Think and Grow Rich: The Lesson That Took Me 25 Years to Learn

By Walter Sarmiento | RE/MAX Distinguished Homes & Properties*

Have you ever read a book, attended a seminar, or learned something that made you feel like your life was about to change, only to realize months later that nothing really had?**

I have. And it taught me one of the most important lessons of my life.

The First Book I Thought Would Change Everything

Think and Grow Rich* was the first personal development book I ever read.

I remember being so excited. The idea that I could think my way to being rich? Wow.

"This is going to change my life," I told myself.

I read and re-read that book three, maybe four times. Every time, I got fired up all over again.

My friend Oscar was reading it with me. I totally geek out on things like this, so naturally, I couldn't stop talking about it.

I was telling him how this book was going to change everything.

And then he said something I'll never forget.

"Yeah... but what's really changed? You still live in your parents' basement."

Ouch.

That sent a shock through me because he was right.

**Nothing had changed.**

I was young, about 21 years old. I knew I was onto something, but I didn't have anything figured out.

Reading and learning were part of the formula. They just weren't the entire formula.

Something was missing.

700 Books and a Lesson I Didn't Understand Yet

A few years later, I learned that Tony Robbins had reportedly read over 700 books on personal development before turning 18.

Seven hundred books!

At the time, I think I'd read maybe a dozen.

Naturally, I focused on the number. I thought maybe the answer was simply to read more, learn more, and absorb as much information as possible.

But it took me years to realize the difference wasn't about how many books someone read.

It was about what they did with what they learned.

Memorization vs. Transformation

Years later, after many more books and seminars, the lesson finally became clear.

I was seeking transformation, but what I was actually practicing was memorization.**

Think about how most of us are taught to learn.

Read the material. Memorize it. Pass the test. Move on.

That's how traditional education often works.

So when I picked up a book that was supposed to change my life, I approached it the same way.

I read it like a textbook.

Then I read it again.

And again.

I could remember the concepts. I could talk about the ideas. I could get excited about everything the author was saying.

But I wasn't necessarily becoming a different person.

And that's when I began to understand something important:

Memorization fills your head. Transformation changes who you are.**

That lesson fully clicked for me many years later when I read *The Code of the Extraordinary Mind*.

Real personal development isn't just about collecting information.

It's about taking what you've learned, applying it to your life, changing your habits, questioning your beliefs, and becoming someone different through the process.

And that kind of change doesn't happen overnight.

25 Years Later, I Still Ask Myself the Same Question

"So what's really changed?"

That question from my friend Oscar has stayed with me for more than 25 years.

I've dedicated my entire adult life to personal development, and I still ask myself that question all the time.

Today, I can look back and confidently say that yes, I've changed.

I'm a very different person from that 21-year-old sitting in his parents' basement, reading *Think and Grow Rich* for the fourth time.

But the truth is, the transformation I was looking for came much slower than I wanted.

I've made a ton of mistakes along the way.

Some of those mistakes set me back years.

There were wrong turns, disappointments, and times when progress seemed almost impossible to see.

But through it all, personal development kept pointing me in the right direction.

It helped me recognize my mistakes, rethink my approach, and continue moving forward.

And despite those setbacks, I can genuinely say that life gets better for me every year.

Not because I've figured everything out.

But because I haven't stopped learning, growing, and trying to become better.

Looking Back Is Part of Moving Forward

"So what's really changed?"

I continue asking myself that question because it's easy to get caught up in what we haven't accomplished yet.

We focus on the next goal, the next milestone, or the next thing we want to improve.

And sometimes we forget to look back and recognize just how far we've come.

Real growth can be so gradual that we barely notice it happening.

Until one day, we look back and realize we're not the same person we used to be.

That's why I believe it's important to reflect, not just on what we've learned, but on how we've actually changed.

Have You Ever Experienced a False Start?

Let me ask you something.

Have you ever gotten incredibly excited about a new idea, a book, a goal, or a big life change, only to watch that excitement slowly fade?

Maybe you started strong but struggled to follow through.

Maybe you had to change your approach.

Maybe you pushed through and eventually succeeded.

Or maybe you gave up and moved on to something else.

I've experienced my share of false starts, and I'd love to hear about yours.

What did you learn? Did you power through, try something different, or decide to take another path?**

Feel free to reach out and share your experience with me. I genuinely enjoy hearing other people's stories.

And here's a photo of me holding that same book, *Think and Grow Rich*, except this time I'm wearing my *Code of the Extraordinary Mind* shirt that my wife bought me.

It's a little reminder of just how far the journey has taken me.

Walter Sarmiento
Your Friendly Real Estate Expert
RE/MAX Distinguished Homes & Properties
(914) 274-4620

​273 Columbus Ave, Tuckahoe, NY 10707