The Greatest Salesman in the World

Good Morning everyone! I hope you are all enjoying this lazy Sunday afternoon. Drumroll please.... time for my first post in quite a while. ^_^

Anyway, lets get down to business. I recently finished this book called The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino. It's not exactly a book about leadership, but then again I wouldn't say it is merely a book for sales people. Essentially, the book is a parable (with an overt Christian theme) which tells the story of a young boy, who is given the knowledge of 10 ancient scrolls. These scrolls contain the secret to becoming the Greatest Salesman in the world. I'll go over the main points of each scroll.

1. Today I am a new person and can make the choice to succeed. I will read these scrolls religiously, over and over again, everyday.
   
2. I will greet each day with love in my heart. - Love and respect others (your customers / your followers). You'll get ten times the love and respect back.
   
3. I will persist until I succeed. - Life is tough out there. Being a leader is also tough. But if you persist you can win!
4. I am nature's greatest miracle. - You are unique. Make the most out of your uniqueness, live everyday and your life to the fullest.
   
5. I will live this day as if it is my last. - Don't get caught up with guilt, the "I should haves, I could have, and I would haves." Also, don't get caught up with worrying about the future. JUST DO IT!
   
6. Today I will be master of my emotions. - Tony Robbins took this idea and ran with it. If you can master yourself, changing your state and looking at the positive, you can do anything.
7. I will laugh at the world. - Smile! Even if you are at the very bottom, things can only go up.
   
8. Today I will multiply my value one hundred fold. - The human mind is an amazing thing. A mountain of sand touched with human genius can become a super computer. Aim high, believe in yourself, and you will create wonders!
9. My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action. - Just do it! (and Nike please don't sue me).
   
10. Only for guidance I will pray, that I may be shown the way to acquire these things (gold, love, good health, fame success, happiness) and my prayers will always be answered. - Now, Og Mandino isn't specifically saying to pray to God (the Judeo-Christian god) but instead recognizing that people sometimes need something else. Something beyond just themselves and the visible world. No matter what this higher force might be, ask for guidance. This can very well be likened to "When the student is ready the teacher will appear." If we are caught up in the thoughts of "I want this!" we might never put our minds to "How can I get this?".
    

For such a small book, this is some heavy stuff. So let it sink in. Think about it. Actually, that is how this book works. It is an affirmation. Reading it over and over again. Saying the words out loud every day, will make an impact down in your subconscious.

This book has been out since the 60's. You can probably pick up a used copy for pretty cheap. (I bought a copy on Amazon for a penny - plus shipping). Check it out!!

Until next time,
-Jason