One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard

I got this habit of listening to audio book while travelling or waiting in line. Most of the audio books I got are self-help books that are light and easy to finished. The last audio book I’ve finished is Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson’s The One Minute Manager.

The book discussed three things:

• One Minute Goal Setting
• One Minute Praisings and
• One Minute Reprimands

I particularly liked the section about the One Minute Reprimand. It reminds me some clear and simple approach in managing others. It emphasizes that you can be strict and firm with people, but also let them know that you still think they are a valuable part of the team. The concept of reprimanding others is you do not target the people, you target their behavior. One Minute Goal Setting explains the importance of setting clear goals. One Minute Praising is helping people reach their full potential by catching them doing something right and encouraging them to do more of the same.
This book is recommended for anyone who wants to be a good leader and for anyone who wants to know how to treat others well in the workplace and in life.

Quotes from the book:

“People who feel good about themselves produce good results.”

“Help people reach their full potential; Catch them doing something right. “

“The best minute I spend is the one I invest in people. “ “Everyone is a potential winner. Some people are disguised as losers, don’t let appearances fool you.”

“We are not just our behavior; we are the person managing our behavior.”

“Goals Begin Behaviors, Consequences Maintain Behaviors.”

Quotes: Peaceful Warrior

Here are some inspiring quotes from the movie Peaceful Warrior based on Dan Millman’s book “Way of The Peaceful Warrior”:

• “The first realization of a warrior is not knowing.”

• “A warrior acts, a fool reacts.”

• “Don’t pin your success on outcomes.”

• “Every action has it’s pleasure and it’s price.”

• “There is no starting or stopping – only doing.”

• “Take out the trash from what’s inside your head.”

• “There’s no greater purpose than service to others.”

• “Make every move about the move — that one moment in time.”

• “There is never nothing going on. There are no ordinary moments.”

• “Some people live their whole lives without ever waking up..”

• “It is the journey that gives us happiness, not the destination.”

• “Death isn’t sad. The sad thing is: most people don’t live at all.”

• “Where are you? Here. What time is it? Now. Who are you? This moment.”

• “Sometimes you have to lose your mind before you come to your senses.”

• “Don’t fall into the trap — If only I had this, I’d be … If only … , I’d get to be happy.”

• “The ones who are hardest to love are usually the ones who need it the most.”

• “Knowledge is not the same as wisdom. Knowledge is knowing, Wisdom is doing.”

• “A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does.”

• “People are not their thoughts, they think they are, and it brings them all kinds of sadness.”

• “There is no better, you will never be better. Same way you’ll never be less than anybody else.”

• “I want you to stop gathering information from the outside and start gathering it from the inside.”

• “Habit is the problem. All you need to do is be conscious about your choices and be responsible for your actions.”

• “Every action has its price and its pleasure. Recognizing both sides a warrior becomes realistic and responsible for his actions.”

• “A warrior is not about perfection or victory or invulnerability. He’s about absolute vulnerability. That is the only true courage.”

• “Everyone wants to tell you what to do and what’s good for you. They don’t want you to find your own answers, they want you to believe theirs.”

• “If you don’t get what you want, you suffer. And even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold on to it forever.”

• “When you feel fear. Use the sword, take it up here and cut the mind to ribbons, slash through all those regrets and fears, anything else that lives in past or the future”

• “Life has three aspects: Paradox, Humor, and Change.

1. Paradox: Life is a mystery; don’t waste time figuring it out.
2. Humor: Keep a sense of humor, especially about yourself. It is a strength beyond all measure
3. Change: Know that nothing stays the same.”

The Choice by Og Mandino

After reading “The Choice” and “Secrets For Success And Happiness” I’ll be reading 3 other books of Og Mandino: “The Greatest Success in the World“, “The Greatest Miracle in the World“, and “The Return of the Ragpicker“. These books arrives yesterday at our office and I am really excited to start reading them. But before that, I just want to write a bit of review to one of Og Mandino‘s books that I already read – “The Choice”.

“THE CHOICE“ by Og Mandino

This story chronicles the life of Mark Christopher, as he transforms himself from the “Mr. Success” of the corporate world into becoming a writer to pursue his passion. His dreams come true beyond his wildest expectations, and then the unthinkable happens. Og Mandino explores what lies beyond the golden doors of success, fame and wealth, and reveals for us the most precious commodity of all: the freedom of choice.

This book made me realize the importance of following our dreams and our heart, regardless of what the people around us think we should be doing with our life. We do not simply react to our surroundings, we have a choice. We can choose our response, we can choose our actions, we can choose our attitude, and therefore, we can choose our own future.

If you are looking to step out of your own comfort zone and pursue your true dreams, then this is the book for you!

Quotes from “The Choice“:

“Every day all of us make hundreds of choices, most of them so menial and habitual that they are almost as automatic as breathing.”

“Choice! The key is choice. You have options. You need not spend your life wallowing in failure, ignorance, grief, poverty, shame and self-pity! There is always a better way to live!”

“…when one’s avenue of retreat is cut off there is only one way to go–forward.”

“Those who live in unhappy failure have never exercised their options for the better things of life because they have never been aware that they had any choices!”