Books

Self-help guru on learning

By Brij ⋅ May 27, 2007 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Robin Sharma belongs to the new breed of self-help gurus. Fully comfortable with the new social media to spread his mantra. Right down to the blog and podcast.

Gurus like Robin Sharma and Anthony Robbins are what you can call 24-Hour-Fitness equivalent to Bertrand Russell’s marathon pace philosophy. They offer Schopenhauer-to-go and provide life’s HowTo which can appeal to Myspace generation.

Sample this chapter from Robin Sharma’s latest book - The Greatness Guide. (This one goes out to all family kids. I have been trying hard to get them on 3 book per week diet. It’s not easy.)

There’s a cure for aging that no one talks about. It’s called learning. In my mind, as long as you learn something new each day, stretch your personal frontiers and improve the way you think, you cannot grow old. Aging only happens to people who lose their lust for getting better and disconnect from their natural base of curiosity. “Every three or four years I pick a new subject. It may be Japanese art; it may be economics. Three years of study are by no means enough to master a subject but they are enough to understand it. So for more than 60 years I have kept studying one subject at a time,” said Peter Drucker, the father of modern management who lived until he was 95. Brilliant guy.

Last year, I had the joy of spending a couple of hours in conversation with Shimon Peres, the former Israeli prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner. He was nearly 82 at the time, and I couldn’t help but notice that his eyes actually sparkled as he spoke of his love of books, big ideas and learning. I asked: “Mr Peres, when do you read?” His reply: “Robin, when don’t I read? I read when I get up in the morning, when I can do during the day and every single evening. Most of my weekends are spent reading great books. Books are my constant companions.” He then added with a smile: “If you eat three times a day you’ll be fed. But if you read three times a day you will be wise.”

Too many people never pick up a book after they’ve finished school. Unbelievable. Too many people spend more time watching TV than getting deep inside the minds of the greatest people who have walked the planet. Too many people have closed their minds to new insights and powerful thoughts. One idea discovered in one book can change the way you see the world. One idea read in one book could transform the way you communicate with people. One idea found in one book could help you live longer or be happier or drive your business to remarkable success. Never leave home without a book in your hand.

There is nothing in the above chapter which is unique or truly original idea but I know if I tell my cousins to read books they will just ignore it. So I am just referring them to modern day guru.

On my reading list I have two interesting books right now. Carly Fiorina’s Tough Choices, biographical stuff full of inspirational struggles in corporate America. I didn’t know she started her career as a receptionist at real estate broker firm in Palo Alto. What a success story. Who knows choices she made are now helping HP.

Another one is Frank Luntz’s linguistic self-help on what words to use to succeed in modern public life. Two chapters in this book and I know why GOP is constantly kicking Democrats butt. Luntz-speak is straight talk. Very useful.