Clinton Skakun

Why do some entrepreneurs, in the people business, who can barely speak English make $500,000 a year when there are so many perfectly spoken individuals who work on their business and barely make enough to survive?

How do high school drop outs turn into billionaires and smart, high IQ, college graduates leave, and 3 years later still don’t have a steady job?

What makes a person with mental disabilities smart enough to write literature that stands the test of time while other perfectly normal writers can’t capture interest of their readers.

What makes a salesperson who sells a mediocre product in the worst economy wealthy when there are other people who can’t sell free liqueur to alcoholics?

Does every great business start off with a 50-page proper format business plan?

Is conventional wisdom merely opinion, in a world were many opinions work and multiple points of views are right? If you look at a piece of paper from the thin side, and I look at it from the flat side? Who’s point of view is right?

What makes the least of us the greatest, and the greatest the least?

We Idolize Our Heros and Role Models, And Are Surprised When They Reveal That They’re Human Like Us!

Tiger Woods is a good example of this. We expect our role models to be totally transparent and to act in complete integrity. When they slip up and say the wrong thing or are caught doing something out of character or what the public suspects, we feel let down and disappointed.

But why do we let this surprise us? Haven’t YOU ever slipped up, compromised on your integrity just a little and gotten your hand caught in the cookie jar before? Maybe just once? Honestly, maybe more than once? I’ve been there, you’ve been there.

I’m not by any stretch condoning the Tiger Woods scandal or making out that what he did wasn’t morally or socially wrong. But, do I look at him as much less a human being than we was before? Maybe, maybe not.

Or what about Tony Robbins, world renowned Best Seller personal development and performance coach, who became divorced around in 2001. Robbins has worked with and has been payed millions by everyone from world-class athletes and CEOs of corporate giants to great musical artists and philanthropists. Did everything Tony Robbins say in his Best Selling books, audio CDs and tapes, seminars and courses get thrown out the window the second he got a divorce? It goes back to this thing about being human.

The Lie Of Perfection: Man Kind’s Illusion Of Successful People

Lately I’ve been amazed by how human many of my role models are. Some how when one man or woman writes a best selling book, or speaks on stage in front of thousands of people, makes lots of money and obtains any level of success we turn them into gods. It seems that they can do no wrong.

And then, we reach our small level of success and expect to feel different. Now, like we expect to be gods. Doesn’t happen. Even after you reach a level of success, you will still be who you are. You might be an award winning Olympic performer but are afraid of flying. You might be a billionaire, great at investing and money management, but you might not be great at speaking in front of people. Look at Richard Branson, multi-billionaire and owner of the Virgin brand companies totaling more than 25 billion in assets. Branson grew up with severe learning disabilities and admitted that, even later on in his career, he didn’t know the difference between net and gross income.

We can learn a lot from imperfect people who have made their mark in the world.

Why Some Of Us Never Speak Up Or Feel That We Have Anything Important To Say:

We create a picture in our minds of how things SHOULD be and scare ourselves out of TAKING ACTION until we’re perfect at what it is we’re shooting for. This fear is fear of failure and fear of criticism. There are a lot of people out there that will criticize us about things that really don’t matter.

From researching high achievers we can conclude that they don’t make it a habit to follow the rules, or do it right the first time. They often time don’t give a damn what people think and laugh at people who tell them they can’t do something that seems impossible.

Be Great, But Not At Everything!

To be great at everything is to be great at nothing. There’s not enough time to perfect each and every area of our lives. Chose a few things you want to “major” in and pour your heart into the few.

Parting Words

We all want to be great at everything. Great employee, great at finances, great at drag racing, hockey and home repairs. We want perfect health, perfect looks and drive the nicest car on the block. We have a “list” of what we look for in a perfect mate. Want to live a perfectly balanced life, have great communication skills and like to believe that our opinions are right. Seriously, I think we’d all enjoy life much better if we weren’t as picky and just threw up our hands once in a while and said, “let the chips land where they may. THIS is important to me. However THIS is less important. These are my goals and as for the rest…I’m open to surprises.”

This might touch a nerve if you’re a self-sacrificing “I don’t need money to be happy” type of person. Please, don’t take it personally. But if you get really mad at me, feel free to post a comment.

Here’s my take on greed. Greed is necessary for the growth of any free enterprise economy. I’m a big believer in the free enterprise system, and if you’re a socialist or have opposing views to capitalism, you’ll probably disagree with everything I have to say anyways. We’ve labeled greed as “BAD.” Yes, too much greed is bad. But listen, I have yet to meet a truly selfless person who wants nothing for themselves. Everyone wants something, and putting the label of “greedy” on people who happen to want some form of financial security is just plain good old BS!

Poverty is a choice. Just like any circumstance results from choice. You may have been born poor. I understand. But what we do to change who we are financially is our CHOICE.

Who we are and what we are right now, is our choice, and NO ONE else’s!

Listen, your shabby financial condition cannot be blamed on the government or social security or anything or anyone else. If you blame others for your poverty, I’m sorry, I’m sorry that you’re so delusional that you rely on someone else to take care of your financial responsibilities.

Further more, having more money for yourself does not mean some poor kid in Africa is going to starve any more than he did the day before. In fact, the more money you have the more ability you have to help these people. How about you look at it this way: some day, another poor kid in Africa will starve to death because you never had enough to give them, because all you had was enough to “pay bills” and look after yourself. How greedy is that?

People are dying of starvation because you can’t get your damn head around the fact that there are more important things in life than “paying bills” and pretending to be a saint, poor as a church mouse.

What about all the greedy rich people we see on TV? Yes, they exist! There are people out there who value money above people. The news likes to publicize these people quite a bit. Take my advice. Get your ass off the couch and go meet some REAL rich people. You’ll notice that these people aren’t money hungry vultures. They actually value people and give lots of money to charity. Where are these people? They’re all around you. They don’t all wear Rolex watches and drive Ferrari’s. Some of them live in average houses and drive Honda’s. Other’s drive BMWs. Why? Because they earned it.

If you judge rich people by what you see on TV, YOU’RE LIVING IN A FAIRLY LAND!

Poverty is usually the baby of fear and ignorance.

I read this short but inspiring post by Luay Rahil: Elevate your game.

He says…

“Elevating your game, performance, and your work should be your focus.”

“Stop dragging yourself out of bed, wake up. Stop washing your face, take a shower. Stop having fun, have a blast. Stop watching sport, play a sport. Stop having kids, raise them. Stop complaining about money, do something about it. Stop calling your parents, care for them. Do not drag yourself to work, go to work.”

“Celebrate life, and always take it to the second level.”

Elevate your game.

5 tell tail signs that you’re elevating your game:

1. You’re constantly “moving up” … and can look back over the past decade and point out your successes and breakthroughs.
2. You’re excited about your life on a regular basis and about improvement and breakthroughs.
3. You enjoy yourself more and more and things that used to intimidate you are now benefiting you.
4. Every area of your life is moving forward
5. You raise your standards often and aren’t satisfied to settle for less or settle for mediocre performance or results.

So what’s you’re life like right now?

Can you seriously say that you’re stepping up your game?

Do you feel stressed often, have head aches, or suffer from stress related health issues?

Are you stepping up your game in your emotions, your attitude, your career, your family life?

Are you the same old, dependable, same old average Joe or are you the crazy elusive guy or gal that’s always surprising people?

What about your leisure life? Are you working on the weekends or partying or taking some time off to rest?

Ho do YOU feel you can step your game up right now, at this stage of your life?

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them all.” – Henry David Thoreau

Since the beginning of 2009, I’ve read about 50 books on different subjects in the realm of self-help, business, time management, leadership, teamwork, relationships, blogging & social media and of course, finance.

Most people in my age group, (18-25) wouldn’t touch a book with a ten-foot poll. I find any kind of material on these subjects fascinating! How many more books will I read before next year? Most likely another 50-100. All the extremely wealthy people I look up to say they read at least 10-20 books a year. Most of the wildly successful people I know, read upwards from 40-50 per year. This is 500 by the end of the decade.

After being subjected to thousands of hours of material like this, and keeping such a commitment, you can’t possibly go on living without being effected in some major way.

From personal experience, I would say that reading has not only made me more knowledgeable but also it’s given clarity, a boat load of tools for personal change, and an understanding for “mysteries” in life most people repeatedly get wrong. Reading has given me an advantage over people who are in the dark about certain critical key areas. It’s a fact that you can’t out earn your personal development.

The following are 12 books that have changed who I am!

Believe me, this is a hard list. There are so many books out there that deserve to be on my top 12. And I’m sure within 3 years from now, I’ll have a whole new load of books to add to this list. Everyone who reads a lot has a top X list of books they feel have made a significant change in their life. Take Sid Savara’s list, The Best Personal Development Reading List. Sid has Og Mandino’s, Greatest Salesman in the World,  as one of his top reads. Or how about Vlad’s 6 Personal Development Books That Have Changed My Life. Many of the books on Vlad’s list are on mine as well. Henrik Edberg, a well respected blogger, has read 100’s of books and posted what he believes are the best of the best in the niche, 10 of My Favorite Personal Development Books. He has books by Wayne Dyer, Tim Ferris(author of 4-Hour Work Week) and Ekhart Tolle. We can cut down the time we waste on reading by finding the best of the best.

In time, we all create our own top 10, top 6, top 12 lists and eventually who we are and what we become rests upon what we constantly put into our minds.

1. The Magic of Thinking Big by David Shwartz

One of the first personal development books I ever read and continue to read to this day. Magic of Thinking Big teaches you how to change your attitude, think like a leader, build confidence and destroy fear. Magic of Thinking Big goes into everything from using a big vocabulary to dressing for success. A quick read that is simple enough to be understood by anyone at any age.

2. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

A thorough book of timeless principles covering priorities, empathetic listening skills, seeking first to understand before being understood, sharpening the saw. Covey talks about the importance of the inside-out approach and how centering your life around principles is a smart choice. One of the earlier of my personal development reads as well. A book that has helped me create a base for my philosophy for personal effectiveness and proactivity. Stephen R. Covey is probably one of the best authors in his feild. This book will change your view on life and prompt you take your priorities into careful consideration.

3. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

If there’s one book you MUST read on wealth and finance, it’s Think and Grow Rich. Even though this book was first published over 70 years ago, the timeless laws will continue to live on for centuries. Think and Grow Rich was based on the Law of Success, a 16 lesson course that goes into much more detail then the actual Think and Grow Rich book. The only reason why I don’t put Law of Success above this book is because I haven’t fully read it yet. If you plan on accumulating wealth sometime in your life, Think and Grow Rich needs to become a permanent cornerstone in your personal library.

Once you start reading the first few chapters, it will be difficult to put down. Napoleon Hill brings up some of the most intriguing topics I’ve ever read. For instance, the concept of the Master Mind group, something which I had heard about before but not understood. I have to admit, one of the highlights of the book was reading the chapter on Sexual Transmutation. This was an eye opener and got me researching how to channel sexual energy into getting more accomplished in one day than I usually could.

Napoleon Hill explains multiple other techniques such as visualization to direct your subconscious mind in guiding you to create wealth in your life. One of the most amazing books, especially for being over 70 years old.

4. The Power of Focus by Canfield and coauthors Mark Hansen and Les Hewitt

Jack Canfield is a well known author of the Best-Selling and largely famous Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Canfield and coauthors Mark Hansen and Les Hewitt became instant heros of mine after I finished reading this. Why did I put this book on my top 12? Well, because it just about one of the best books I can honestly say I ever read. One of the most thorough peaces of material on goal setting, strength finding and staying focused. I have never read such an eye opening book on focus and discipline. Power of Focus is a book you may want to read and re-read, at least every year. This could very well be a complete success manual, even if you never read another book in your life.

5. Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray

You might wonder why I list a relationship book as one of the best personal development books I’ve read. Well, because everyone who lives and breathes should read this over and over, own a copy and review it on a yearly basis. John Gray published Men Are From Mars almost 20 years ago and since then has been recognized as the “relationship guru.” Gray reveals some major differences between men and women in their communication and how major disputes and confusion can arise when we’re not aware of these differences. This is not a book on being a “pick-up-artist.” To be honest, relationships are ten times more important than one-night-stands. Pretty much all of us generally have an idea of how to get what we want as far as sex goes. Most of us are poor when it comes to relationships, of any kind.

Half way reading through Men Are From Mars, it dawned on me. If only they’d teach this to kids in High School. If only we were educated to handle relationships (add finance on top of that), education would be worth something.

Men Are From Mars is not only for couples. It can also be a helpful guide to understanding the differences between men and women and what each want and how they go about getting it. This is a great guide for every day life, and the work place, even for solving disputes or for better communication. If you don’t read another book on relationships, this is a good one to start with.

6. Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley

Who are the rich, what do they look like? The Millionaire Next Door is a revelation of who rich people really are! For the most part, the book focuses on Self-Made Millionaires. Millionaire Next Door left me both, shocked and inspired. Stanley presents some surprising data revealing the real lives of the every day millionaire.

7. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

Another must read for wealth accumulation. T. Harv Eker’s 17 lessons of the difference between the rich and poor. “Rich people are committed to being rich. Poor people
want to be rich.” Eker explains that the definition of Poor and Rich people in the context his book are people who Think Rich and Poor.

8. Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Like, Think and Grow Rich, Win Friends and Influence People is another work of art published over 70 years ago that survived the test of time. Carnegie is known as the grandfather of all people skills, a well deserved reputation held long after his death. “Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated.”

I’m not going to tell you what Win Friends and Influence People covers or give you a run down. There are more online reviews on this book than most people have braincells. Carnegie has had a life long lasting effect on millions of people in the world for the past 70 years. This should be one of the first books you read as far as people skills are concerned.

9. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

My brother-in-law lent me Rich Dad Poor Dad when I was 17 and it inspired me to start building businesses. Though this book is simple, to the very depth of the word, it’s a book that should be a requirement for every child to read before they reach High School.

10. Built To Last by Jim Collins

If you’re serious about business at any level, whether you’re an MBA student, or just a regular Joe getting into entrepreneurship, this is a sound read. Jim Collins has authored other Best Sellers like From Good To Great and How the Mighty Fall. I suggest this as a good start to learning and researching the key factors in business longevity and what keeps successful giants successful over many centuries.

11. 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class by Steve Siebold

Mental toughness is the base of all great achievement and performance. Steve Siebold packs 177 lessons of high performing world-class individuals at all areas of life, whether sports or business, into this one invaluable masterpiece. 117 Mental Toughness Secrets is a road map for correct and clear thinking in your path to high performance and achievement in all areas of life. In short, Steve Siebold has created a profound and inspiring manual to mental toughness and higher thinking.There are few books out there that have the privilege of being an equal.

12. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell

Seriously, John C. Maxwell has published so many winning books on leadership, decision-making, ethics and everything else a leader should know that it’s hard not to put more of his books up here. The 21 Irrefutable Laws, The Law of the Lid, The Law of Navigation, etc, are the stepping stones to every great leader. Once you read 21 Laws, start on more of Maxwell’s books. Everything he writes has never failed to inspire me. His passion and love for teaching and leadership, and for helping other people change their lives shines through his work. Leaders at all levels and in all positions can benefit from his invaluable and unforgettable lessons on solid leadership. What did I learn from 21 Laws? Strong leadership is not an overnight process, it’s not a decade long process, it may even take you 30 or 40 years to develop yourself as a strong leader.

Concluding Words

Once I started getting into reading really good books I noticed something. My outlook on life, my thoughts, my attitude and the compass of my future, very slowly, started shifting in a new direction. Until a little while ago I never realized the profound impact this has had, not until I listened to something John C. Maxwell said about how books have changed his life, the way he thinks, talks etc etc. Zig Ziglar said, “if you don’t like your output, change your input.”

It’s impossible to dive into the minds of authors like Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, John C. Maxwell and not become effected in some way, shape or form. This list proves, there is no one book you should read. Hell, read ‘em all! Maybe you read an entire book, and only learn a few new things…but you learn one thing that changes your life forever.

“Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends.” – Dawn Adams