Book Review: AmitL

'Winners don't do different things. They do things differently'.- that's the quote on the cover of one of my all-time favourite books, which I never stop waxing eloquent about,to all and sundry. There have always been skeptics who would go 'Oh,I don't believe in these self-help books-they're a load of crap', but, sooner or later,they would get back to me and say 'Thanks for recommending the book'. By a conservative estimate on Shiv Khera's website and on the cover of the book, it has sold a million copies. Now,that might be a few years' ole estimate,and,that too,of the official copy. I've seen oodles of pirated copies,in Baroda,Mumbai,et al,and,even those are best-sellers.(Quite an antithesis-a pirated best-seller!). I'm sure many BUFers must've read it too?

On to the book: What's it about? It's about you,us,our lives,simple examples which usually don't open our eyes.It has chapters from 'building a positive attitude', to, 'winning strategies',to'what is holding us back' and, 'values and vision'(doing the right things for the right reason). Nowhere does the book say that you Must do such-and-such, in order to succeed. It moves along in it's lucid way,giving examples and letting you see for yourself, how you can be a better human being.

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Some of the quotes from the book which I found inspirational:

- 'The foundation of success, regardless of your chosen field, is attitude.' The example is given of David and Goliath-the 17-year old shepherd boy is not scared of the giant Goliath(while all others are terrified),and says' He is not too big to hit,he is too big to miss', and proceeds to kill the giant with a slingshot.Same giant, different perceptions.

- TQP: Total Quality People- what organisations need- people with character,integrity,good values and positive attitudes.

(And,believe me, it makes a difference,if you're one of these people- for some time, chamchas(spoons) of bosses might rule the roost, but,finally,what brings rewards is your honesty,dedication and positive attitude-that's my years' of experience- AmitL)

- In a positive environment, a marginal performer's output goes up. In a negative environment, a good performer's output goes down.

(I put this one into practice wherever I work- I avoid the negative people who's main job is to crib all the time, and keep company with the positive ones)

- People with positive attitufes are caring, confident,patient and humble. They have high expectations of themselves and others. They anticipate positive outcomes.

(Think- how much does this apply to yourself, either at home or at work?AmitL)

-A negative attitude causes: bitterness,resentment,a purpuseless life,ill health, high stress levels for themselves and others.

(So,next time you feel angry or bitter,think-is a negative attitude the cause?AmitL)

- Doing it now: Simply expressed by a short poem:

He slept beneath the moon,

He basked beneath the sun

He lived a life of going to do

and died with nothing done.....James Albery

-Develop an attitude of gratitude. Take time to smell the roses. There is a lot to be thankful for.Many of our blessings are hidden treasures- count your blessings and not your troubles.

(One person I can always associate with such an attitude most of the time,is Keshi- who is usually positive in all her posts, replies to comments,et al,and,still remains a sensitive human being!Thanks,Keshi,for being a 'positive blogger!)

-Build a positive self-esteem- the way you feel about yourself.When we feel good, our performance goes up, and our relationships improve,both at home and at work.

(Now,isn't that the truth and nothing but the truth? And,yet,we(including me) end up feeling bad/deprived/angry many times, leading to a drop in performance.AmitL)

I think I'll end this book review now. There's so much I've highlighted in it,things which have helped me come out of the worst of moments in the past few years. There's just one last comparison which I need to mention:

'Winners v/s losers'(there's a whole list of points,these are the ones I found best):

- The winner is always a part of the answer. The loser is always part of the problem.

- The winner always has a program. The loser always has an excuse.

-The winner says' Let me do it for you'. The loser says' That is not my job'

(Albeit, use this phrase at your own discretion at work-you could end up doing everyone's job)

- Winners make it happen. Losers LET it happen.

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And,yes, for those of you who can't get hold of the paper copy, I do have an ebook which I can email to you. Let me know. Happy reading!