The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Dorothea Brand’

I decided to review The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper because it was one of  21 books that Ted Nicholas  read that changed his life. Ted Nicholas, a very successful entrepreneur and copywriter, has always stressed the importance of continuous learning. I like to read some of the books that accomplished people read to better understand them.

The Little Engine That Could is a children’s book, but its timeless  lesson teaches us what we can accomplish when we believe in our ability. It brought home the belief “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Because it’s a children’s book, it’s a very easy read and takes about 10 minutes to read.

The book is about a happy train that is loaded with toys of all kinds for children as well as some food stuff. On the way it breaks down, and it becomes very concerned about all the children who will not be able to play with the toys and eat all the goodies. Soon a train comes by and some of the toys cry out for help, but this “shiny new engine” is very self important, and a snob and remarks, “I pull you?  I am a Passenger Train. I have just carried a fine big train over the mountain, with more cars than you ever dreamed of….”

Another train came along and once again, the toys shouted for help, but the train shouted back that it was a freight engine. “I have just pulled a big train loaded with big machines over the mountain. These machines print books and newspapers for grown-ups to read….” Once again the toys felt let down. Another train chugged along, this time “an old and tired” looking one. The toys cried out for help, “But the Rusty Old Engine sighed: “I am so tired. I must rest my weary wheels.”"

The toys were very saddened and cried. Next a little blue train came along and once again the toys begged for help and explained their situation. The train explained that it was used only for switching trains in the yard. “The very little engine looked up and saw the tears in the dolls’ eye. And she thought of the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain who would not have any toys or good food unless she helped.”

Despite its small size, the little blue engine repeated the mantra “I think I can” over and over again and pulled the train over the mountain. When they arrived at the destination, The Little Blue Engine repeated “I thought I could. I thought I could….”

Five Great Ideas

1. We are our brother’s keeper
2. No one succeeds alone
3. Persistence pays
4. What would happen if we decided to succeed?
5. What would happen if we let others know that we believed in them?

This book reminded me of Dorothy Brande’s book Wake Up and Live, where she reveals that the formula for success is to act as if it were impossible to fail. Could we move mountains if we acted as if it were impossible to fail? This is a great book that teaches the simple lessons that “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again” and believe in yourself.

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Book Review of Wake Up And Live By Dorothea Brand

First published in 1936, WAKE UP AND LIVE! is a result of its author’s experience. After evaluating her life, Dorothea Brand realized that, like so many others, she was not living up to her true potential. She came across a formula for success – act as if it were impossible to fail – which transformed her life. A writer by trade, Brand’s output soared after her eureka moment.

In Wake Up And Live, Brand talks extensively about failure devoting four of the twelve chapters to it. Though so much time and emphasis is placed on failure, you do not feel overwhelmed while reading the book, but you get a better sense of what failure is – its many different faces – how it manifests in your life, and what to do to transform failure into success.

Brand presents her point of view by identifying the common denominators for those of us who are under the grip of the Will to Fail. She also provides three very different real life case studies to support her premise. ” There are still more obscure and unnoticeable ways of falling victim to the Will to Fail, ways to which introverts and extroverts are almost equally susceptible. Consider the innumerable persons, for instance, who deliberately undertake work which calls for only a small part of their abilities and training, and who then drive themselves over useless details.”

Her remedy for preventing failure and implementing the formula for success is for individuals to visualize or vision a past success, and get into that feeling state, so that when they are ready to undertake any endeavour, they can go back to that former state and experience success. When you get to the heart of what she is saying, a lot of what Brand says isn’t new, however, she presents the information differently, and as an added treat she provides us with 12 disciplines to help us to make our minds both keener and flexible and live successfully. Her 12 disciplines include: spend an hour everyday without saying anything except in answer to direct questions, learn to think for 30 minutes a day exclusively on one subject, talk for 15 minutes each day without using I, me, mine and my, before you enter a crowded room, pause at the door, and consider for a moment your relation to those who are in it, and plan two hours of a day and live according to the plan.

If we take the discipline of pausing before entering a room, the author’s intent is to train us to see all the possibilities in front of us, and the aim of the discipline pertaining to planning our day is to “give ourselves the experience of being under orders again, and second, to demonstrate how badly we lose our sense of time necessary to accomplish any stipulated activity.” When we master sticking to our plan for two hours, increase it to three and so on until we can stick to our plan for an entire day.

Five Great Ideas

1. Know thyself!
2. When undertaking any endeavour, act as if it were impossible to fail
3. Those who reach success are likely to be constant workers
4. No one can dictate another’s personal definition for success. Success may or may not include recognition from your peers, and greater financial rewards. Someone who is living responsibly, usefully, effectively, happily, and taking advantage of opportunities and natural gifts is a success
5. It is the sum of small things successfully done that lifts a life out of bondage to the humdrum

This book is worth reading to get yet another perspective on living a fulfilled life. Just practicing the 12 disciplines will allow us to wake up and live a more purposeful life. A small book at 182 pages of large print, Wake Up And Live is an easy read. At the very least, ask yourself, “What would I be doing in life if it were impossible for me to fail”?

Excerpt from February/March 2007 Ambeck Edge