Author: Ben Abbott
Publisher: Three ESS Publications, Delhi, India.
Year of
Publication: NA
Genre: Self Help/Guide
Gist of the Book
The author in
this book mainly talks about the good principles to be followed to lead a
successful and happy living. The book gives the ways and means to deal with all
kinds of problems in life and how to progress to achieving our goals and
accomplishing the highest standards in life. In fourteen chapters, the means to
a successful living have been discussed with all facts and examples.
The first
chapter talks about the challenge. In here the author has desperately created a
scenario where by the readers are made to build confident with the words “I
CAN” in whatever we do and plan in life. With this beginning, next it talks
about the success. We often wonder why some people excel in life and some
don’t. That wonder is good if we act upon it. After that wonder we will have to
learn from the secrets behind the success of others and from the mistakes of
ourselves. After having learned their secrets and contemplated on our mistakes,
we have to take the first momentous steps, which constitute third chapter.
First we have to make a decision in life. Clear decisions of what we are going
to achieve in life. After having made the decision, we have to act on it. We
should not be hesitant while making a decision because no one is perfect and we
are bound to make mistakes in life. It is said that we have to chat or sing “it
can be done” as we embark upon our action. The action we take must bear results
at the end which can lead to the fulfillment of the ultimate decision we have
made. That is the success!
With a first
step towards clear decisions, the door to conquest in life will be opened. In
chapter four, this door has been discussed. Once the door is open, it is the
initiative that can take us a ride towards the goal. Initiative can be the
first step discussed earlier. A man with an initiative does not wait for the
opportunities to knock rather creates his own opportunity and grabs it.
Opportunity says “ They do me wrong who say I come no more, when once I
knock and fail to find you in; for every day I stand outside your door and bid
you wake and rise to fight and win” Walter Lalone. The two doubtful words “IF”
and “MAY BE” in life robs every individual of initiative. These have to be
replaced with the affirmative words like “I CAN” and “I WILL”. Never procrastinate
what can be done today. Dare to Begin! Today! Now!
The time is very
important in every task in our life. The more of it has been discussed in
chapter five of this book. The time has been described as a passport to
achievement. Time has to be used to the fullest and should not be wasted
unfruitful. It has to be kept in mind that “time and tide, waits for none”,
awake and make the most of it! While using time to the fullest, it has to
be balanced with the energy level in our body. Abundant energy is the lifeblood
of progress and successful living. Inactivity, negative thoughts, physical
pressures and uncontrolled emotions cause tiredness while activity,
constructive positive thoughts and controlled emotions and actions create
energy. A sound mind in a sound body is the basis of achievement. So the good
health is vital while we maneuver to achieve great goals in life. The Chapter
seven of the book talks about the essential components that help to accomplish
great goals in life. The strong self-confidence and courage are the two things
that can overcome almost all obstacles in life. Others include being optimism,
thinking outward and avoiding diffidence and timidity in life. Confidence
generates confidence; therefore, we have to act with confidence to gain
confidence.
To be on tract
in life and not having to disappoint for the things we are not able to do and
appreciate for the things we are capable of, we have to chart our course in
life. We have to search for our natural abilities and aptitudes and set out
clear goals in life. Everything has to be well planned and progress has to be
tracked and achieved. Plan career far ahead, concentrate on single main goal,
keep an eye on the “winning post” at the end of the race. Be the man who made
it and not the man who almost made it. The next chapter discusses about the
external factors that helps in our course of way towards successful living. Our
success and happiness depends largely on how we treat others and how others
treat us. We have to learn to deal with various kinds of people in life. We
have to increase our friendship circle. Friendliness creates friendly
environment. Therefore, be friendly toward others and they will be friendly
towards us. Teamwork is very important to achieve a certain goal in life. In a
team work, we have to possess good leadership skills and also a team spirit. In
a team we have to be good listener and also a good speaker. The chapter also
talks about how to develop a good speaking skill.
Not everything
in life is so smooth to walk upon. Like everyone says 'life is not a bed of
roses to walk upon softly'. There are many hard knocks. The next chapter
describes about the hardships that we face in life and how to overcome those.
Confucius said “our greatest glory is not in never-falling, but in rising every
time we fall”. We have to learn from our mistakes and start over again with
greater strength gained from the difficulties we face and looking forward to
greater accomplishments. The chapter eleven of this book talks about the
power behind our destiny. The power in here is not the physical power the
author is talking about. More powerful than the physical power is the power of
thought. Whatever that happens in this world are all results of the power of
thought. Thinking before taking up any action is very important. We have to
think and plan and then act. The task to be accomplished has to be broken down
to smallest units that are achievable. The accomplishment of these every unit
will lead to the achievement of larger goal. The chapter also talks about the
importance of having a good memory and increased vocabulary which all aids to
achieve goals in life.
The next chapter
in this book describes about our habits and how to overcome bad habits with
good ones. The bad habits can be removed from our life by not practicing it or
by doing just the opposite of these bad habits. For example the habit of being
late to office could be displaced by being on time always. We have to be the
master of our habits and they will serve us well for they have the greater influences
in our life. The next chapter talks about the importance of having strong and
abiding faiths in ourselves and in whatever we do. For example we cannot see
the atoms, yet we believe its existence and feel its influence in our day to
day life. Likewise there are many other things in life which requires our
faith. Faith combined with action, an honest effort on our part will make a
smooth progress toward successful living. The last chapter talks about the
three fundamental principles which can guide us through the road of successful
living. First principle is “each improvement of one beneficial human quality
immediately strengthens other qualities, thus making it easier to win over
harmful ones. Second principle “start a constructive mental attitude or emotion
in action and it grows progressively strong, feeding on itself and third
principle is “ how a person thinks and acts has a definite effect on how those
with whom he comes in contact think and act”. Therefore it is seen that
achievement of success and happiness depends on how we think and act.
Deliberately and regularly think and act in an affirmative, optimistic,
constructive manner and we are on the sure road of successful living.
Interesting
facts from the Book
1. “A wise man
learns from his experiences but a wiser man learns from the experiences of
others. Those who make a rapid progress in life learn from both the experiences
of their own and others”
2. “Opportunity
comes to him who waits – works while he waits. Opportunity knocks again and
again for all those prepared to grasp it”
3. “Two big ‘Ts’,
TOLERANCE and TEAMWORK smooth out the human irritations and life becomes richer
and more enjoyable”
4. “Perseverance
and Perspiration are the two horses in life that will accomplish the
unbelievable”
5. “The six honest
serving men; WHY, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW and WHO, they taught me all I know”
*****THE END*****
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