Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters (Paperback)

Unfortunately, the way these principles are packaged didn't help me to do something constructive with them. The writing style and the examples activated a skeptic attitude in me. As the author acknowledges on page 25, there is a serious risk that you'll start challenging every word he writes.

So what exactly is my critique? First, if you're not an Oprah fan, the first 10 pages of this book will put you off reading the rest. Secondly, the author gives the impression he has invented the wheel (yes, one still can invent the wheel, a Canadian even showed that one can PATENT the wheel in 2001!). Of course, as the author writes, he collected the principles to learn from elsewhere. Unfortunately, often the original versions are more precise than what you'll find here. Yet, it is difficult to check that, given there is no reference section in the book, and only a few of the sources get cited. (Hint: look at books based on NLP).

To me, this book mostly proves that being on Oprah's show will help your book to "make it". In fact, I wonder who would have known about this book if the author wouldn't have been connected with Oprah (if you didn't know that, the author will spend at least 5% of the book explaining you that).

My conclusion? If you buy this book, I hope you will walk away with the principles. Given my critique, I have no clue how big your chances are. If you are living in the U.S., *VERY* found of Oprah, and willing to do the assignments the author gives you, this book may fit you. Otherwise, better look elsewhere...

Life Strategies is a book about becoming aware of how to make more progress in your life, then setting better goals for yourself, and establishing the plans needed to implement those plans.

The book opens with an introduction that features Oprah Winfrey's famous battle against a law suit about her reporting about Mad Cow disease in the beef industry, and how the author encouraged her to keep fighting. Chapter one links Oprah's challenge to the readers by pointing out the mental attitudes that stall progress like denying the problem, not checking your assumptions about the situation, being paralyzed by fear, and taking on a false front or colors. In chapters two through eleven, you will learn ten key lessons for improving your life (which I have outlined below). In chapter twelve, you will do an important self-examination that will be very revealing, and you will set your goals. In chapter thirteen, you will find the seven-step strategy for achieving your goals. In chapter fourteen, you will get help with planning how to implement those plans.

Many people complain about the references to Ms Winfrey in this book. I found them to be appropriate and helpful. If a powerful, persuasive person like her can feel overwhelmed, that validates that experience for us all. At the same time, seeing what she did to overcome that overwhelmed state is even more revealing. These references are mostly in the introduction and chapter one. So if you don't like that part, just follow the author's advice that there is power in forgiveness (law nine).

In the first chapter on getting real, the two assignments are noteworthy. The first asks you to challenge your beliefs that relate to places where you have not admitted or acknowledged them. The second asks you to write down what you will say to yourself to justify not changing after reading Life Strategies. As you can see, this is tough love. People in very fragile emotional circumstances may find this to be too much. They should seek professional help. If you find yourself like a bug on a cork floating in the wrong direction in life's stream, this book is probably for you.

To help you decide, let me tell you something about the 10 laws (which are listed also on the back of the jacket cover) and the strategies that take advantage of them.

Law one -- "You Either Get It, or You Don't" -- This is about understanding why people do what they do. The observations in the chapter are very valuable:

" . . . number-one fear among all people is rejection."

". . . number-one need among all people is acceptance."

"To manage people . . . protect or enhance their self-esteem."

"Everybody [has] . . . some concern about 'what's in it for me?'"

"Everybody . . . prefers to talk about things that are important to them personally."

"People hear and incorporate only what they understand."

"People like, trust, and believe those who like them."

"People often do things for other than the apparent reason."

"Even people of quality can be, and often are, small and petty."

"Everybody . . . wears a social mask. You must look beyond the mask to see the person."

Law two -- "You Create Your Own Experience" -- You need to accept responsibility for the choices you make that create those experiences you both like and don't like.

Law three -- "People Do What Works" -- Understand the payoffs you get from what you are doing now, and control the future payoffs to direct you where you want to go.

Law four -- "You Can't Change What You Don't Acknowledge" -- Notice what isn't working in your life and start changing that.

Law five -- "Life Rewards Action" -- Make careful decisions and then get busy implementing them.

Law six -- "There Is No Reality, Only Perception" -- Be aware of how you define what is happening to you, and change those definitions to more helpful ones.

Law seven -- "Life Is Managed; It Is Not Cured" -- Act like a doctor, not a patient.

Law eight -- "We Teach People How to Treat Us" -- Renegotiate to get what you want.

Law nine -- "There Is Power in Forgiveness" -- Free yourself of anger and resentment to get on with your life.

Law ten -- "You Have to Name It to Claim It" -- Set your goals, and attain them!

I am out of space or I would share more of the important lessons in this book with you. As someone who has done many self-help seminars and read many books in this area, I found this one to be the most helpful one I have read and used. BE SURE TO DO THE EXERCISES! Otherwise, you will get little benefit.

To get the most benefit, teach someone about this material after you have implemented it yourself. You will find more opportunities to improve.

Be the best person you can be with the best life you can have!