Self Help Book Parade: The Greatness Guide.

Discovery of the book: Book fair of 2008. It looked cool, so I bought it. I’m a very simple consumer like that. Robin Sharma is a trainer and consultant for big companies, inspiring people to great leadership. He has another book that he’s known for and that’s “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.” The book at the book fair was about 3,00 or something.

Subject & Outline: It’s a 101 small chapters written to inspire you to greatness – d’oh,right? He starts all the chapters with these different intro’s: quotes, examples, personal experiences or just jumping right back in with the main message. I like books like this, their easy reads and if they’re done right, they actually can inspire you. Robin Sharma manages to do that. Very friendly, basic and down-to-earth inspiration.

Cookiness (1-10): This book is not cooky in the sense that it comes with its very own smell of incense and a Chakra Installation set, but it is a little  ‘motivational speaker’ at times. I personally love motivational speakers but if you are not really into that sort of ‘You Can Do It!’  & ‘You Own Your Life!’ kind of stuff, you might not like it. So I’m guessing a 3.

Favorite Quotes (and that’s why this book is powerful and why I like it):

  • “Each day life will send you little windows of opportunity. Your destiny is ultimately defined by how you respond to these windows of opportunity. Shrink from them and your life will be small. Feel the fear and run to them anyway, and your life will be big.”
  • “Here’s the big idea: Focus in any area or skill with a relentless devotion to daily improvement and a passion for excellence and withtin three to five years, you will be operating at a level of competence (and insight) such that people call you a genius. Focus plus daily improvement plus time equals genius. Understand this formula deeply and your life will never be the same.”
  • “Your days are your life in miniature.”
  • “Know what needs to get done over the coming weeks, months or years for you to feel that you played your best game as a human being.”
  • “Your schedule is the best barometer for what you truly value and believe to be important.”
  • “We always have the chance to be strong and positive when things fall apart.”
  • “Blaming others is excusing yourself.”
  • “Happiness comes from within. It’s a state you create by choice. It’s a decision.”
  • “While you chase success, I urge you to stay devoted to elevating the lives you touch and leaving your world better than you found it.”
  • “Make your life your message.”

Self Help Hipster Stamp of Approval: Yes! Nice, light read that hopefully does inspire you and makes you think. I like how down to earth Robin Sharma is about too; he admits he slips up sometimes, he talks about how much he loves his kids and what I really like too is that he isn’t hating on material things like so many ‘enlightened’ people do. He basically says ‘If it makes you feel good to drive that car, use that iPod or buy a Starbucks Latte, do it. As long as you know there are more important things in life there is nothing wrong with that’. I love that strangely uncommon perspective.

You should read this book if…

  • You like motivational speakers.
  • The quotes above speak to you the way they do to me!
  • You’d like a nice pick-me-up but easy read for inspiration and motivation.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

3 comments