What made you read this book?
I was talking to Matt Petersen (The inmate that teaches the classes with me) and he had just finished this book. We were talking about what we wanted to do when we got out. Each of us brainstorm with one another about the different things we would like to do when we get out. He thought I would enjoy this book. He was right. Maxwell is a very gifted writer. This is the third book I have read by him. What is amazing to me is that I would think his other books would have some overlap…There is barely any. He somehow comes up with new concepts each time. This book touches on my favorite subject which is helping others. That is something that I model my life after and something that brings me great joy.
What was the book about?
Having a dream is key to anyone having a successful life. Dreams propel us forward in life. Throughout the book he asks some very interesting questions. For most people figuring out there dream is the difficult part.
What would you do if you had no limitations?
What would you do if you only had five years left to live?
what would you do if you had unlimited resources?
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
These questions get you to start thinking about what you could do with your life that would make you happy. Most people do not follow their passion. As a result, they are frustrated and unhappy. The biggest mistake people make is not trying to make a living at what they enjoy. They simply try to endure their working lives instead of making the most of them. Which is sad because people’s chances of success is directly proportional to the degree of pleasure they derive from what they do. When they settle, they put themselves in a bad situation.
Dreams are hard work…you must persevere to attain them. There are 2 rules to perseverance:
Rule #1 – No matter how hard it is, take one more step.
Rule #2 – When you are burnt out and can’t imagine taking one more step, refer to rule #1.
Jackson Brown – “life little instruction booklet,” (HOW CLEVER…Love that)
To achieve your dreams/Goals:
Change your thinking.
Change your perspective.
Change your work habits.
To reach a dream and to be fulfilled in the process one needs to be proactive, in bad times as well as good. Successful people do what is rt no matter how they feel, and by doing rt., they feel good.
What did I learn from this book?
Wow…I had a great experience while reading this book. Two important things happened. The first is I figured out what I want to do moving forward. NOW I DIDNT FIGURE OUT MY NEXT CAREER. But I did figure out a short-term goal. I want to become the best version of myself (and then and only then will I evaluate the next step in my life). Also, I realized my dream is about helping others. That’s what consistently makes me feel good.
I am motivated to help as many people here as possible. I have identified several people that I know some Scotty Carper wisdom could go along way helping. I have begun working with these people to help them accomplish their dreams and realize the talent they have. One is a young guy…. with so much potential but he desperately needs some confidence. I am going to make sure he finds that. I am having him read several of the books in here that I really enjoyed. I am certain I will be able to help him achieve his goals. Inspiring and exciting.
