'The Success Principles' guides you to take charge

br />
WHEN was the last time you read a self improvement book? Research says that if you can read 20 minutes every day, you will become a more positive person in life.

The main author of this book is perhaps someone we can emulate. Say "hello" to self-help guru, Jack Canfield, an ex-teacher who even has a Guinness world record for the feat of seven books being listed simultaneously on The New York Times Best Sellers list.

You may have at one time or the other, read the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series, which he co-authored with Mark Victor Hansen and that alone has sold more than 80 million books!

This 473-page book did take me quite some time to read, needless to say with my busy schedule and of course, reading other books in-between, but like what Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times number one best seller "Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" says in the first page of "The Success Principles", "If you could only read one book this year, you have it in your hands." And he is right!

As a layman and someone seeking for positive vibes in life, this is what I must say. The book is superbly well-written, peppered by anecdotes relating situations that we undergo in life. Paragraphs are spread with headers every 300-400 words, so that you get the gist of what the message is without having to read long epistles of text.

There are illustrations when necessary to make a point, quotable quotes, and some text even in point form for easy retention.

The success principles recommended by Jack Canfield are simple, back-to-basic common sense tips but yet, sometimes the simplest things in life are always the ones that we tend to disregard (I am a classic example!).

There are 64 principles highlighted in the book, spread across six categories:

The Fundamentals of Success

Transform Yourself For Success

Build Your Success Team

Create Successful Relationships

Success & Money

Success Starts Now

The first principle shook a core inside me. It says, "Take 100 per cent responsibility for your life". How often have we always blamed people and situations for things that happened here and there.

In this book, he says in several headers in the paragraphs of this principle, "You have to give up all your excuses", "If you do not like your outcomes, change your responses", "You have to give up blaming" and "You have to give up complaining". Yes, it shook me and told me, "Drop out of the 'Ain't It Awful' Club and instead surround yourself with success, positive and nurturing people!"

It teaches you how to change the outcome of any event, simply by changing your response to each situation.

It reminds us to be ready when opportunity knocks and tutors us on the importance of time management and focus on success.

With this book, I learnt that I should sometimes be strong and "say 'No' to the good" so that I have room to "say 'Yes' to the great" and eventually get what I want.

The Success Principles is indeed a roadmap for anyone, whether you are a professional, business owner, teacher, clerk, engineer, student or parent — or in fact — you, whoever you are to change your life for the better.

The principles mentioned are practical and inspiring. It is filled with many real life stories of people, from CEOs, world-class athletes, celebrities, and normal people like you and I, and reading it sometimes brought tears to my eyes and instilled deep with me, a new determination now not to ever blame life for things that do not turn out, but instead spurred me to develop a renewed vigour to change myself and evolve to become a better person — to be empowered with the skills and mindset to deal with challenges and trials of life.

Read it once for deep insight. Keep it close to you for inspiration when times are down.

So where do you want to go today, as a foundation for the future? What kind of person do you want to be? What are your dreams? How do you want to live your life? The Success Principles is your ultimate guide to a happy, successful life!

Where you are today, and where you are tomorrow, depends on you now. Don't procrastinate. Get a copy of this book today.

"The Succss Principles. How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be" is available at the nearest Best Eastern bookstore. For more information, please contact 224 2539 (Plaza Athirah) or 242 3539 (The Mall).

The Brunei Times