The Go-Giver

I was just thinking the other day about this brilliant little book that I was given to read by a friend of mine called, The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann. This little jewel can be read in the course of an afternoon. It reads much like a story, with lessons intertwined. The format reminded me of the book, The Celestine Prophesy, that I read many years ago, where the main character goes about doing his thing and a series of "coincidences" or "learnings" appear that teach the reader simultaneously with the character.

The thing that I really enjoyed about The Go-Giver was the way that the authors were able to craft an enjoyable story with the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success. These "laws" exact the components of very successful people, with the idea that if you apply these Five Laws, you can also become successful. So, here they are:

"THE LAW OF VALUE

Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

THE LAW OF COMPENSATION

Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

THE LAW OF INFLUENCE

Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.

THE LAW OF AUTHENTICITY

The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

THE LAW OF RECEPTIVITY

The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving."

~by Bob Burg and John David Mann

For a long time in my life, I held the belief that for me to be a good person, I needed to give, give, give and it wasn't necessary for me to receive (much). But, what happens when you do that is that you deprive other people of the joy of being able to give too. My former husband told me repeatedly that I was a really good giver, but a terrible receiver, and ultimately, it played a role in destruction of our marriage. Part of that equation was that he was a really good receiver... I suppose that was the attraction, the opposites attract phenomenon, until it got old for both of us.

It HAS to be reciprocal, cause when it's not, everything falls apart! So, when we go about our business, as well as, our personal lives, if we make a concerted effort to give more than we intend to receive, and yet still keep ourselves open to reception, the universe will cooperate and give, give, give! Both needs met simultaneously!

I encourage each of you to open yourself up to these five laws and explore how to fit them into your lives. Allow the success to follow, and ENJOY!