Paths To Success

Paths to Success

This book, Paths to Succeed, by Colin Turner was a pretty good read. It was a good book to get me motivated to think a little differently than I normally would. It reminded me a lot of the book that we had to read for our business seminar class, which is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I felt that most of the material in this book could be used on an everyday basis, and could be used to improve our outlook on the world, and how we go about doing our daily activities. This could apply to business, social situations, and every day errands.

This first chapter of this book was a good refresher for me on paradigm shifts and how people perceive certain situations. I liked how the author described a paradigm shift using the example of a chauvinist pig almost being hit by a woman driver who then yells "pig" at the male driver. Thinking that she is calling him a pig, he replies "cow". The woman was trying to help the man by saying that there is a pig in the middle of the road, but the man is so conditioned to thinking that he is being called a pig that he does not realize that she actually meant there was a pig. After the man hits the pig, he has an instant paradigm shift. I thought that this was a great example, and it helped me understand what a paradigm shift was a little better. The perception of the pictures in the book is also a review for me. Being a Psychology major, I have taken classes about the differences in perception, and how it can be influenced. I thought that the author did a very good job of explaining paradigms, paradigm shifts, and why these shifts are so important for society to change its views and perceptions.

In the second chapter, the author tells us a story about crows and eagles. All of the eagles are made miserable because of the merchant crows. The eagles live dull plain lives, and do not even fly anymore. One of the eagles decides that something is not right with their current situation. That eagle speaks up about his feelings, and is shunned by his peers. This does not bother the eagle because he knows that there is something better out there for him, and he just needs to find a way to get there. Finally, the eagle rediscovers his wings, and learns to fly again. He ends up living a carefree and happy life, while the other eagles are still stuck grounded, living their boring, plain lives. This story is just like entrepreneurship. If you know that there is something better out there, and if you just sit back and wait for it to find you, it won't find you. You have to put in the effort, and persevere, even if your ideas are ridiculed. At the end of the day, if you make that commitment, you can be flying above everyone else, just like the eagle.

After I read the section on self-actualization, I actually tried what the author suggested to do. The author says, "Ð'...Start by noticing how people are unaware of their movements". I sat down in the cafeteria and just observed other people and what they did when they were not paying attention to their body language. Then as I was eating, I observed my feelings as the conversations went on. I sat with mostly people that I am a good friend with, but a few that I do not know very well. Every time a person that I did not know as well asked me a question, I could feel myself getting a little tighter and more nervous. However, talking people that I am a closer friend with, I was more relaxed, and was able to be myself when carrying on a conversation with them. I am going to try to take the authors advice, and try to work on being more relaxed around people that I am not normally comfortable being myself around. That will not only help let others get to know me better, but it may also give the other people an opportunity to be more open to me, so they can be themselves around me. I like how the author says that you do not owe anybody an explanation of your behavior if you were real with him or her and be real with yourself.

There is a part in the book that says that we must know our strengths. We should develop