Ubah Maxwell
28 August 2008
book review
As Chris Widener, a popular American motivational speaker and author of note, once observed that those who succeed in life are those who walk through the doors of opportunity when it swings open; so also the secret of getting through the doors of opportunities form the main thrust of Ubah Maxwell's The Difference,(What Successful People Know And Do That Ordinary People Do Not).
In the book, Maxwell highlights some of the possibilities as well as the lessons that either account for the success or failure that most people record while journeying through life. He also articulates those factors or attributes that elude the knowledge and sensibilities of the common people, which, in turn, become the stepping stone to personal greatness.
Being a product of series of lectures delivered by the author on "The Secrets of Greatness", the book takes the reader through the symbolic eyes of a needle, exposing him to the hidden secrets of success in what the author calls 'the little things successful people know and do that ordinary people do not."
According to the author, while the essence of the book is not just to help the reader adopt the mind set, attitudes and positive behaviours peculiar to successful people, it is essentially meant to assist him to achieve personal greatness and translate his dreams into reality.
Divided into two parts; part one subtitled 'The Difference" enumerates several steps that the reader can take in order to achieve greatness in life, while part two, "Lessons from Failure" highlights those pitfalls that often account for some people's inability to succeed in life.
Especially, in part one of the book, the author takes the reader through the various steps that could lead to achieving greatness in life, otherwise known as "ten life transforming principles". These principles include; "The Potential Principle", 'A personal Sense of Mission', 'The Sense of Urgency', "Risk Initiative and Intuition" and 'The Responsibility Factor".
Others are; "An Opportunity of Mindset", "Life is a Just Employer' 'Skill, an Essential Ingredient", "Influence and Fulfilment" as well as "A New Definition of Success."
In each of these principles, the author highlights some of the unfamiliar secrets of succeeding in life. He submits that if these principles, as enumerated above, are strictly applied and adopted as a winning strategy, that successes are sure to follow suit.
The first step, he identifies as "the potential principle', urges the reader to learn to believe in one's abilities and potentials to make the difference, adding that the take-off point to greatness begins the moment one starts to see oneself from the perspective of one's potential.
Also, the author posits that except one possesses a clear sense of mission, the possibilities of succeeding in life is far from being a reality. Successful people, according to him, live with a sense of destiny. They are also people on a mission, who know that they are on earth for a divine assignment and purpose."
To succeed in life, the author argues that one must demonstrate the willingness to take risks, noting that, 'new oceans cannot be discovered until one is able to lose sight of the shore; to leave one's comfort zone and steps out in pursuit of greatness.'
But, part two of the book, subtitled, "Lessons from failures" also acquaints the reader with some of the notable pitfalls that account for people's failure in life. As identified by the author, one of the pitfalls is the dependent on one's talent, which, he argues, does not guarantee success. Another pitfall, according to the author, is a situation where people work in the wrong direction, prefer to live a life of convenience and fear of facing the uncertainties of life.
Like other notable motivational materials, Maxwell's The Difference... is expository, even as a great lesson in the errors of failure. It provides the reader with a potent power of knowledge to conquer the barriers of impossibilities to one's personal journey to success.
Title: The Difference (What Successful People Know And Do That Ordinary People Do Not)
Author: Dr. Ubah Maxwell
Year of Publication: 2008
Pagination: 134 pages
Reviewer: Benjamin Njoku
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
