Tag: spencer johnson

Sharks!

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” -Spencer Johnson

If there was no fear in you, what would you do? Would you skydive? Would you go bungee jumping? Would you invest into the stock market? Would you gamble? Would you try to rekindle a lost friendship? Would you tell her what you’ve always wanted to tell her?

So why don’t you?

Fear is not necessarily a bad thing. It keeps us from doing stupid things like juggling hot coals (though that does sound fun). Many times it is simply a manifestation of our self-preservation instinct. If properly contained, fear is helpful in that regard. It’s irrational fears one should be afraid of, and that’s usually what gets to us.

“Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are scared.” – Eddie Richenbacher

Surfing is one of the most relaxing and fun hobbies that I have come to love. I enjoy it so much, that I bought extra boards to lend my friends who have never tried it before. I got extra boards so that I could share the joy of surfing with people I care about.

The funny thing is that for many people who have never tried the sport, the first thing they think of is not how exciting and cool surfing is, they don’t think about how relaxing it is to sit on your board and just stare at the sunset, nor the feeling of nirvana you attain when you catch a wave, the tranquility you sense in your feet as you ride a wave in and just look at the coast, but instead, the first thing they think of is sharks!

This is an example of an irrational fear.

According to the International Shark Attack Files (yes it’s a real thing), the odds of you being attacked by a shark are one in 11.5 million. Being killed by a shark? Zero in 264.1 million!

In fact, the six most feared but least likely causes of death are all events that have been hyped up by the media. Other than the media being a greedy money-hungry heartless whores of a bitch that tries to exploit stories and over exaggerate the facts to spin events to their own benefit (sorry, don’t like them much, different story); the other reason these stories get so much attention is because they are so rare.

Car crashes on the other hand, are very common. It’s so frequent that the media only tells us about it when it sounds cool and involves explosions and many Hollywood type injuries. In fact, you are waaaaaaayyy more likely to get into a car accident than get attacked by a shark.

Odds of YOU getting into a car accident – 1 to 6,500

Odds of YOU getting attacked by a shark – 1 to 11,500,000

Has that stopped you from driving your car? Then why is irrational fear stopping you from trying something fun and new?

“Do one thing everyday that scares you” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Tastes like chicken on a biscuit

Shark Snack


Sunday Bloody Book Review 6 – “THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER” by Ken Blanchard, Ph.D & Spencer Johnson

Sunday Bloody Book Review 6 –

“The One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard, Ph.D & Spencer Johnson

This book is not about becoming a leader or a manager in one minute; instead, it is about how a manager can achieve big results in very little time.

The authors, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson talk about the three basic secrets that a one minute manager should follow: One minute Goals, Praising and Reprimand. The authors also stresses on the fact that ‘people’ are the most important resource in any industry.

Written in the form of a story, the book meets its purpose of putting across the basic motives of a manager in very simple but powerful words. What Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson has written has already become a management masterpiece with the book being made a compulsory reading in many industries in the US and Japan.

This book is your magic mantra to what can be achieved in ONE MINUTE !

Excerpts from the book The One Minute Manager:

  • People who feel good about themselves produce good results. But let me frame it another way, Ignite your positives of today making them your everyday display, don’t allow negatives to decoy.
  • A winner is not one who never fails, but one who never quits! Winner never quit, quitters never win.
  • Help people attain their goal, get them accomplish the right thing.
  • Praise people immediately, help them reach their full potential. Catch them doing something right.

I only have three rating scales for my book reviews-

1. Must read
2. OK read but you’ll live without it
3. Don’t bother

This book, The One Minute Manager is a MUST READ! The power of the minute is evident and more important than ever! Time is gold and being able to be an efficient and effective leader is more important than ever!

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Sunday Bloody Book Review 3 – “WHO MOVED MY CHEESE” by Dr. Spencer Johnson

Sunday Bloody Book Review 3 –

“Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr. Spencer Johnson

The only constant in life is that everything changes. Change is such a powerful force in one’s life and knowing how to deal with it is crucial in both the business world and in our personal lives.

“Who Moved My Cheese” is an amazing guide that teaches us how to embrace and adapt to change. The concepts in this very short book live with me and constantly replay in my head whenever I face new and different events in my life. It is a very short read and one could very easily read this book in 45 minutes.

This book has changed my life in such a positive way. Every time I go through a new and unfamiliar situation, I think back to this book and ask myself, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” 

Summary of book Who Moved My Cheese:

“Who Moved My Cheese” is the story of mice and men. The compare men to mice in a maze where there is a constant supply of cheese for all. Suddenly, the “cheese” runs out and the mice and men are left to figure things out on their own. “Cheese” here is a metaphor for whatever you may hold dear in your life. It could be your dream job, your car, your house, your girlfriend or whatever. Now the question is, when your “cheese” gets moved, what do you do? 

The story teaches us that we can sometimes dwell, pout, cry or be angry when our “cheese” gets moved. We have a tendency to think that we “deserve” that “cheese” and we worked hard for it so we shouldn’t do anything else. On the other hand, the simple minded mice simply move on and look for new cheese. They don’t whine, throw tantrums or get caught up in nasty emotions. They just continue with life.


Excerpts from the book Who Moved My Cheese: 

  • Change happens; they keep moving the cheese.
  • Anticipate change; get ready for the cheese to move.
  • Monitor change; smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.
  • Adapt to change quickly; the quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.
  • Move with the cheese.
  • Enjoy change; savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese. 
  • Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again (and again).
  • They keep moving the cheese!

 

I only have three rating scales –

1. Must read
2. OK read but you’ll live without it
3. Don’t bother

This book, “Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr. Spencer Johnson,  is  a MUST READ. It will change your life in a positive way! Change is a part of everyone’s life. Mastering it with this book will be an important part for our personal growth. 

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