In our quest for learning, we are unfurling the Magic of the Mind.

Buckle up, my brave trailblazers, because we’re venturing into an exciting expedition in The Art of Study by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. Visualize yourself as a daring explorer, poised to launch into an exhilarating journey of wisdom.

A new book to read. Your roadmap? The boundless terrain of knowledge. Your guiding force? Your desire to learn something new.

In this learning quest, you’ll unearth long-lost magic that’s now stirring in our educational corridors. But don’t expect wands or capes; it’s way more cool – the power of your imagination and feelings.

Imagine your thoughts as characters in your most-loved video game and your emotions as the controls. Harmonizing these two can orchestrate an epic narrative of your actions. The challenge is learning to sync your thoughts and feelings to compose a symphony of desired outcomes for your new knowledge resource.

Painting the Canvas of Thought

Szekely enlightens us that amassing facts or sparking bright ideas doesn’t necessarily instigate action. Knowing vegetables are healthy doesn’t necessarily make you devour a salad bowl, right? However, if a bellyache from too many sweets strikes, that’s when emotions can ignite action.

So, how do we infuse life into our thoughts with a dash of emotion? Szekely teaches us to color our thoughts with vibrant images. Imagine the word ‘strength.’ Does it remind you of the roaring Niagara Falls, Michelangelo’s intense art, or Beethoven’s pulsating symphony? Through these vibrant images, our thoughts stir powerful emotions within us.

Conquering the Game of Learning

According to Szekely, one first surveys the territory (understand the subject), then picks out the essential missions (the vital parts of the issue), and finally narrates these missions in your own words, peppering in some questions to ensure you’ve got it all right. The key is to capture and transform your original thoughts into feelings so you take action with your new knowledge.

Szekely presents this in an effective way learning how to study a book:
1) Read the entire chapter for an overall idea.

2) Group similar ideas together.

3) Make each idea more tangible in your mind.

4) Summarize each idea in your own words and number them. Handwrite these short summaries in the right column.

5) Write a question for each summary and handwrite the question in the left column. Number your question with the number of the respective summary.

To test your memory, cover the text on the right margin, read your questions on the left margin, and try to remember the answers on the opposite margin.

Repeat this until you are satisfied with your retention. Learning and applying this review technique is how you get the new knowledge to stick.

6) Write down your original thoughts on the subject in brief, condensed sentences on the top margin of the page. This space allows you to capture your AHAs. These top margin notes constitute your creative contribution to the text; thus, you become the author. Infuse life into your original thoughts by writing about them with feeling tones and descriptive images with colors.

7) Write down everything you need help understanding on the bottom margin of the page, including the words you need to look up. Do your research to gain understanding and look for unknown words in a good dictionary.

The ultimate victory isn’t just learning; it’s applying that knowledge, carving out your unique perspective, and fostering original thoughts.

“Everyone receives two kinds of education: the one given to him by someone else, and the other, far more important, which he gives himself.”

Edmond Bordeaux Szekely

Embrace the thrill of your epic learning quest! Master your study skills by delving into Charles Haanel’s The Master Key System.

Click here to be added to the early notification list for the next Master Key Experience course that starts in late September; it is only offered once a year. Be the brave trailblazer and ignite your lifetime journey!

Happy studying and learning explorers!

This blog article is based on The Art of Study: The Sorbonne Method by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. It was first published on December 1, 1973, and then again in 1991.