The Go-Givers (Book Review)

A month ago Rou gave me a gift that changed my life forever.

She introduced me to read the book "The Go-Givers".

It is written by Bob Burg and John David Mann that presents a new approach to success and fulfillment in business and in life.

At its core, the message of "The Go-Giver" is about the power of giving and the idea that focusing on what you can give, rather than what you can get, is the key to achieving true success and creating a positive impact in the world.

It is a short read relating a fictional story on how a young and ambitious, yet stressed-out salesperson named Joe, meet his mentor Pindar, a successful businessman who teaches him his secret of success.

He then introduced him to 4 different individuals who embodied the go-giver philosophy.

Book In Three Sentences

1. Giving is the key to success, changing the mindset from how I can get to how can I serve.

2. It has 5 laws of stratospheric success - giving more than you receive, aim to touch as many lives as possible, putting other people’s interest first (cultivating true relationships), being authentic and staying open to receive.

3. Giving is not to be used as a tactics or getting something in return, but as a way to live a fulfilling life.

How It Changed Me

1. Before, I put all my relationships on the balance sheet. If I offer any goodwill, I expect to get it back. However, I give myself leeway of receiving goodwill endlessly without reciprocating. It is very hypocritical. Now I learn to be generous and just give.

2. I learn to be appreciative of friends and close ones who are generous and attempt to be more giving myself.

3. A relationship requires me to put the others before me. Like treating Rou’s happiness more important than my own. It is the direction of unconditional love, like the ones we have for our kids.

4. Being genuine and more giving is a way of living for a happier life.

5. It resonates deeply with me to begin a new life focusing on serving others first. It definitely helps with my self-esteem. Instead of thinking about what others will think about me and comparing myself with others, I focus on what I can do for them.

6. I naturally think the worst of others. What you focus on is what you get. Focus on their good.

7. We were so focused on saving money and being calculative that we missed out on what is the most important in life. Relationships and many are time bounded. Like our parents may pass on anytime due to their age and health, the childhood of our lovely children and we never know when we will die. I am not saying that we should splurging like no tomorrow, we allow us to spend on our loved ones generously to have memorable experience that we will not regret having.

Summary

5 Laws of Stratospheric Success

1. Law of Value: You true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment. Aim to give more value than you get paid for your product or service.

2. Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. Your product or service should impact the life of as many people as possible.

3. Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first. To create a positive impact on others, put others' needs first rather than your self-interest.

4. Law of Authenticity: The most value gift you have to offer is yourself. Don't pretend to be others. Let people see the real you and let your values show.

5. Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving. Be ready to accept gifts, be it good wills, opportunities or financial rewards.

Highlights

• What you focus on is what you get. If you see good in people, the beauty emerges.

• Sometimes it feels stupid to do good or things that matters. Just do it anyway.

• Network is made up of people who know you, like you and trust you.

• To build an army of ambassadors who are personally invested in seeing you succeed, you need to stop keeping score.

• Keeping a scorecard is not a friend, it is a creditor.

• Win-win is just a disguised way of keeping track.

• Being generous is being attractive.

• Enlightened self-interest - help enough people get what they want and you will get everything you want.

• Appreciate means rising in value. When you appreciate someone, you appreciate too. If you don't, you depreciate.

• True love is that when you put their happiness above your own.

• Be genuine. Be yourself.

• Give to receive. What goes around comes around.

Let's keep it short. See ya peeps.