Book Review - Become Who You Were Born to Be by Brian Souza
Category Book Review
I enjoy reading motivational titles, and this is one that I enjoyed quite a bit... Become Who You Were Born to Be: We All Have a Gift. . . . Have You Discovered Yours? by Brian Souza. If you've read more than a couple of titles on life improvement, you will have seen much of what's in here. But the packaging and style is excellent, and readers new to the genre will benefit tremendously.
Contents:
Part 1 - Discover It: How This Book Can Change Your Life - My Story; Find the Fire Within; Are Your Life Patterns Holding You Hostage?; How to Give Meaning and Purpose to Your Life; Have You Been Listening to the Voice?; Discover the True You You Never Knew; What a Face-Lift Can't Hide; Discover Your Gift
Part 2 - Develop It: What Really Separates Winners from Losers; The Secret of Top Achievers; The Unglamourous Side of Becoming a Celebrity; Are Your Dreams on Life Support?; Avoid the Goal-Setting Trap; Develop Your Gift
Part 3 - Appreciate It: These Are Extraordinary Times; Has America Lost Its Way?; A Little Perspective; Avoid Premature Aging with One Word; Appreciate Your Gift
Part 4 - Use It: Learning to Deal with Change; For Better or For Worse; Confronting Life's Struggles; How to Face Your Fears; How You Can Succeed by Failing; Get Your Groove Back; Use Your Gift
Part 5 - Give It Away: Follow Your Compass; The Essence of Success; The Secret to Happiness, Joy, and Peace of Mind; Are We Here to Serve or to Be Served?; Give Your Gift Away
Bibliography
Souza looks at the "gift" process as a five step approach. First you discover your gift, then you work at developing it. Appreciating what you have to offer and actually using it comes next, followed by giving yourself away through the use of your gift. Each chapter deals with a discrete component of the process, and involves looking at the life story of someone who has excelled in that area. The chapter wraps up with an applicable quote, the person you should remember for inspiration, and questions to contemplate in relation to what you've just read. With a clear and engaging writing style, Souza pulls the reader in and the meat of the content becomes something that just makes sense.
What I appreciated most about the style of his book was the biographies of the particular individuals. Granted, in all the examples the outcomes are what you'd expect with hard work and perseverance. But I didn't get the feeling that I was reading "revisionist history" that so often happens when you read the life stories of well-known individuals. Souza makes it clear that many "overnight sensations" and people who have everything had plenty of hard times where it would have been very easy to give up (and I'm sure many others have). Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Warner are but two of many that overcame stacked odds and still succeeded. Seeing how others have struggled helps put your own situation in perspective.
This is one of those books that I'll be re-reading a number of times. No matter how many times you see this material, you are always adding new experiences to your application of it. A very enjoyable read, and one that pays dividends...
I enjoy reading motivational titles, and this is one that I enjoyed quite a bit... Become Who You Were Born to Be: We All Have a Gift. . . . Have You Discovered Yours? by Brian Souza. If you've read more than a couple of titles on life improvement, you will have seen much of what's in here. But the packaging and style is excellent, and readers new to the genre will benefit tremendously.
Contents:
Part 1 - Discover It: How This Book Can Change Your Life - My Story; Find the Fire Within; Are Your Life Patterns Holding You Hostage?; How to Give Meaning and Purpose to Your Life; Have You Been Listening to the Voice?; Discover the True You You Never Knew; What a Face-Lift Can't Hide; Discover Your Gift
Part 2 - Develop It: What Really Separates Winners from Losers; The Secret of Top Achievers; The Unglamourous Side of Becoming a Celebrity; Are Your Dreams on Life Support?; Avoid the Goal-Setting Trap; Develop Your Gift
Part 3 - Appreciate It: These Are Extraordinary Times; Has America Lost Its Way?; A Little Perspective; Avoid Premature Aging with One Word; Appreciate Your Gift
Part 4 - Use It: Learning to Deal with Change; For Better or For Worse; Confronting Life's Struggles; How to Face Your Fears; How You Can Succeed by Failing; Get Your Groove Back; Use Your Gift
Part 5 - Give It Away: Follow Your Compass; The Essence of Success; The Secret to Happiness, Joy, and Peace of Mind; Are We Here to Serve or to Be Served?; Give Your Gift Away
Bibliography
Souza looks at the "gift" process as a five step approach. First you discover your gift, then you work at developing it. Appreciating what you have to offer and actually using it comes next, followed by giving yourself away through the use of your gift. Each chapter deals with a discrete component of the process, and involves looking at the life story of someone who has excelled in that area. The chapter wraps up with an applicable quote, the person you should remember for inspiration, and questions to contemplate in relation to what you've just read. With a clear and engaging writing style, Souza pulls the reader in and the meat of the content becomes something that just makes sense.
What I appreciated most about the style of his book was the biographies of the particular individuals. Granted, in all the examples the outcomes are what you'd expect with hard work and perseverance. But I didn't get the feeling that I was reading "revisionist history" that so often happens when you read the life stories of well-known individuals. Souza makes it clear that many "overnight sensations" and people who have everything had plenty of hard times where it would have been very easy to give up (and I'm sure many others have). Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Warner are but two of many that overcame stacked odds and still succeeded. Seeing how others have struggled helps put your own situation in perspective.
This is one of those books that I'll be re-reading a number of times. No matter how many times you see this material, you are always adding new experiences to your application of it. A very enjoyable read, and one that pays dividends...
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