Gilbert carefully organizes his 21 strategies within four Parts: Rainbows After the Rain (i.e. viewing "failure" within an appropriate context from the right perspective), Wisdom for Young and Old (i.e. leveraging knowledge from failure to gain wisdom), Shatter the Glass Ceiling (i.e. replacing a fear of failure with an appreciation of benefits to be derived from what it reveals), and Free to Live and Love (i.e. how to "fail in love" and thereby nourish an "active faith"). I hope my parenthetical i.e. comments do not incorrectly suggest that Gilbert advocates a soft-headed, "feel good," "You can do it!" approach. On the contrary, make no mistake bout it, he fully understands how difficult it is to overcome negativism and despair with positive, affirmative values. As he candidly acknowledges in this book, it took him years to do so. His own journey to success continues. His life remains a "work in progress," as is everyone else's.
Throughout the book, Gilbert includes dozens of especially relevant quotations (from diverse sources as Thomas Edison, S.I. Hayakawa, Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey, Robert Allen, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Benjamin Franklin) which help to illustrate as well as support the key ideas with which he concludes each chapter. Some readers may be uncomfortable with Gilbert's frequent references to basic tenets of his Christian faith. Frankly, I commend him for sharing them. His purpose is to place proper emphasis on spiritual values whatever each reader's religious faith (if any) may be. Those captive to mediocrity tend to be self-preoccupied and frequently view themselves as victims of forces over which they have little (if any) control. Connors, Smith, and Hickman have much of value to say about this in The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability. One of the most important assertions in this book is that each person not only can but should determine what her or his purpose in life is. Gilbert is totally convinced that each of us "is meant to succeed in life. It is our destiny." He goes on to quote Thoreau: "Men are born to succeed, not to fail." Gilbert is thoroughly convinced that success is a human birthright. It remains for each person to decide what to do with that birthright.
It is possible but unlikely that every person who reads this book will immediately embark on a journey to fulfill her or his human potential but several will. Some will then become discouraged because of a fear of failure, others because of a fear of success. The strategies which Gilbert shares obviously offer no guarantee of success but they do provide valuable perspectives on human nature which, I am convinced, will help many people to free themselves from self-imposed limits, to become more forgiving of themselves and therefore of others, to turn at least some stumbling blocks into stepping stones, to solve at least some problems, to overcome at least some obstacles, and to achieve at least some goals. Gilbert would be the first to insist that his own "journey" is still underway. Problems and obstacles await him as he proceeds.
There is no "right time" for anyone to embark on such a journey except now, this moment. That is a commitment only each of us can make. To those who have already embarked on that "journey," I join with Gilbert in wishing them bon voyage!
I can't say enough about how much Success Bound has helped me already. I am shy and I had let the fear of failure run my life.
BUT NO MORE . . . Randy Gilbert has completely changed that. I am finally on a path that is taking me to confidence and happiness.
All I can say to any of you who read this is, don't hestitate to buy and read Success Bound. I'm already happier than I have ever been and I'm looking forward to reading Randy's next book.
Signed,
Still shy, but no longer afraid of life.
The strategies given are insightful and can be practised by anyone willing to try. It is also a great reference book in that there are many topics and issues discussed where if you want to pursue them into more depth a book by another author is listed. I enjoyed the examples given about the author's own family, they make the book more personal to the reader.
Being 'pro-active' is now a key method for me that I can use for dealing with daily occurances and long range planning. Plus I have a whole new outlook on how I view and will handle failures in my life. They are no longer something to be dreaded and avoided.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for strategies to improve their life so it is more exciting, fulfilling and successful. For 'life long learners', this book would be a great addition to their library. It's not a book to read just once, but to refer back to and keep throughout one's life.
The simplicity which Randy is able to use by subscribing people's failure strategies is admirable in its plainness. And which more meaningful; you become aware of your own failure patterns by reading this fine book. I think - actually I am sure - I will become a success as an entrepreneur with the support of Randy Gilbert and his book. And I'm getting so excited that I want to spread Randy's message to every possible corner of the globe!