Sometimes the words of wisdom that change our lives are not spoken by someone we know but written by an author whom we probably will never meet in person.
Jack Canfield, coauthor of the mega-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, knows all about the power of the printed word — he frequently receives letters from readers telling him how much his books mean to them. He decided to ask other successful people whether a book had changed their lives. Here are some of their inspiring stories, including his own…
Life After Life by Raymond A. Moody, MD.
One of my college professors lent me Life After Life by Raymond A. Moody, MD. The book’s author had discovered a compelling pattern when he studied the stories of people who had survived near-death experiences. Many reported that they were transported through a dark tunnel toward a “being of light” that loved them unconditionally. Some of these people on the edge of death said that they were asked two questions by this being — “What wisdom have you gained from this life?” and “How have you expanded your capacity to love?” I came to view these two questions as the final exam for life, and they have directed my life for more than 30 years.
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, PhD.
In 1966, Lou Holtz was not yet a famous national championship–winning college football coach. He was unemployed, and his wife had to take a job to pay the family’s bills. During this bleak time, his wife gave him the motivational book The Magic of Thinking Big. The book suggested getting back in touch with one’s dreams by writing a list of goals. Holtz took out a piece of paper and wrote down 107 goals, ranging from lofty career objectives to flights of fancy, such as “travel the ocean in a submarine.”
From the moment Holtz made that list, he felt like a participant in his life rather than a spectator. Four decades later, he still has the list — and he has checked off 102 of his 107 entries, including traveling in a submarine.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.
Before 1971, singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins’s interests barely extended beyond his music, but he found that he felt anxious much of the time. Then he started reading Siddhartha, a novel about a young man in India on the path to enlightenment. Loggins stopped feeling anxious and felt calmer than he ever had felt before. When he reached the final page, he immediately started reading the book again.
Siddhartha helped Loggins adjust his core philosophy from “I’m cool” to “serve others.” He discovered that the more he thought about the needs of other people, the better his own life became. Loggins was at peace for the first time and now cared about other people. Consequently, he was better able to connect with his audience, and his career improved as well.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.
Farrah Gray grew up in extreme poverty in a Chicago ghetto. At age 11, he read The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, which helped him become a millionaire by age 14. The book proposed the “Law of Least Effort” — the idea that the best way to find great success is by doing something that does not feel like hard work. Because these things seem easy and enjoyable to us, we are likely to be good at them.
Gray considered this advice and decided that what seemed least like work to him was cooking and spending time with other kids. He launched Farr-Out Foods, a company that produced foods targeted to young adults. Farr-Out Foods took in more than $1.5 million in sales by the time Gray turned 14, and at age 15, he sold the company to a large food conglomerate for more than $1 million.
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.
Catherine Oxenberg had a role on the popular TV show Dynasty during the 1980s, but by 1991, she was a single mother suffering from bulimia, with a fading Hollywood career. Then she read a novel called The Power of One, the story of a young boy living in South Africa during World War II. The book explored how one person can have a profound effect on another person’s life, even if their paths intersect only briefly.
It struck Oxenberg that when she was 13, someone had touched her life in this way. Actor Richard Burton, then engaged to Oxenberg’s mother, H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth Jelisaveta of Yugoslavia, had treated young Catherine wonderfully. He had acted in her home movies and spoken with her as if she were an adult. Burton helped boost Oxenberg’s confidence. After reading The Power of One, Oxenberg realized that this confidence was still inside her. She overcame her eating disorder and made a commitment to take charge of her future.
Scripts People Live by Claude Steiner.
Jim McCann was a student at John Jay College in New York City when a professor suggested that he read Scripts People Live. The central message of the book was that the quality of our lives is determined by our relationships. Giving to others, Steiner wrote, makes us richer. McCann gave it a try and discovered that Steiner was right — the more love and compassion he gave to others, the richer his own life became.
McCann eventually opened a chain of flower shops and found that even in the business world, caring about others is the secret to success. He tries his hardest to love and be loved by his customers and to encourage his employees to love one another. McCann’s business eventually grew to become 1-800-FLOWERS.com, one of the nation’s most successful flower companies.
