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11 Inspiring Stories of People Discovering and Living Their Dreams: Life Entrepreneurs BY SCOTT | MARCH 17, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek Pub. Date: March 2008, Jossey-Bass ISBN- 9780787988623 256 Pages Success Rating:4 Why I Read this Book: We all should lead our own lives as we see fit. Inspiration from others is one of the best ways to get there. This book provides plenty of it. Topics Covered: •

Living your purpose

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Taking control and being the leader of your life

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The dangers of following the crowd

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Entrepreneurship

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Hardships involved in taking the road less traveled

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Achieving lasting fulfillment Review: There is nothing more inspiring to me than seeing people living life in their own way– taking the chance at the road less traveled and having it lead them to their own greatness and life success. It is amazing to see those who discover and live their true purpose, despite the seemingly endless amount of opposition that often come with living ones dreams. It takes courage but the result is so worth it. Life Entrepreneurs was recommended to me by a true life entrepreneur himself, Richard Leider , whom I met at a wellness retreat in Mexico this past January. As I got to know him I discovered him to be a best selling author and internationally ranked “purpose coach”. You can be sure to see plenty of his books posted in the future. Many years ago, Richard discovered that his life purpose was to help others find their unique purpose. He has since created an international following

and a successful life and career revolving around his true gifts and talents. After hearing my story, he recommended I put this read at the top of my list. Richard is what Gregg and Christopher call a Life Entrepreneur, someone who has become, not only a creator of the fate of their own business, but of the fate of their life as a whole. Why only be an entrepreneur with your career, when you can build a life that fulfills all of your dreams using your unique strengths and gifts to live your true purpose? It’s an unbelievable question that so many leave unanswered. Life Entrepreneurs is a new term to me but far from a new concept. Since reading Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”, entering into my adult life, founding RS and beginning my own journey, this concept has been at the front of my mind. As I have met people throughout my life and studied people’s lives around me, old and young, I’ve noticed something strange. It seems so easy for anyone of us to live our lives through to the end and look back only to realize we spent not even a day doing what we were really meant to do. It happens every day around all of us and sadly many of us are stuck in that situation–living to get through each day believing that some day we will “get there”, that someday we will arrive to a life of fulfillment and purpose but not until after we have put so much time into doing something we are not meant to do. Unfortunately we never really “get there”. I cannot say that I blame those in this situation. After all, our society trains us for it. From the day we begin learning and attending school we are taught that the way of life is to find an honest living and work your way up. The younger generations see it by example in their parents and then are trained to make their way through early adulthood and school with the expectation that at the end of college they should know what they want to do. In the end, so many of us are being trained to settle for less than we can be. And it’s not only unfair to ourselves but also to the tens, hundreds or thousands who would be better off if we were living our life the way we know we can best live it. When someone is living their purpose, their energy, passion and excitement are contagious. That, more than anything, is what the world needs more of. Key points to take away: •

Living life according to how you believe it should be lived is worth it, no matter what

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When going astray from the crowd, expect extreme opposition

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A life is meant to be lived according to ones unique purpose

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Success and Entrepreneurship are not only career related terms–they are life terms

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A genuine support system is essential in building anything–be it a life, family or career Gregg and Christopher have taken this concept of Life Entrepreneurs and are making it into a movement. Through over fifty real-life case studies of “ordinary people creating extraordinary lives” they show the reader what it means to be a life entrepreneur. Any one of these stories is enough to inspire the reader to go out and live life as they should, and the group of them together makes it hard for the reader to think of doing anything but that. They range from the high powered lawyer on the partner track who trusts his gut and changes direction to start a business helping the underprivileged in Africa, to the founder of Cliff Bar who started a business based on passion and instead of cashing out for $70M, decided to turn the buyer down to see his vision through. These stories are moving to say the least. Through them, all the glory and reward is laid out along with the periodic fear, doubt and uncertainty that comes with a life worth living–making the message especially realistic. Any one of you who have taken a dream bundled up with a lot of faith and hard work and made a run at life, know that everything imaginable is likely to come up in your path to try to tempt you back to a life of mediocrity. Since I have set out on my own, I cannot tell you how many times I have stayed up nights with an anxious stomach wondering how on earth I was going to make this work, what I would live off of if things didn’t work out, the people who have told me it’s not possible or simply the ones who have opted not to offer their support–the most crucial ingredient in life entrepreneurship. No one ever said that the path was easy and would not be met with resistance, but every one of them will tell you how very worth it the journey is and was. You will see it in every one of the stories in this book as well as in most anyone whom you come in contact who leads a fulfilling life on their own terms, whatever that means for them. Our world is changing faster than we can imagine. But it is changing so much for the better. I am 26 and continue to be inspired by the lives I read and learn about every day, both in person and in my books. There are more entrepreneurs today than there ever have been. More new businesses are started each month than ever before. And most importantly people are beginning to realize that life and success are not about reaching the gold at the end of the rainbow or living someone else’s life. But it is

about making your life and your life’s goal that very rainbow and creating a life that allows you to live inside of that rainbow every day. Purpose and fulfillment are beginning to take priority over wealth and status. That is what excites me more than ever. And as I finished the last page of the book and write this review, I look up in pride as I realize I am becoming my own life entrepreneur… and it’s only just beginning. If we keep our priorities straight, that will always be the case. There is room in this world for every one of us to be life entrepreneurs no matter how old our young you are or where you are in life. The only question is, where will your personal venture lead you? Are you a life entrepreneur or do you have a specific dream of being one? What is your venture? What caused you to take the plunge? If you are still only a dreamer, what is holding you back? Leave your comments and let us explore the journey together. And please, as always, if you know of anyone who could benefit from this review or this book, please pass it along to them.

~Reading for Your Success Buy Life Entrepreneurs at Amazon Useful Resources: •

Life Entrepreneurs Companion Site: www.LifeEntrepreneurs.com Other books you might enjoy:

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Strengths Finder 2.0

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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The 8th Habit

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Before You Quit Your Job

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Mastery

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Walden Valuable Quotes:

If you ask me what I have come to do in this world…I will reply: I’m here to live my life out loud. –Emile Zola Everything that happens to you is your teacher. The secret is to sit at the feet of your own life and be taught by it. –Polly B. Berends Failure’s hard, but success is far more dangerious. If you’re successful at the wrong thing, the mix of praise and money and opportunity can lock you in forever. –Bridget Bradley Gray Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive. –Howard Thurman And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. –Anais Nin There is no such thing as a self-made man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success. –George Burton Adams When we are in this state of being where we are open to life and all its possibilities, willing to take the next step as it is presented to us, then we meet the most remarkable people who are important contributors to our life. –Joseph Jaworski Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears. – John McCain The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes. – Benjamin Disraeli The reason most people fail is because they’re not prepared for success. –Robert Egger The challenges of entrepreneurship are indisputable. It is messy, chaotic, taxing, and risky. Potential failure lurks around many corners. But what is failure, really? Don’t we really fail by failing ourselves, our loved ones, and our dreams? We fail by not persevering. If we fall down, we can get up. If we lost our way, we can find our way

back. But if we don’t summon the courage to take the first step, we will never know where our journey might have take us. Don’t just climb the mountain because it’s there. Really think about whether that’s the mountain you want to climb. —Kim Smith The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still the rat. –Lily Tomlin I urge people not to go through life getting their ticket punched so they can later go do what they want to do. I think you should try to do what you want to do right away. The best way is to just start doing it. –Billy Shore The great affair, the love affair with life, is to live as variously as possible, to groom one’s curiosity like a high-spirited thoroughbred, climb aboard, and gallop over the thick, sun-struck hills every day. Where these is no risk, the emotional terrain is flat and unyielding, and, despite all its dimensions, valleys, pinnacles, and detours, life will seem to have none of its magnificent geography, only a length. It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies between. –Diane Ackerman It’s ok not to find the right fit in your profession right away, but you have to keep trying and never settle. When you find the right fit, everything changes….You are never too young to think about the legacy you want to leave behind. –Bill George When we realize that the dividing line between ordinary lives and extraordinary ones is mostly a fiction fueled by fear, inhibition, and failure of the imagination, we begin to see our lives in terms of possibility. There is no limit on the number of entrepreneurial lives that can be claimed. The first and most important step in creating an extraordinary life is choosing to do so–with imagination, courage, and conviction. In the time of your life, live. –William Saroyan

Discover the Top 5 Strengths that Make You Personally Excel: Strengths Finder 2.0 BY SCOTT | MARCH 6, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath Pub. Date: February 2007, Gallup Press ISBN- 9781595620156 175 Pages Success Rating:5 Why I Read this Book: Knowing and living one’s natural talents and strengths is on of the keys to lasting fulfillment. This book is the answer to discovering those strengths. Topics Covered: •

Understanding your unique strengths

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Working effectively with others

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Achieving lasting fulfillment

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Time management Review: This one’s short and sweet. To get 90% of the value out of this will take you about two hours. I see it more as a tool than a book, a tool to foster success, fulfillment and enjoyment. My coach recommended Strengths Finder 2.0 about a month ago and since then I have personally spread the word to about 15 of my close friends. Have you ever been told by a boss or colleague that you could use some work in a specific department, say public speaking, research, strategic thinking or negotiating? They’ve noticed where you are weak and suggest that you work on improving those areas. So much of our go-get-em and super-achiever success-driven society is focused on doing everything as absolute best as possible. If you aren’t good at something, then go get good at it. Seems like a decent idea, right? Maybe not.

Tom Rath and Gallop, as an organization, feel differently and I couldn’t agree more. Instead of spending your time on improving what you aren’t that good at and therefore don’t usually enjoy that much, why not focus your time on the few things that you are better at than most anyone and the things that light that fire inside of you? Odds are there isn’t much more of a satisfying and fulfilling way to spend your time than to focus on your natural talents. Strengths Finder 2.0 is the latest edition in a series of books written over the years to help people discover and spend time working with their very best skills. Key points to take away: •

A life spent focusing on improving our weaknesses leads to dissatisfaction and mediocrity

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Spending time doing what we love and are best at is what drives success

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We cannot be great at everything, so get over it

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Everyday should be filled doing what one believes are their true gifts

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Opposing strengths can lead to the strongest partnerships Those of you who have heard of the Gallop Organization, know how deep and research driven their ideas are. They have data to back up most everything they do, and a ton of it. Have you ever noticed the name that comes along with most new ground breaking polls or studies? That’s Gallop. My point is they do things based on science and what they learn from many thousands of test subjects. They took this laser-like focus and applied it to building a program dedicated to analyzing people’s strengths and finding what skills they posses and do better than anything else in their life–what springs them out of bed in the morning and drives them working until late at night in pure excitement. The result was a list of 34 unique strengths that a person can possess, five of which tend to dominate one’s talents. The majority of the book explains each strength and how it’s applied to life, however the huge value comes from the 30 minute online strengths assessment/test that comes with the book. I don’t joke when I say this is a 30 minute test that could easily change your life. Once complete, your five top strengths will be computed along with twenty or so pages worth of tasks, ideas and suggestions on how to best lead a life and career that fully values your gifts. The road map I was provided was enlightening to say the

least and happened to be right on. No surprise that it recommended I find a career that involves lots of writing, teaching, reading and interacting with people. What do you know? The suggestions were amazing. Some were obvious and others went off like a light bulb when I read them. Imagine a world where people only spent their time doing what they are best at and enjoy? How much less stress and anger would there be? How much more productivity, excitement and passion would there be to jump out of bed and tackle today’s serving of life? This is the starting point. And the learning does not end with yourself. Even more powerful are the synergies created when colleagues and co-workers know both their strengths and those of the people around them so they work together in a balanced and efficient way. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that if two founders of a company agree on everything then someone isn’t necessary. That’s exactly the point. Work with people with different strengths. Instead of dwelling on what you aren’t best at, find someone who’s strengths are your weaknesses and get to work on a project with them or go out and start a business. You’ll likely be unstoppable. The issue in the past is that these things are very difficult to intuitively know. Strengths Finder will guide you. I just gave a copy to my partner and co-founder today and I can’t wait to see how we can fill any voids and keep our venture rock solid. With tools like these, it’s hard to imagine a path to success without them. As I hope many of you know by now, success only goes as far as our enjoyment, freedom and satisfaction will allow it. The sad reality is that many of us spend the majority of our time doing things we are not particularly good at and that we don’t particularly enjoy. And this is all with the goal of great success at the end of the rainbow. Seems odd, doesn’t it? But if we stop to think that success is not a destination but more so a way of life, we realize we’ve had it all backwards. We should be spending our time doing what we are best at, most enjoy and love. The first step is discovering our unique strengths and then living a life abundant in them. That is the path to fulfillment. That is success. My top five strengths are Achiever, Maximizer, Input, Positivity and Discipline. What are yours? I look forward to hearing your top 5, so please leave it in the comments section below. Who knows, maybe we’ll be a good match for a venture some day.

~Reading for Your Success

Buy Strengths Finder 2.0 at Amazon Other books you might enjoy: •

How to Win Friends and Influence People

•

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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Unlimited Power

•

The Ultimate Gift

How to Create Success One Relationship at a Time: Never Eat Alone BY SCOTT | MAY 18, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi Pub. Date: February 2005, Bantam Books ISBN- 9780385512053 320 Pages Success Rating:5 Buy Never Eat Alone at Amazon Why I Read this Book: Our lives and our success are directly related to the quality and quantity of the people around us. I have never seen a better guide for enhancing relationships than this.

Topics Covered: •

The importance of relationships in all walks of life

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Tools used to nurture and maintain relationships

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Making the act of helping others a life priority

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Living with a genuine interest in others lives, goals and dreams

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How to create a genuine connection and relationship with most anyone desired Review:

A friend of mine from university introduced this book to me over two years ago. He said it was a must read for anyone interested in building relationships both personal and professional—and especially for the author of Reading For Your Success… I am sitting here kicking myself that I only finally got to reading it last month. It’s no surprise that my friend has become quite the successful lawyer in the meantime. Next time hopefully I’ll act a little quicker. This is one of the more far reaching books I’ve come across. It’s the type that every one of us could benefit from regardless of our stage in life or current level of success. I have a firm belief that our level of happiness and enjoyment for life comes down to one fundamental concept—the quality and extent of our relationships with other people. Just think for a minute of your most memorable moments. What first comes to mind? My guess is that most of you will not be thinking back on a time when you were doing something all alone. Instead you will likely be able to remember the people who were there, the smiles, the laughs or the stories. I was at a party last weekend and something hit me. The only thing that makes a night out, a bar or a party entertaining are the people you meet or the people you see whom you already know. Keep that in mind next time you’re out. It is the relationships that make life really worth living and they are certainly what make success so worth achieving. Remember the old adage–if you make it to the top of success mountain and you are all alone, you will likely jump off it. This is a concept I first learned from my parents and family in their teachings and I quickly began to put together countless examples from my life proving this to be true. People are everything. It should be no surprise that a big cause of unhappiness and depression can be loneliness. The fact that people do not have (or feel they have) someone to relate to or someone to share their life with, can drain happiness and excitement in a heartbeat. The power of relationships continues to amaze me on all fronts. I happened to read an article in the Wall Street Journal just yesterday talking about friends and a 15-year study that showed people with a great number of friends throughout their life live an average of 22% longer than those who have very few friends. This should not be surprising. Thankfully, Keith Ferazzi learned this very early on–that people are the oil that makes our world, lives, businesses, and just about all else, function. So he decided to write about it.Never Eat Alone was the result and it has turned into a “how to” guide to be sure you are doing everything in your power to create the kind of genuine relationships in all parts of your life to make it a screaming success. I believe he even boasts to have a list of over 5,000 people who he could call at any time and they’d

pick up the phone and be happy to do him a favor. Think for a minute about that claim. How many people do you have in your life who’d fit on that “call any time” list? Sadly for many of us it’s only a handful or perhaps twenty or thirty, or a couple hundred at best. I once met someone who I noticed frequently turning down offers to meet, have lunch or get together with various people. When asked about it he told me that he didn’t need anyone else in his network. That blew me away. Something tells me he didn’t mean it. At least I hope not. Done properly and genuinely, a network is synonymous to a group of friends and is just as much a place to give as it is a place to receive. At no point in any of our lives should we feel like we have made enough friends. That concept baffles me. I happen to love interacting with and meeting new people. I have taken courses and read countless books on psychology, relating to others, relationships and simply understanding people–all so I can better relate to, enjoy and understand the company of a greater number of them. That’s exactly why I picked up this book. And sadly, I think that’s also why it took me a couple years to finally do so. In the back of my mind I had a feeling that I was doing a pretty good job of it. Yet after finishing this book, I couldn’t believe all that I still had to learn. Never Eat Alone not only got me even more excited about meeting people, but it also dramatically enhanced the number of quality and unique interactions I had on a regular basis. If you don’t mind, a couple personal examples may be in order. Since reading this book I have met as many best selling authors as I had cumulatively up to that point, I’ve created relationships with a number of business moguls, been in communication with Warren Buffett, met and chatted with Jessica Biel on a number of occasions and I was interviewed by CNBC. And those are just the recognizable examples. On top of that I have made more new friends than I had in many months previously. It’s been nothing short of amazing and quite rewarding. And I know I am only getting started. I do not mention these to toot my own horn but simply to show you that the stuff in this book works. It works quite well in fact. Now that I think of it, I have seen more direct and immediate outcome from this book than I think I ever have from a single book. Key points to take away: •

Networking and meeting people should not be about getting something but instead about how you can help someone else

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Relationships are the lifeblood of our happiness and success

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You will experience greater success focusing on doing things for others than one could ever have only focusing on themselves

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People like people who are like them or who are like who they want to be

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You can never have enough friends or know enough people

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People do business with people they like

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Often times meeting someone or getting something simply requires that you ask—something very few people find the courage to do

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You must stand out and be memorable Keith walks through just about every social and professional category in one’s life and gives examples and guidance of how to create new relationships and enhance existing ones. The first is just as important as the second. If there was ever a road map to making friends, this is it. He covers everything from hosting dinner parties, speaking at events, remembering birthdays, meeting celebrities, being a mentor, being a mentee, discovering others interests, building rapport, following up, sharing your passions, building your brand—it’s all in there. I wish you could see the mind map I created after reading this book. There is just so much useful content! Throughout all this explanation and guidance of how to meet and have more people in your life, Keith makes a very crucial point that I feel so many of us have gotten completely wrong over the years. You don’t just network when you need it. You don’t network just to get something from someone. The goal is not to get from others. It is to give. And that’s always the most rewarding anyway isn’t it? It all comes down to genuine interest in others. Networking and meeting people is not about getting yourself somewhere. It is about finding the ways in which you can find genuine interest in others and enhance their lives. He quotes Dale Carnegie’s famous line numerous times “You can be more successful in two months by becoming really interested in other people’s success than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in your own success”. What a statement. I was on a no-shoes beach run one Saturday in Santa Barbara a couple years back when something similar hit me. I had just had one of my best few days ever interacting with others. And after some thinking, I came up with my own explanation of why. I decided that the quality of your relationships is a direct representation of

your level of GENUINE energy and excitement for others’ goals and dreams. That made it so clear to me. On our own quest for success it can be all too easy to think only of yourself and what you can do to reach the top of your version of the mountain. And we quickly lose sight of the fact that the mountain only exists because of the people, the relationships and the friendships in our lives. These are what have created and built that mountain. And the only way we’ll have a prayer at seeing the summit is to start with our gratitude for them and what they do every day to lead us closer to our goals. Every interaction we have, whether we see it to be positive or negative, has an effect on our success. Some of us believe it’s all self-made. But take a close look at anyone’s success and it should become clear. We are here to do all we can to enable those around us to achieve their goals. I can assure that if you take that “pay it forward” approach to the people in your life, new and old, you will not believe the success and good company you will keep at the top of your mountain. On that, I will leave you with a question I like to ask myself every morning. What interesting new person might you meet today? Who have you met as a result of this book? How have you traditionally looked at relationships in your life and their value? What do you do to create and keep friends? How much of a genuine interest have you had in the success of others when compared to your own? Could you pay it forward a bit more than you are? Or perhaps you already are. Either way, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

~Reading for Your Success Buy Never Eat Alone at Amazon Other books and articles you might enjoy: •

How to Win Friends and Influence People

•

Unlimited Power

•

The 8th Habit

•

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

•

The Ultimate Gift

•

What Happy People Know

Valuable Quotes: Poverty, I realized, wasn’t only a lack of financial resources; it was isolation from the kind of people that could help you make more of yourself. Real networking is about finding ways to make other people more successful. It is about working hard to give more than you get. I’ll sum up the key to success in one word: generosity. Relationships are more like muscles–the more you work them, the stronger they get. It’s better to give before you receive. And never keep score. If your interactions are ruled by generosity, your rewards will follow suit. Human ambitions are like Japanese Carp; they grow proportional to the size of their environment. Our achievements grow according to the size of our dreams and the degree to which we are in touch with our mission. Reaching your goals can be difficult. But if you have goals to begin with, a realizable plan to achieve them, and a cast of trusted friends to help you, you can do just about anything.–Virginia Feigles Nothing in my life has created opportunity like a willingness to ask, whatever the situation. Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him.–Ralph Waldo Emerson You can be more successful in two months by becoming really interested in other people’s success than you can in two years trying to get other people interested in your own success. Creativity in business is often nothing more than making connections that everyone else has almost thought of. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, just attach it to a new wagon. Passion keeps you going through the rough times come hell or high water, and both will come.

Balance can’t be bought or sold. It doesn’t need to be “implemented.” Balance is a mind-set, as individual and unique as our genetic code. Where you find joy, you find balance. Ultimately making your mark as a connector means making a contribution–to your friends and family, to your company, to your community, and most important, to the world–by making the best use of your contacts and talents. Remember that before someone will lend you a hand, you need to touch their heart.– Robin Sharma Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter so the world will at least be a little bit different for our having passed through it. –Rabbi Harold Kushner Achievement of some goals can feel as disappointing as failure. Living a connected life leads one to take a different view. Life is less a quest than a quilt. We find meaning, love, and prosperity through the process of stitching together our bold attempts to help others find their own way in their lives. The relationships we weave become an exquisite and endless pattern.

Most Successful Meditation Techniques and How to Choose Your Style: Learn to Meditate BY SCOTT | JUNE 12, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Learn to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Self-Discovery and Fulfillment by David Fontana Pub. Date: February 1999, Chronicle Books ISBN- 9780811822503 151 Pages Success Rating: 4 Buy Learn to Meditate at Amazon Why I Read this Book: With how busy and often stressful our lives are, I was in search of a remedy. Meditation turn out to be a great starting point.

Topics Covered: •

How to meditate

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Stress and anxiety reduction

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Calmness of mind

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Better sleep

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The power of a directed mind and heart

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The mind’s effect on the body Review: A cure for stress, I think I’ll take one of those please. It seems like stress is the buzzword of the decade. It’s no surprise with the millions of things we each have going on. But just because it’s been socially accepted as a part of life, does not mean that there’s nothing you can do about it. At the beginning of this year, I found myself at the mercy of what had become an incredibly stressful mind, body and life. I needed a solution. Slowly but surely learning to take the time to meditate became one of the great remedies. I am only starting to scratch the surface and I already am beginning to feel the benefits. And to think, all I really needed was some time to myself. After many years of thinking it was a bunch of hocus pocus, meditation first caught my interest a few years back when a good friend of mine told me about his

experiences with a meditation school in New Zealand. After seeing my interest he let me borrow Learn to Meditate as an introduction. I dove right in. Soon after that I read about Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the importance of clearing your head in The Four Hour Work Week. In fact Never Eat Alone even spoke of it in its closing chapter. And it has always been a part of Tony Robbinsmaterial. I was beginning to see a pattern. And my increasing yoga practice and fiancée being a teacher didn’t hurt the cause either. Before I knew it I was on a roll. Next was The Power of Now, then How to Practice by the Dalai Lama and just last week I read Saltwater Buddha, which relates Zen and meditation to surfing (recommended by the same friend who gave me this book). The author happens to be a really nice guy my age living right in San Francisco. Then things really kicked into gear this year when three things happened. First, I realized how incredibly stressed and constantly anxious I was as a result of the business I had recently launched. Then I found myself at a week-long wellness retreat with my family in Mexico that had a huge focus on meditation. And finally just last month, I saw the Dalai Lama live in Santa Barbara. Before I knew it, I was a major believer. I had to find a solution to my non-stop, stress-filled life (self-induced of course) and meditation seemed like a reasonable spot to turn. It seems to have worked for thousands of years for people in other parts of the world so why should we be any different? Many people hear the word meditation and a pile of stereotypes come to mind. Over the years western society has given it that feel, although I think now people are finally starting to come around. I am hardly one to talk since I only started seeing its value a couple years ago and it finally took me having serious day-to-day discomfort (stress) to really dig into it. The benefits of meditation range all over the place from better sleep, calmness of mind, stress reduction, improved relationships, reduction in fear and even cited medical benefits. In fact, if you read enough you will find someone linking the benefits of meditation to just about everything in life. Drs. Andrew Weil and John Kabat-Zinn have made great strides in linking the health and medical benefits of meditation and mindfulness to the body via scientific studies. There are finally starting to be proven relationships between the mind and body and its affects on one another. Eventually people might just start paying attention to all this. If you have ever been curious about meditation but are not sure how to take the first step (or perhaps were embarrassed to admit it to others), Learn to Meditate is the

perfect place to start. I will warn you that it is very much an introductory book, although I have a feeling most experience levels would still find value. I am grateful to have been given this at the perfect time a few years back when I was just opening up to learn. The extremely short chapters touch on just about every form of mediation so you can get a feel for what works best. I remember the first exercise I did left me feeling more calm and at peace than I think I had ever felt before. To this day that first experience was the most intense and I can’t guarantee you similar reactions but I am pretty certain you’ll have some neat distinctions. Key points to take away: •

Consistent meditation has the power to significantly reduce or even remove stress and anxiety

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The benefits of mediation can be received from as little as a few minutes a day

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Meditation ranges from concentrated breathing to extended periods of focused thoughtlessness

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Our busy lives cause our minds and bodies to crave time alone to get clear and refresh

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Time to yourself can be the best daily gift you can give your mind and body

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Meditation can act as the perfect natural sleeping pill

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A common misconception is that if people spend less time doing things and more time clearing their mind, they will get less done–this could not be further from the truth To me meditation is similar to throwing a stone into a pond and then throwing another one in only moments later. Almost immediately the rings of water intersect and create other rings at a pace much too fast to count. You may not see an immediate and direct effect of meditation on your life but as you progress you will likely start to notice the rings of a calm mind rippling through every part of your life making all kinds of improvements here and there. Some small and some large, but all of them beneficial. This is not meant to be a book to power through. It should be enjoyed slowly and is designed to be read only one section, a few pages, per sitting. With each section comes instruction of how to practice various forms of meditation. This makes it great for beginners because dozens of techniques and styles are covered. And there are

beautiful pictures to go along with most pages. Read it at your leisure and be sure to leave 5-20 minutes to practice the techniques that perk your interest. By the end of the book you will likely find a few that click and warrant further exploration. It’s funny that meditation is not more popular in the states. When you think about it we all meditate. I think Dr. Kabat-Zinn defines meditation in its most basic form as directed concentration. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all had experience with this. Be it trying to ride a bike as a child, cramming for a difficult mid-term or giving a presentation to your superiors. Tiger Woods does it every time he hits a golf shot. Michael Jordan used to do it before every game when he focused on himself winning a thousand times over. Think about the things to which you give total and complete focus. I had a short experience with it in setting up to a birdie putt on the golf course just today. That’s all meditation. As Eckhart Tolleputs it in The Power of Now, it is presence. Being absolutely and completely in the present moment. I know what you’re thinking. Easier said than done, right? At first glance you’d think it would be easy. That’s what I thought. Just sitting still and thinking about, well, nothing at all. But I quickly found it to be quite the opposite. We have been so trained in our society to be constantly multitasking and focused on getting things done. And even when we are alone with nothing around us we quickly pick up a book or worse yet our phone and call someone or check email for the 30th time that hour. We go so fast that at the end of it all we have left no time just for ourselves. No time to think and definitely no time to not think. Reserving a few minutes each day to just sit and be can have huge benefits even if it’s just that you are taking a pause from sprinting on to the next task. And that’s at the very least. A lot of us don’t even remember what’s it’s like to not have something pressing on our mind or to not feel stressed or anxious. It has just become a part of life. An unfortunate given. So I encourage you to take this as a chance to reclaim some of that time for yourself. It may benefit you and those around you in ways you could not imagine. After all it’s very difficult to be truly successful without a clear mind as your guide. Whatever your reason for looking into meditation, I encourage you to start here. And if not here, then start somewhere. Maybe for you that means just taking a few deep breaths throughout the day to get centered or perhaps it means sitting in silence for hours on end. You pick. I started with 5 minutes every few days and now I strive for a couple 20 minutes sessions a day if possible. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes it doesn’t. Just do what works.

It’s hard to know what you will get out of it. But if all you end up with is a little extra time to yourself each day, that isn’t such a bad thing either. That’s where some of the most powerful things can begin…in a room alone with nothing but a clear mind. I think you’ll enjoy the feeling. What does meditation mean to you? What do you do to clear your head? Do you make time for yourself each day or do you find yourself hurrying through each day without even a moment of reflection? Share your experiences with us in the comments section. Also, don’t forget to check out our new site feature: What Should I Read? If you are curious what to read next, just tell us your goals for success and where you are in life and we’ll tell you what you might want to read. We have read hundreds of books and are happy to help!

~Reading for Your Success Buy Learn to Meditate at Amazon Other books and articles you might enjoy: •

How to Practice

•

The Power of Now

•

Saltwater Buddha

•

Meditation for Optimum Health

•

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

•

What Happy People Know

13 Simple Steps to Adding Fulfillment to Each Day: The Greatness Guide BY SCOTT | SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

The Greatness Guide: 101 Lessons for Making What’s Good at Work and in Life Even Better by Robin Sharma Pub. Date: August 2008, HarperCollins ISBN-9780061238574 240 Pages Success Rating: 4 Buy The Greatness Guide at Amazon Why I Read this Book: Success and greatness are things that we all strive for in some way. This is a brilliantly simple guide to getting fired up and staying on the never ending road to greatness.

Topics Covered: •

Leading a life of happiness and fulfillment

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Creating life-changing relationships

•

Enjoying the moments

•

Running a stand-out business and career

•

Holding yourself to a higher standard Review:

Who wouldn’t want to be great? What do I mean by great you might ask? Who cares? It doesn’t matter. Whatever greatness means to you–that’s what I mean. Do you think there is anyone out there who honestly would not prefer greatness to mediocrity? The challenge is that many of us do not know where to start and for those of us who do, we still need some constant reinforcement to stay on the high road (we are only human of course). After reading The Greatness Guide, I realized it’s the perfect place for both. What is it that makes a book valuable, especially a personal development book? It’s that you actually open it up and read it. Did you know that of all the books purchased, only something like 10% get read past the first chapter? Crazy. And to really make a book valuable it’s not only crucial to read it, but to do something different as a result

of reading it. The Greatness Guide did this better than most any book I’ve come across in a while. Why? It’s simple, it’s short, it’s easy to read and it gives the best little ideas of how to apply the new found knowledge to your life. I bet it won’t take more than a day or two to get from cover to cover. Add any one of these ideas to your daily ritual and you have something powerful. When Robin Sharma wrote this he must have been thinking of you and me as he put it together into 101 chapters of no more than a couple pages each. Perfect for next to your bed as something to ponder while you sleep or better yet some words of inspiration to go after the new day when you wake. And an ideal gift, which is how I came across it. Robin is straightforward. He’s made a list of the 101 best things he’s learned in creating a great life over his years as a top leadership and coaching guru and packaged them up for the taking. He covers life, love, friendship, leadership, emotions, finances, enjoyment, health, you name it. What I love is how catchy and concise they are. You’ll find ideas from Stephen Covey,Tony Robbins, Dale Carnegie, Eckhart Tolle, The Dalai Lama, and the list goes on. By now we should be getting the idea that a lot of these concepts involved in living a successful and great life are not the most novel in the world. In fact they can often be the simplest, yet still most underused. After all, an idea really isn’t anything until you apply some action. Whether it’s the simple act of smiling, saying please and thank you or leaving people better than we found them. Anyone can come up with these, but so few practice them. I think that’s why Robin put them together as he has. One passage that particularly stuck out to me was “Be Into Breezes”. Robin came across a man one day and while talking to him, the man closed his eyes, put on a huge smile, and just got caught up in the enjoyment of the moment. When asked what that was about, the man replied “I am just really into breezes”. A breeze had passed through and that was all this man needed to be wrapped up in a moment of happiness. It came out of nowhere and it didn’t cost a dime. I’d venture to say that most people don’t get a joyful feeling like that even once a week. Think for a second how often you feel a breeze. Do you even notice? Imagine if this simple experience could add that type of happiness to your life, and how incredibly often it could occur. How simple the things can be that transform our moments. Whether it’s being into breezes or smiles or whatever–take the time to appreciate and enjoy the little things. One of the “breezes” in my life is the smell of freshly brewed coffee and hot out-of-the oven pastries–it takes me right back to a magic

moment I spent wandering the towns of The Cinque Terre in Italy years back. I don’t even have to enter the cafe. All it takes is that aroma to trigger a feeling of pure bliss. I can’t tell you how many cafes I pass daily (as most of us do these days) and it’s always such a treat. We don’t have to work for years on end or pay a fortune to achieve or experience these simple things yet in the moment the feeling can be just as grand. As humans, we consume and spend and achieve all for the same reason– for a desired feeling (usually happiness, enjoyment, satisfaction, fulfillment). Why not let the small things in life do the same for you? These are the lessons that Robin strings together in The Greatness Guide–little things that when lived daily, create an absolutely contagious life of greatness. So what’s your breeze? Some of the other powerful ideas: •

Make time to think: reserve some time each day to do nothing and give your mind a chance to just run wild

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Listen twice as much as you speak: great relationships and true understanding comes from listening

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Your customers buy with their hearts: create emotional connections with them

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Learn to say no: spend your time doing the things you want to be doing–you can’t do everything

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Become a member of the 5am club: wake early, reserve time for yourself and do it when you’re most alert

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Be wildly enthusiastic: it’s contagious

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To be more productive, relax and have more fun: life isn’t all about work

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Speak like a superstar: learn how to speak

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The person who experiences most wins: life and fulfillment come from your experiences–have them daily

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Learn more to earn more: never stop learning, and never leave home without a book under your arm (I especially love this one!)

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Become an inspirational human being: help others become the best they can

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Get in superb physical shape and eat a world class diet: Energy and greatness start from a healthy body–you won’t believe the change

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Lay claim to greatness: wake up everyday striving for greatness for yourself, whatever that might mean, and watch it catch on

If it were only so simple to hear or read the great tidbits of guidance for life once and have them close at hand forever–none of us would need websites like this, coaches, books, etc. But the truth is that success and learning and living are a never-ending process. Just because you intellectualize something one day does mean it will change your life. Yes, you may be a step closer, but really living it requires true repetitive learning and application. For that we need tools. Some come in the form of people in our lives, or speeches, movies, videos and of course books. But the balance is that all these touch points must be simple and enjoyable enough to encourage repeated experiences with them while having the power of delivering an impactful and meaningful message. That’s where The Greatness Guide holds fantastic weight. Recognize that learning and success are not just about reading and moving on. It’s constant contact with the things we know are most powerful in our lives. The ideas and outlooks on life that we firmly believe in, when made apart of our days, will dramatically enhance our lives. Read the Greatness Guide once to explore some new and old ideas about success. But then keep it close by–be it your bed, your office, your car, wherever, and allow these ideas to slowly transform from concepts to habits. That’s where success truly lies. It is not in the simple act of learning but in the applying and experiencing that always has and always will make all the difference. The right habits create a successful life. Start forming them today. What have you made a part of your daily ritual to lead you toward greatness? What has helped keep you on track and continuing to learn and experience the great parts of life? What effect have you noticed it having on others? Where could you use help? What’s been the biggest challenge in your journey? Share your experiences in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to check out our new site feature: What Should I Read? If you are curious what to read next, just tell us your goals for success and where you are in life and we’ll tell you what you might want to read. We have read hundreds of books and are happy to help! In fact you can see a lot of the books we’ve read on Good Reads. And if you know someone who could benefit from this review, give a gift and please email it to them.

~Reading for Your Success

Buy The Greatness Guide at Amazon Other books and articles you might enjoy: •

How to Win Friends and Influence People

•

Unlimited Power

•

The 8th Habit

•

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

•

The Ultimate Gift

•

What Happy People Know

•

How to Practice

•

The Power of Now Featured Quotes: A mind once stretched by a new idea can never return to its original dimensions. Leadership is shown by the human being who fights the urge to stay under the covers on a cold day and throws on her running shoes to pound the pavement. Not because running miles on a frosty morning is fun. But because it’s wise. Remember that before someone will lend you a hand, you need to touch their heart. Focus plus daily improvement plus time equals genius. Understand that formula deeply and your life will never be the same. Listening to someone intently is one of the best ways I know of to honor that person and forge a deep human connection. Remember every great leader or visionary or brave thinker was initially laughed at. Now they are revered. The only place you’ll reach if you follow the crowd is the exit. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But the second best time is today.– Chinese saying Great people build monuments from the stones that their critics throw at them. –Dan Sheehan

You are here to find that cause, that main aim, that vital destiny that will move you at the most visceral level and get you up at the crack of dawn with fire in your belly. The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.–Nido Qubein Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. – Ralph Waldo Emerson The smallest of actions is always greater than the noblest of intentions. We always have the choice to be strong and positive when things fall apart. We have the right to use our stumbling blocks as stepping stones to our greatest life. Grace under pressure! Business is about loving the people who do business with you and giving them more value than they have any right to expect. Manage your fear by doing the very thing that frightens you. That’s the best way to destroy a fear. Do it until you’re no longer scared. The fears you run away from run toward you. The words you use influence the life you live. Select them wisely. It’s risky out on the limb but that’s where all the fruit is. Most of us, when we get scared, blame others to avoid the pain of owning the mistake we’ve made. I cursed the fact I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.–Persian Proverb It’s easy to fall into the very human trap of focusing on what we don’t have rather than being grateful for what we do have. Few of us write great novels, but all of us can live them. –Mignon Mclaughlin Good health is a crown on the head of a well person that only a sick person can see. The best leaders see through the eyes of understanding.

We can curse the darkness or we can light a candle. Our world needs more light. Be an inspiration. If everyone was satisfied with themselves, there would be no heroes. Do good and leave behind a virtue that the storm of time can never destroy. When struggling ask yourself “will this matter in a year from now?” To live on in the minds and hearts of the generations who will follow you is to cheat death. To make such a difference through the way you lead and show up is to find immortality. To have a lasting impact on human lives–by being a great champion at work or a great parent at home or a great leader in your community–is to live forever. There is no situation that is not transformable. There is no person who is hopeless. There is no set of circumstances that cannot be turned about by human beings and their natural capacity for love of the deepest sort. Step by step. Small gains eventually yield giant results.

7 Success Steps to Genius Every Day: How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci BY SCOTT | NOVEMBER 1, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

How to Think like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day by Michael Gelb Pub. Date: February 8, 2000, Bantam Dell ISBN-9780440508274 336 Pages Success Rating: 4 Buy How to Think like da Vinci at Amazon Why I Read this Book: Our mind is all of our most powerful asset. This has served as my guide to expanding and developing it towards its full potential.

Topics Covered: •

The mind’s great potential and how to realize it

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Mind mapping as a tool to enhance memory and senses

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Journaling to better discover and understand your thoughts

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Enhancing interactions and ability to relate with others

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Asking the right questions and making mistakes

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Becoming a more dynamic thinker and applying it to your success Review: I don’t think any of us can question that our mind is our most powerful asset and our greatest enabler of success. It also happens to often be the most underutilized—filled with more potential than most of us will begin to realize. By some studies we use as little as 5% of our brain’s power throughout our life. But most of us don’t know any better. The more we understand and train our mind to reach its true limits, the more likely we are to experience success on a level never thought possible. So the question begs to be asked, how do we realize that potential? In How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Gelb guides us to do just that. And who better to teach about the wondrous mind than Da Vinci himself. A number of years ago I met up with a couple of Materials Science PhD students to help them dive into a new preventive health care business they’d created. The CEO

recommended only one book for the team to read and apply—this was it and since then many of the techniques have become daily rituals of mine and have done wonders opening my mind and its abilities. It’s a constant work in progress no doubt but I feel much better off now than I was. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long for the review. So sorry to have kept it to myself. Gelb has taken one of the most brilliant minds ever to have existed, and dissected the rituals, routines and techniques used by Da Vinci to develop your mind into the nearly limitless tool that it is. Have no fears if you are not the art, history or science buff. I am far from one. The principles apply to all. The only requirement is a desire for personal, life and mind success. That is something I know we all share. It is one of the most complete guides to mental and physical development I’ve seen. And the self assessments and exercises at the end of each chapter make it crystal clear where the reader’s time is best spent as not all action items are created equal for all people—it all depends on where you’re going and from where you came. So many of the things covered throughout this site and in countless books, are touched upon by Gelb. Instead of a deep dive into every mind/body topic—be it presence, meditation, nutrition, journaling, visualization and so on, he makes a point to spend very little, yet focused time on each. For instance the core message in meditation is to be mindful, tend to your breath and sit in the present moment, clearing your mind of all the thoughts racing everywhere. Instead of spending a chapter or a book on that, he just leaves it as its simplest form and allows you to do the discovery on your own. The same goes for every topic in the book. It’s no wonder why a year is recommended to fully ingrain these topics. Of all the books I’ve read, if I were to take one and have it guide my actions for the year, I think this would be it. And if not a year then a month or at least a week. You’ll be amazed at the outcome. A number of these principles have become a part of my life—mind mapping and journaling as well as some lovely sensory development (i.e. wine tasting) when I can get away. I encourage you to be a sponge as you read it and then realize where your focus could really make a difference and try for a few days or a few weeks to think just a little like Da Vinci here and there. I promise you won’t be disappointed. To this day I don’t go much of anywhere without my journal, a good book and a sketch pad to collect anything that happens to find its way out of my head. If you take any one concept from this book you will be well served, so don’t be overwhelmed. Take for example the habit of carrying a journal by your side. Of

everything mentioned, that has had the most significant effect on my development and understanding for life as well as myself. It’s also been the easiest to make a part of my daily ritual. There are so many thoughts rushing through our mind almost constantly. Most of us try to sort them out inside our head, yet in doing so only scratch the surface. It is not until these ideas get out of our minds and onto paper, be it a journal or a visually charged mind map, that we can really begin to break through to the core. As soon as our mind is able to clear the surface ideas, it gets a chance to really uncover and understand the heart of what’s going on up there. A profound but not necessarily intuitive phenomenon. You might think that you only have a few thoughts on a subject so why ever write them down. But as soon as you do you will start to realize that writing those few ideas out is like the flood gate of your true thoughts being released. Short of talking to someone, a journal is the only real tool to allow that (and it’s often much more practical than another person since you do not hold nearly as much back when talking and writing only amongst yourself). I have since carried a journal just about everywhere I go. I have one for work and one for life. Some days it gets a ton of attention and other days none at all, but it’s always with me. Sometimes I’ll reread what I wrote and others times I’ll never go back to it— just the act of getting it out of my head is service enough to my mind and emotions. It is simple tools like this and so many more that when made a part of life can have a dramatic effect on your experiences, outcomes and success. How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci covers them all. Da Vinci breaks his teaching down into 7 principles: •

Curiosita: a curious approach to life and the desire to never stop learning

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Dimostrazione: testing knowledge through doing, learning from mistakes

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Sensazione: refinement of the senses, especially sight, to enliven life’s experience

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Sfumato: embrace ambiguity and uncertainty

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Arte/Scienza: whole-brain thinking, balance between logic and imagination

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Corporalita: cultivation of grace and fitness

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Connessione: systems thinking and recognizing the interconnectedness of life As I look back over these, so many of them are common to what we read in today’s personal development books. Whether it’s state change as Tony Robbins has made famous, interacting with others as Dale Carnegie teaches, or the power of presence from Kabat-Zinn and Eckhart Tolle…The apple really does not fall too far from the tree. It appears Da Vinci’s brilliance provided quite the framework for the famous gurus of today. We can all be thankful. It amazes me how timeless guidance can be when it comes to success. Gelb recommends that the true Da Vinci connoisseur spend a year making these teachings a part of your life. I couldn’t agree more—however let’s be practical. Not all of us can quickly make time for a twelve or thirteen months filled with nothing more than drawing, reading, mind mapping, juggling or wine and chocolate tasting. Don’t we wish? And of course our path to success will allow for just that retreat at some point if that’s our desire. But for now let’s shoot for a day, an evening or a weekend. That was more than enough to see results. I even took a short day-long retreat this past week just to reconnect with many of these principles. All I brought with me was a notebook, some inspirational reading, a cushion for sitting and of course a mind full of thoughts. No computer, TV or phone. Relaxing indeed. Give it a shot. A one day reset can be just the setting for getting into a development adventure like this. So go enjoy some music or a glass of wine and a dash of chocolate. Write down how it makes you feel. Sketch out what you see. Do one or do them all together. Take this as an opportunity to enjoy the journey of mental cultivation. With Da Vinci by your side and creativity to guide you, expand your mind a bit and enjoy the success you will deserve as a result. What has been your experience with developing your own mind? What’s been most useful and most challenging? What is something you’ve made a part of your routine that has allowed your mind to reach towards it’s full potential? Share your experiences in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to check out our new site feature: What Should I Read? If you are curious what to read next, just tell us your goals for success and where you are in life and we’ll tell you what you might want to read. We have read hundreds of books

and are happy to help! In fact you can see a lot of the books we’ve read on Good Reads. And if you know someone who could benefit from this review, give a gift and please email it to them.

~Reading for Your Success Buy How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci at Amazon Other books you might enjoy: •

How to Practice

•

The Power of Now

•

Learn to Meditate

•

Saltwater Buddha

•

How to Win Friends and Influence People

•

Unlimited Power

•

The 8th Habit

•

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

•

What Happy People Know

13 Simple Steps to Adding Fulfillment to Each Day: The Greatness Guide BY SCOTT | SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

The Greatness Guide: 101 Lessons for Making What’s Good at Work and in Life Even Better by Robin Sharma Pub. Date: August 2008, HarperCollins ISBN-9780061238574 240 Pages Success Rating: 4 Buy The Greatness Guide at Amazon Why I Read this Book: Success and greatness are things that we all strive for in some way. This is a brilliantly simple guide to getting fired up and staying on the never ending road to greatness.

Topics Covered: •

Leading a life of happiness and fulfillment

•

Creating life-changing relationships

•

Enjoying the moments

•

Running a stand-out business and career

•

Holding yourself to a higher standard Review:

Who wouldn’t want to be great? What do I mean by great you might ask? Who cares? It doesn’t matter. Whatever greatness means to you–that’s what I mean. Do you think there is anyone out there who honestly would not prefer greatness to mediocrity? The challenge is that many of us do not know where to start and for those of us who do, we still need some constant reinforcement to stay on the high road (we are only human of course). After reading The Greatness Guide, I realized it’s the perfect place for both. What is it that makes a book valuable, especially a personal development book? It’s that you actually open it up and read it. Did you know that of all the books purchased, only something like 10% get read past the first chapter? Crazy. And to really make a book valuable it’s not only crucial to read it, but to do something different as a result

of reading it. The Greatness Guide did this better than most any book I’ve come across in a while. Why? It’s simple, it’s short, it’s easy to read and it gives the best little ideas of how to apply the new found knowledge to your life. I bet it won’t take more than a day or two to get from cover to cover. Add any one of these ideas to your daily ritual and you have something powerful. When Robin Sharma wrote this he must have been thinking of you and me as he put it together into 101 chapters of no more than a couple pages each. Perfect for next to your bed as something to ponder while you sleep or better yet some words of inspiration to go after the new day when you wake. And an ideal gift, which is how I came across it. Robin is straightforward. He’s made a list of the 101 best things he’s learned in creating a great life over his years as a top leadership and coaching guru and packaged them up for the taking. He covers life, love, friendship, leadership, emotions, finances, enjoyment, health, you name it. What I love is how catchy and concise they are. You’ll find ideas from Stephen Covey,Tony Robbins, Dale Carnegie, Eckhart Tolle, The Dalai Lama, and the list goes on. By now we should be getting the idea that a lot of these concepts involved in living a successful and great life are not the most novel in the world. In fact they can often be the simplest, yet still most underused. After all, an idea really isn’t anything until you apply some action. Whether it’s the simple act of smiling, saying please and thank you or leaving people better than we found them. Anyone can come up with these, but so few practice them. I think that’s why Robin put them together as he has. One passage that particularly stuck out to me was “Be Into Breezes”. Robin came across a man one day and while talking to him, the man closed his eyes, put on a huge smile, and just got caught up in the enjoyment of the moment. When asked what that was about, the man replied “I am just really into breezes”. A breeze had passed through and that was all this man needed to be wrapped up in a moment of happiness. It came out of nowhere and it didn’t cost a dime. I’d venture to say that most people don’t get a joyful feeling like that even once a week. Think for a second how often you feel a breeze. Do you even notice? Imagine if this simple experience could add that type of happiness to your life, and how incredibly often it could occur. How simple the things can be that transform our moments. Whether it’s being into breezes or smiles or whatever–take the time to appreciate and enjoy the little things. One of the “breezes” in my life is the smell of freshly brewed coffee and hot out-of-the oven pastries–it takes me right back to a magic

moment I spent wandering the towns of The Cinque Terre in Italy years back. I don’t even have to enter the cafe. All it takes is that aroma to trigger a feeling of pure bliss. I can’t tell you how many cafes I pass daily (as most of us do these days) and it’s always such a treat. We don’t have to work for years on end or pay a fortune to achieve or experience these simple things yet in the moment the feeling can be just as grand. As humans, we consume and spend and achieve all for the same reason– for a desired feeling (usually happiness, enjoyment, satisfaction, fulfillment). Why not let the small things in life do the same for you? These are the lessons that Robin strings together in The Greatness Guide–little things that when lived daily, create an absolutely contagious life of greatness. So what’s your breeze? Some of the other powerful ideas: •

Make time to think: reserve some time each day to do nothing and give your mind a chance to just run wild

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Listen twice as much as you speak: great relationships and true understanding comes from listening

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Your customers buy with their hearts: create emotional connections with them

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Learn to say no: spend your time doing the things you want to be doing–you can’t do everything

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Become a member of the 5am club: wake early, reserve time for yourself and do it when you’re most alert

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Be wildly enthusiastic: it’s contagious

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To be more productive, relax and have more fun: life isn’t all about work

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Speak like a superstar: learn how to speak

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The person who experiences most wins: life and fulfillment come from your experiences–have them daily

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Learn more to earn more: never stop learning, and never leave home without a book under your arm (I especially love this one!)

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Become an inspirational human being: help others become the best they can

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Get in superb physical shape and eat a world class diet: Energy and greatness start from a healthy body–you won’t believe the change

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Lay claim to greatness: wake up everyday striving for greatness for yourself, whatever that might mean, and watch it catch on

If it were only so simple to hear or read the great tidbits of guidance for life once and have them close at hand forever–none of us would need websites like this, coaches, books, etc. But the truth is that success and learning and living are a never-ending process. Just because you intellectualize something one day does mean it will change your life. Yes, you may be a step closer, but really living it requires true repetitive learning and application. For that we need tools. Some come in the form of people in our lives, or speeches, movies, videos and of course books. But the balance is that all these touch points must be simple and enjoyable enough to encourage repeated experiences with them while having the power of delivering an impactful and meaningful message. That’s where The Greatness Guide holds fantastic weight. Recognize that learning and success are not just about reading and moving on. It’s constant contact with the things we know are most powerful in our lives. The ideas and outlooks on life that we firmly believe in, when made apart of our days, will dramatically enhance our lives. Read the Greatness Guide once to explore some new and old ideas about success. But then keep it close by–be it your bed, your office, your car, wherever, and allow these ideas to slowly transform from concepts to habits. That’s where success truly lies. It is not in the simple act of learning but in the applying and experiencing that always has and always will make all the difference. The right habits create a successful life. Start forming them today. What have you made a part of your daily ritual to lead you toward greatness? What has helped keep you on track and continuing to learn and experience the great parts of life? What effect have you noticed it having on others? Where could you use help? What’s been the biggest challenge in your journey? Share your experiences in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to check out our new site feature: What Should I Read? If you are curious what to read next, just tell us your goals for success and where you are in life and we’ll tell you what you might want to read. We have read hundreds of books and are happy to help! In fact you can see a lot of the books we’ve read on Good Reads. And if you know someone who could benefit from this review, give a gift and please email it to them.

~Reading for Your Success

Buy The Greatness Guide at Amazon Other books and articles you might enjoy: •

How to Win Friends and Influence People

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Unlimited Power

•

The 8th Habit

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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The Ultimate Gift

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What Happy People Know

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How to Practice

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The Power of Now Featured Quotes: A mind once stretched by a new idea can never return to its original dimensions. Leadership is shown by the human being who fights the urge to stay under the covers on a cold day and throws on her running shoes to pound the pavement. Not because running miles on a frosty morning is fun. But because it’s wise. Remember that before someone will lend you a hand, you need to touch their heart. Focus plus daily improvement plus time equals genius. Understand that formula deeply and your life will never be the same. Listening to someone intently is one of the best ways I know of to honor that person and forge a deep human connection. Remember every great leader or visionary or brave thinker was initially laughed at. Now they are revered. The only place you’ll reach if you follow the crowd is the exit. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But the second best time is today.– Chinese saying Great people build monuments from the stones that their critics throw at them. –Dan Sheehan

You are here to find that cause, that main aim, that vital destiny that will move you at the most visceral level and get you up at the crack of dawn with fire in your belly. The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.–Nido Qubein Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. – Ralph Waldo Emerson The smallest of actions is always greater than the noblest of intentions. We always have the choice to be strong and positive when things fall apart. We have the right to use our stumbling blocks as stepping stones to our greatest life. Grace under pressure! Business is about loving the people who do business with you and giving them more value than they have any right to expect. Manage your fear by doing the very thing that frightens you. That’s the best way to destroy a fear. Do it until you’re no longer scared. The fears you run away from run toward you. The words you use influence the life you live. Select them wisely. It’s risky out on the limb but that’s where all the fruit is. Most of us, when we get scared, blame others to avoid the pain of owning the mistake we’ve made. I cursed the fact I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.–Persian Proverb It’s easy to fall into the very human trap of focusing on what we don’t have rather than being grateful for what we do have. Few of us write great novels, but all of us can live them. –Mignon Mclaughlin Good health is a crown on the head of a well person that only a sick person can see. The best leaders see through the eyes of understanding.

We can curse the darkness or we can light a candle. Our world needs more light. Be an inspiration. If everyone was satisfied with themselves, there would be no heroes. Do good and leave behind a virtue that the storm of time can never destroy. When struggling ask yourself “will this matter in a year from now?” To live on in the minds and hearts of the generations who will follow you is to cheat death. To make such a difference through the way you lead and show up is to find immortality. To have a lasting impact on human lives–by being a great champion at work or a great parent at home or a great leader in your community–is to live forever. There is no situation that is not transformable. There is no person who is hopeless. There is no set of circumstances that cannot be turned about by human beings and their natural capacity for love of the deepest sort. Step by step. Small gains eventually yield giant results.

Using Surfing and Meditation as Tools for Clarity: Saltwater Buddha BY SCOTT | DECEMBER 10, 2009 | FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest to Find Zen on the Sea by Jaimal Yogis Pub. Date: May 1, 2009, Wisdom ISBN-9780861715350 200 Pages Buy Saltwater Buddha at Amazon Why I Read this Book: Surfing and the ocean has long been referred to as the ideal analogy to life and success. So much can be learned from the ocean.

Topics Covered: •

Self discovery–learning who you are

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Insight Meditation and Zen Buddhism

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Relationships

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Living your dreams

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Living modestly Review: Imagine yourself on a wave, just as it’s about to break. Not too early, not too late but just perfectly timed as you pop up on a board and enjoy the most blissful twenty seconds of your life. You are one with the ocean and are at total peace. How present are you? How much are you thinking about next week’s meeting, what the market did today or even what you’ll be doing ten minutes from now? Work with me here. Forget for the moment that most of you have never probably ridden a wave. Or that I could probably count on two hands the number of waves I’ve caught in my life (although after this book I intend for that number to take a serious jump). Just imagine for a moment, or if you’re lucky enough, recall your most recent memory on the ocean. There is something enchanting about nature, the wilderness, the outdoors, a sunset, a calm lake and especially the sea.

Some of the most successful people I’ve come across have often times chosen the ocean and surfing specifically as the best analogy to life and in turn success. I will let you all make up your own mind but Jaimal Yogis has done us the favor of sharing his. I first got turned on toSaltwater Buddha from a friend of Jaimal’s and it turns out we’re both local San Franciscans and we’ve since been in touch as he’s gone through his recent book tour. And just yesterday I heard the exciting news from him that Saltwater Buddha–The Film is coming soon. Very cool. It was a friend who got me reading but it was the intrigue and education Jaimal created in his stories that kept me going. Despite the playful cover and the title, this is a book full of inspiration, learning and a ton of fun, regardless of whether or not you’ve ever picked up a board or intend to pick one up. Although you will likely be on your next trip to the water sooner than expected once you’re done reading. It also could not have hurt my reaction that the majority of this book was read via headlamp one evening somewhere deep in the Andes in a freezing cold tent (literally) at about 11,000 ft en route to Machu Picchu last May. What an association! There is a mountain of excitement and education to be found in books written by high adventure/outdoors guys living on the edge. As a result, I have become a real-life adventure author junkie as of late between Laird Hamilton’s Force of Nature, Yvonne Chouinard’s Let My People Go Surfing, Shaun Tomson’s Surfer’s Code and Jaimal’s Saltwater Buddha. At first I wasn’t going to review this but after giving it a second read and some deeper thought, it clearly earned its spot on Reading For Your Success. Jaimal tells his story of what he’s learned about life on the sea through a book’s worth of stories, adventures and mistakes. Amazingly, his stories, even though told in chronological order, manage to have the seamless flow like they were written just for him to live. The fun spin is that Jaimal has spent years studying Zen Buddhism and shows us how closely linked it is to surfing and in turn to life. His calm and “Now” approach to life is something to be admired. Key ideas to take away: •

You are your own person–try not be someone else or live another’s life

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Comparison between yourself and others rarely serves you and is often the source of discontent

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Embrace the ups and downs of life in every moment–they are not going away

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Discover an empowering reason for each life occurrence–big and small, good and bad, they are meant to happen as they do A number of his stories and lessons were things I was able to directly apply to my perception and approach to the constant rising and falling tide of life. Not only will you get a dose of life lessons regarding relationships, living your dreams, self discovery and living modestly, but you will also get a 101 course in Zen Buddhism and meditation–just enough to perk some intrigue. There was one concept that took me especially strongly which I’d like to share. “Enjoy The Paddle,” as Jaimal puts it. As it turns out, maybe 1% of surfing and time spent on the water is actually spent riding a wave. The rest is spent wiping out, getting slammed by waves and paddling, lots of paddling. Yet Jaimal, as most any avid surfer, loves being out on the water. They love surfing and of course the euphoric feeling and pure presence of riding a wave. But to genuinely love surfing, you must love the paddle. Is this starting to sound familiar to anyone? We spend the great majority of our lives paddling–working towards a goal, finding a mate, learning a new skill, building a business, growing a family, cleaning our house. So much of our time is spent on the ups and downs and enduring parts of life and only moments in the truly euphoric, bliss-like experiences. This is unavoidable. But that’s just it, it’s all gravy. The paddle is what life’s about. It’s not about what’s at the top of the mountain. It’s the gorgeous (and perhaps not so gorgeous) scenery you see along the way, the rocks you grab a hold of and the ones that slip out from under you and cause a stumble. That’s all part of the paddle. One of the most valuable teachings Jaimal received from the ocean (and I did from his story) is that surfing and life are about the paddle. And if you are going to spend the majority of your life doing it, why not enjoy it. Embrace the paddle. Embrace the journey. Embrace the bad times and the good. Every one of them is there to serve you anyway. If one can truly learn to enjoy the paddle (and of course the occasional wave) there will be nothing left between you and life. Between you and success. You will be living moment to moment in your own fulfillment. So whether it’s an entrance exam, a board presentation, a stressful holiday season, a tough argument, a recession, a new job (or a job you wish you still had), or the best wave of your life, keep paddling and enjoy every stroke. Does it make sense to live any other way? What has been your biggest lesson from the “ocean of life”, whether actually on a water or your version of it? What paddle are you currently struggling though? How

have you learned to embrace it? Share your experiences in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to check out our new site feature: What Should I Read? If you are curious what to read next, just tell us your goals for success and where you are in life and we’ll tell you what you might want to read. We have read hundreds of books and are happy to help! In fact you can see a lot of the books we’ve read on Good Reads. And if you know someone who could benefit from this review, give a gift and please email it to them.

~Reading for Your Success

Buy Saltwater Buddha at Amazon Other books you might enjoy: •

How to Practice

•

The Power of Now

•

Learn to Meditate

•

Surfer’s Code

•

Let My People Go Surfing

•

Force of Nature

•

What Happy People Know