Little Inspirational & Self Help Books

After a few days of assuming the post as the Restaurant Manager in a small resort, the Resident Manager gave me this book called ,THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER. He told me to read it and to put into practice the Management Methods written in this book if I wanted to be successful manager. And he was right. I have been using these methods till now and have reread these books to refresh my mind. I have also recommended this book to my junior managers to read for them to grasp handling employee issues.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The One Minute Manager comes in a very simple story of a young man looking for the best way to manage staff. He was looking for an effective manager to work for and later to become one. He found one and called him. The manager said that the young man could see him anytime but not on Wednesday. After reading this book you will find out why. The manager then informed the young man about the One Minute Manager's methods and gave him a few names for the young man to meet to learn more about the One Minute Manager method.

ONE MINUTE GOAL SETTING

The young man went to see the first manager and there he learnt the One Minute Goal Setting , which was one of three secrets of the One Minute Method. The One Minute Goal Setting is used to set goals and to make clear performance standards, so both you and your employee are clear on what is expected.
When used in real life
It's the same as football, without a goal post how are we to know which team is better. Without clear set goals, how are we to know how our performance is judged. By writing it down then you and your employee will have something to refer to later.

ONE MINUTE PRAISING

Later on he went to see Mr.Levy, a manager in his late 20s or early 30s. Mr.Levy thought him the One Minute Praising, where you catch employees doing something right and praise them. After a few praising, you will not need to have to catch them doing good. They will catch themselves doing good and feel good without you praising them.
When used in real life
Well everyone loves being praised. The first quote I learnt upon assuming a leadership role was praise in public, criticize in private. I have found that when you praise employees on a job well done. They will go the extra mile to improve themselves to get more compliments. If you always criticize, they will think what's the use of working hard. Similarly with your spouse if you always tell her she fat, then she will just continue to be fat. Same goes with kids, words of encouragement builds a person.

ONE MINUTE REPRIMAND

The last secret is One Minute Reprimand. Its goes like this, when someone makes a mistake reprimand him immediately. Make sure the person knows that you are reprimanding him on what the was the mistake, not the person himself. Show the employee that you are criticizing the mistake not the person and it's for his improvement.
When used in real life
It is better to receive feedback for the mistakes we make straight away. This is so we can immediately take action to improve it. Most managers wait until the appraisal time, then only they inform the employee what they did wrong. This is too late and the mistakes will build up as the employee doesn't know what he did wrong and will always assume he is doing the job well.

After this he goes and meets up with the One Minute Manager who then summarize why the One Minute Methods works. Read the book to find out the more.

The One Minute Manager

Who Moved My Cheese?:
An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

I came across this book in my sister's book rental shop. But didn't pay much attention to it cause the title and the cover looks like a kids story book. I admit I am guilty of judging this book by its cover. After hearing about it from some friends, I went to look for it. Read it in one day as it was very interesting.
This book explores the different ways people approach change through a story using mice and "little people," hobbit like people. The mice are called Sniff and Scurry and the little people are Hem and Haw. The four live in a maze and look for cheese to make them happy. However, one day their cheese is gone. The cheese is a metaphor of what we want in life (money, possession, love and so on) and the maze is our surrounding. You will learn by reading how the four characters face the unexpected loss of the "cheese". And also how they deal with change, where three of them are successful. He writes his finding on the wall so others can learn. You too can use the handwriting on the wall for ways to deal with change. It's a book for everyone. Enjoy!
When used in real life
Most people myself included tend to get comfortable in a job when we work for a good company, good boss and good working environment. We should always be like the two mice in the book, constantly keeping ourselves abreast with new things happening around us. So when things are not going to well, we will be ready. We should also be more aware of our surroundings. This will then make us ready to adapt to bigger changes that are to come. This reminds me what Zig Ziglar wrote in his book See You at the Top . It's about the frog who sits in water that gets warmed up. The frog continues to sit there enjoying the warmth until the water gets to hot that he gets boiled in it.
To know more about this book, you can go to the website
whomovedmyheese.com

Product A Life That Counts
Download E Book USD $12.95
Buy Paperback AUD $29.95 + postage

A LIFE THAT COUNTS is a handbook for your success. With real tools that you can implement in your own life and real-life examples from Olympic and World champions, to inspire and help you to be all you can be. It is like the Winners Bible for 2011 !
Unlike many books which tell you what success is, A LIFE THAT COUNTS reveals how to make it happen.
In it, two-time Olympian Jeremy Rolleston reveals the step-by-step processes, strategies, psychology and techniques used by Olympic and World champions. It also includes contributions from these ten very famous and high-achieving Australians - their stories, insights, secrets and examples.
Readers will come away from this book with an exciting vision of their potential, along with the confidence, knowledge and tools they need to successfully follow their dreams and live a magnificent, fulfilled and purposeful life.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari:
A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny

This book as most of books in this lens comes in a story form. The first six chapters tells of the storyteller's mentor having a heart attack in the middle of a court case and how he goes in search of a way to improve his life. He thus meets with the Sages of Sivana. There's even a funny story to help you remember the steps. The story goes like this
You are sitting in the middle of a magnificent, lush, green garden. This garden is filled with the most spectacular flowers you have ever seen. The environment is supremely tranquil and silent. Savor the sensual delights of this garden and feel as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy this natural oasis. As you look around you see that in the center of this magical garden stands a towering, red lighthouse, six stories high. Suddenly, the silence of the garden is disturbed by a loud creaking as the door at the base of the lighthouse opens. Out stumbles a nine-foot-tall, nine-hundred-pound Japanese sumo wrestler who casually wanders into the center of the garden.
As this sumo wrestler starts to move around the garden, he finds a shiny gold stopwatch which someone had left behind many years earlier. He slips it on, and falls to the ground with an enormous thud. The sumo wrestler is rendered unconscious and lies there, silent and still. Just when you think he has taken his last breath, the wrestler awakens, perhaps stirred by the fragrance of some fresh yellow roses blooming nearby. Energized, the wrestler jumps swiftly to his feet and intuitively looks to his left. He is startled at what he sees. Through the bushes at the very edge of the garden he observes a long winding path covered by millions of sparkling diamonds. Something seems to instruct the wrestler to take the path, and to his credit, he does. This path leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss.

A summary of what the story means

Magnificent, lush, green garden.
The garden represents our mind. Like a beautiful garden we should plant and nurture positive thoughts. A gardener always never allows the weeds to grow and take over his garden. The weeds here symbolize the negative thoughts and the lush flowers symbolize the positive thoughts. Like a gardener who constantly fertilizers his plants with the best manure, we should constantly fertilizer our mind with positive affirmation.

Towering six stories red lighthouse
The lighthouse symbolizes the power of goals and the importance of discovering your calling in life. By setting and writing down the goal. By reviewing daily, you keep yourself on the right path. Like the lighthouse which guides the ships even in stormy weather, your written goals will guide you on even if there are obstacles in your way.

Nine-foot-tall, nine-hundred-pound Japanese sumo wrestler
The sumo wrestler will be your reminder of the power of kaizen, the Japanese word for constant self-expansion and progress. We should constantly look for new ways to improve our life. Even Sun Tzu has a quote on this in his Art of War Manual.
"Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions." Chapter 6. WEAK POINTS AND STRONG verse 32

The pink wire cable covering the sumo wrestler private parts
The pink wire cable will serve to remind you of the power of self-control and discipline in building a richer, happier and more enlightened life. Many thin, tiny wires placed one on top of the other will make a strong wire. Alone, each one is flimsy and weak. But, together, their sum is much greater than their constituent parts and the cable becomes tougher than iron. Self-control and willpower are similar to this. To build a will of iron, it is essential to take small, tiny acts in tribute to the virtue of personal discipline. Routinely performed, the little acts pile one on top of another to eventually produce an abundance of inner strength.

Shiny gold stopwatch
Shiny gold stopwatch is a symbol of our most important commodity - time. Don't waste even one minute of your day. Develop a deathbed mentality. Do the important things in your life that will improve your life in the future. Use the 80/20 percent rule. What this means is concentrate on 20 percent of your activity that will bring you 80 percent satisfaction in the future. Spend more time with your family, watch the sun going up. Believe me after waking up early and watching the sun rise I have a better day the whole day. That is why I believe that is the reason why most religion worships early facing the sun. Try it really relaxes your mind. Never be a prisoner of the past but be the architect of the future.

The fresh yellow roses
The blooming flowers is a reminder of the ancient Chinese proverb, "a little bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses." The meaning is when you work to improve the lives of others; you indirectly improve your own life in the process. When you take care to practice random acts of kindness daily, your own life becomes far richer and more meaningful. I think everyone have heard of this saying what goes around comes around. Cultivate friends and nurture family. Develop an optimistic outlook of life.

The path of diamonds
Serves to remind you of the final virtue for enlightened living. By carrying this principle with you through your daily work, you will enrich your life. The path of diamonds symbolizes our present path that is one rich in diamonds. Slow things down. Enjoy the beauty and sacredness of all that is around you. You owe this to yourself." Never put off the things that are important for your well-being and satisfaction to a later time. Never chase the greener pasture on the other side and sacrifice the one over here. This I have to be true. I have always worked really hard thinking the more successful I am in my job, the more money I will receive, the happy I will be. Lately this I found not to be true. Yes I am wealthier now but I still have to work even harder to keep my job. I have no time for my family. Always remember that the path you are walking on right now is beautiful and studded with diamonds.

This book provides an approach to living a simple life with greater balance, strength, courage and abundance of joy. Made me realize the most important people in my life, my family. And that how hard I work for my boss, at the end of the day he will be smiling to the bank and I will get the same salary at the end of the month. And my family will see me lesser and lesser.

The author's website www.robinsharma.com

If you would like to listen to the audiobook, you can click here.

The One Minute Manager Audio Book
Price : $11.25 USD
Publisher : HarpersCollins Publishers
Author : Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
Narrator : Eric Conger

Product 101 Short Stories to beat the blues and "Turn You On"
Cost ONLY US$19.95
Guarantee: 56 days 100% Money Back Guarantee

I also like receiving short motivational stories that lift you up and keeps you thinking. Some stories helps you in having a more positive outlook about life and in dealing with everyday situations. This e book is all about short stories that doesn't take much of your time but has strong messages to it. Something like the Aesop's Tales that we were read to or have read when we were young.

Here's a story from the book

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

There was once a boy who wanted to seek the secret of success. One day he approached a wise man living up in the mountain. When he found the wise man at the hut, he asked, "Wise man, can you tell me the secret to becoming successful in life?" The wise man was silent for a
while. After a moment of silence, the wise man led the young lad to a nearby river. They kept walking into the river until the boy's head was fully submerged in the water. The boy struggled to keep his head above the water. To his astonishment, the wise man did not help him. Instead, the wise man held the boy's head in the water. After a few minutes the wise man pulled the boy out of the water and they proceeded to walk back to the hut. At the hut the wise man asked the young boy what he desired most when his head was submerged in water.
To this the young boy quickly responded, "Of course, I wanted to breathe, you old fool!" To which the wise man replied, "Son, if you desire success as much as you wanted to breathe, then you would have found the true secret of success."

SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

Success is a matter of choice. If we have enough strong reasons, there is nothing that we cannot do. Once we have the reasons to do something, we will surely find the ways to do it. A mere wish would not make things happen. It is a burning desire, turned into an
obsession that will generate the energy to bring you to achieve any goal that you may desire.

I came across this book after reading Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad Poor Dad" books. Its one of his recommendations for a must read for people who want to be financial free. As with most books in this lense, this book is small, in story form and simple to understand. Below is a short review of this book.

The Man Who Desired Gold
The book starts with Bansir, the chariot builder of Babylon, who was thoroughly discouraged, sitting on the fence thinking. He was deep in thought, not caring about the hustle and bustle of the city around him. He was interrupted by the smiling face of his best friend-Kobbi, the musician. Then they discussed how their lives have evolved. How they took the trouble to learn their skills, hoping that if they increased their knowledge, their richest will increase too. But this is not always the case, their skills improve but their richest didn't increase in value. Then they remembered their friend Arkad who was wealthy. They planned to meet up with him and ask what his secret to building wealth is. I too had the same mindset like Bansir and Kobbi, thinking that if I improved my knowledge then my wealth will follow suit but now I have found that this is not the case.

The Richest Man in Babylon
In old Babylon there lived a certain very rich man named Arkad who was famed for his liberality, his generosity to charities and his family. And each year his wealth increased more rapidly than he could spend it. Because of this, his friends came to see him to learn how they can increase their wealth. Arked then told them a story on how he met Algamish, the money lender. Algamish taught him the first step to financial freedom. It is to pay oneself first. What this means is to save a tenth of your salary. I have found that if we set our mind to it we can live on 90% of our income. That's why most Personal Finance books, blogs or guru's say in order to build wealth; we need to have some sort of savings. Reason being when an opportunity comes, you have the resources to invest. This brings us to the next lesson by Algamish, which investing your savings. Algamish suggest that we invest with people who know how to invest. People who are successful in investing.

Seven Cures for a Lean Purse
After defeating the Elamites, King Sargon returned to Babylon to be confronted by another problem. The people of Babylon were no longer able to support themselves. His chancellor reported that the wealth of the people was accumulated by only a few men. This is due to their knowledge on the workings of wealth. The king asked the chancellor to search for such a person, so as he is able to teach the people. The chancellor then selected Arkad, who was then summoned to see the king. To which Arkad agreed to teach a few people so as they can teach others. He taught them the "Seven Cures for A Lean Purse"

Meet the Goddess of Good Luck
In old Babylon, there is an important building called Temple of Learning where people came to discuss on any matter no matter what levels they were. One such person who had his own special hall was Arkad. He came here frequently to discuss to ways to improve them. Tonight they were discussing on how they can attract good luck. What they have found out that betting on the gaming tables doesn't attract the Goddess of Fortune. They continued to discuss on missed opportunity. How opportunity comes in a few seconds only and how they were not grabbed fast enough. So what this means is good luck follows those who grabs opportunity fast.

The Five Laws of Gold
Around a campsite Kalabab tells his slaves the story of Arkad the richest man in Babylon as told him by Nomasir, Arkad's son. He tells the story of Arkad wanting his son to proof to him that he is capable of handling the estate that his father will leave him. How he send Nomasir out with a bag of gold and a clay tablet, asking him to return after 10 years. When Nomasir returns he gives an account of what he did. How he lost the bag of gold to a scam. He then tells the tale how he used what was written on it. On it was written the Five Laws of Gold.
The five laws of gold were
THE FIVE LAWS OF GOLD
1. Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put by not less than one - tenth or his earnings to create an estate for his future and that or his family.
2. Gold laboureth diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks of the field.
3. Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling.
4. Gold slip peth away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep.
5. Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.
Then Nomasir goes on to tell how he used the wisdom of the Five Laws of Gold

The Gold Lender of Babylon
This chapter starts with Rodan, the spearmaker walking towards Mathon, the moneylender. He just had received a large sum of money for his work, now he asking Mathon should he lend to his sister's husband to invest and whether it's a good idea. Then advises him, that he can lend the money if it doesn't burden him. Then Mathon goes on to show Rodan his token chest and explains the contents, so as Rodan understands the importance of lending money to a person who can pay back.

The Walls of Babylon
The story continues with Old Banzar, a grim warrior guarding the passageway leading to the top of the ancient walls of Babylon. The city is under attack but there are only few defenders. Banzar from his vantage point gets first hand news on the fight below. One by one the citizens come to him for reassurance that the wall will hold against the attack. He reassures them not to worry. The walls of Babylon again protected the citizens as the enemies retreated. The moral of this story in life we should also build some protection with insurance, savings to be used for a rainy day.

The Camel Trader of Babylon
Tarkad, the son of Azure was very hungry because he had only eaten only two figs in two days. He was looking for someone who could spare him some food. But he meets the person who he has been avoiding, Dabasir, the camel trader. Dabasir invites him to join him for dinner in a restaurant but only orders water for Tarkad. While he eats his meal in front of starving Tarkad, Dabasir tells of tale how he conquered his enemy- debts.

The Clay Tablets from Babylon
The story starts Alfred H. Shrewsbury from the Department of Archaeology writing to Professor Franklin Caldwell. He says he has translated the five tablets the Professor sent to him. He says that he found it interesting; it's about the story of how Dabasir clears his debts. Dabasir writes on the tablet how he lived on 70% of his earnings, saved 10% and he used the last 20% to clear off his debts. So the Professor tries it with his wife. By following the writings of Dabasir, he created a plan as to get out of debt. Which he did. And later the Professor wrote to Shrewsbury that's he is financial free by following Dabasir's plan.

The Luckiest Man in Babylon
In this chapter you will hear how Sharru Nada on a camel caravan journey tells of a tale how he came out of slavery. He was telling Hadan Gula, grandson of Arad Gula how his grandfather also got himself out of slavery. Hadan Gula didn't believe it at first. Then Sharru Nada continued his tale. Relating how Arad Gula brought helped him to get out slavery. He also related what happened to his friends that was sold wih him in the slave market and how he worked hard to save some money. Then only did Hadan Gula believe and promised to follow the success of his grandfather.

An Historical Sketch of Babylon
The last chapter is a historical account on the city of Babylon.

It is hard to believe that this book was first published way back in 1926. Reason being the ideas in this book can still be used in today's world. This is also a great book given as gift to young person.