, holocaust survivor and the author of one of my favorite books, "Man's Search For Meaning."During his time in concentration camps, Dr. Frankl found that those who chose the emotion of hopelessness didn’t survive for long; but to his surprise, even in the midst of all the horrors, there were still those who chose emotions such as love and hope.Through his horrific experiences, Dr. Frankl concluded that everything can be taken from us except for one thing – what he calls the last of the human freedoms – the ability to choose our attitude in any given situation.4. Focus on what you want, not what you don'tThis idea that our focus determines our reality is a powerful one.How often when we’re asked what it is we want do we respond with what we don’t want? I think many of us are in the habit of focusing on what we don’t want, and then wondering why more of what we don’t want continues to show up in our lives.This reminds me of a story told by Tony Robbins many years ago. He had an opportunity to drive one of those Nascar race cars. He had a driving coach sitting next to him, and the coach repeatedly told him to stay focused on where he wanted the car to go. And if the car began to slide out during one of the turns, it was critical that Tony kept his focus away from the wall.Why? Because wherever Tony focused is ultimately where the car would go.5. Life is a learning and purifying processDr. Nelson includes a story that illustrates this principle very well.It’s about a women’s bible study group who, after studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, became curious about the process of refining silver.To learn a bit more, one of the women went to see a silversmith. She noticed the silversmith holding a piece of silver in the middle of the fire where it was hottest in order to burn away all the impurities.The woman thought about how God sometimes holds us in pretty hot spots.So the woman asked the silversmith if he had to sit there the whole time while he was refining silver. She learned that yes, he did, and he also had to keep his eyes on it because of he left it in for even a moment too long it would be damaged.The woman then asked how he knew when the silver was fully refined, and he said that’s easy: When he saw his image in it.I hope you find this story as impactful as I did.If you’re facing difficult times right now, always remember that you’re not alone; God’s not only watching over you, but has a purpose for you as well.Buy Now on Amazon | Listen on Audible w/Free Trial*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

1. There’s no such thing as failure; everything we do produces a resultI’ve personally adopted a belief that there’s no such thing as failure, only feedback. Wayne takes this a step further, beyond psychology, into the realm of spirituality. In his own life, every spiritual advancement was preceded by some sort of a fall from grace. He suggests that a fall is almost required in order to manifest the energy to propel us to a higher place in life.2. Shift our attention away from what's wrong to what's rightHave you ever noticed how easy it is to be offended? Rather than asking yourself what’s wrong with this thing, person, or situation, ask yourself what’s right about it instead. Wayne suggests that for every one thing you find wrong, you’ll find ten things that are right. From this place of gratitude, you’ll be more aligned and in-Spirit than ever before, which will enable you to go about your day in a much more effective state.3. For every one act of evil, there are a million acts of kindnessWayne suggests that the news is like a stead dose of low energy that’s addictive. I can relate as for many years I used to let the news interfere with my happiness and inner peace. And then I thought to myself “How can I be so fragile?” Awareness is the key here. Next time you’re getting upset about some headline, catch yourself and turn it off. Try focusing on what’s right instead.For example: Anytime there’s a natural disaster, I try to focus on all the help that’s on its way, our ability to ignore our differences, and unite for a common good. From this positive perspective, I’m no longer immobilized. I can make much more effective decisions and take actions that support the cause. By focusing on what’s right, I might get inspired by everyone’s ability to unite and help, which might compel me to make a donation to the relief effort. This may even inspire others in my environment, or those I interface with throughout the day, to do the same.4. Offer to others what we genuinely want for ourselvesThis is that law of attraction idea; but rather than remain at the level of thought, Wayne suggests that we take it to the level of action. He suggests if you want inspiration in your life, inspire others first.What’s neat is this doesn’t just apply to inspiration. If you want more love in your life, give it to others. If you want more respect, give it first. Anything you want, give it first and see what comes back to you.Always remember giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin.5. Love is the #1 priority in the final moments of our livesWayne references 9/11 here, and how those that knew they were leaving this physical world didn’t call their employers, they called their loved ones. He suggests we came here in love, and we leave here in love.Wayne suggests that if we’re going to make love the #1 priority in the final moments of our lives, why not make it a priority now? What would happen if we made love a priority with ourselves, with each other, with God, and towards our environment? All the chaos and disorder that currently defines our lives would simply dissolve.6. God doesn't exclude anyoneWayne suggests that any religion or organization that does exclude people isn’t affiliated with God. What may surprise many of us is that Jesus wasn’t a Christian, Buddha wasn’t a Buddhist, and Mohammed wasn’t a Muslim. These were divine spiritual beings who came here as messengers of truth. But when their truths were organized, we saw the horrors of inquisitions, mass murderers, crusades, holy wars, and jihads, all in the name of “God.”He goes on to suggest that we shouldn’t rely on anything or anyone to make conscious contact with God. Instead, we must approach God in silent communion, and be willing to listen and receive guidance; if we do, we’ll find the inspiration we’re looking for.Buy Now on Amazon | Listen on Audible w/Free Trial*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.