Hit SHIFT

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has been such a godsend, I clean forgotten it was written as a business book. Business book it may be, but Stephen Covey & his message connected immediately with a far broader audience.  

Some stats:  

• to date, it has sold over 25 million copies in 39 languages;  
• the audio book - my introduction - has sold over 15 million copies; it remains on of the all-time best selling nonfiction books of ANY sort;  
• in 2011, Time magazine named it one of "The 25 Most Influential Business Management Books."  

And easily near the top of the books that influence my life.

Stephen Covey starts with a simple premise ~ the best way to effectively achieve goals is by aligning ourselves as much or more with our core values & principles as we do with our perceived desire.  In his view, character counts most over the long run.  The simplicity & clear relevancy of his seven habits made me feel like thwacking the side of my head for being such a dunderhead. His discussion on the concept of Paradigm Shift practically had me drive to the side of a very busy interstate just to pay full attention.  I'd never thought about how my life reflected a perspective or viewpoint.  And when I heard him explain how two people can see the same thing & yet see it in two completely different ways - well, I'd believed that since I was ten, and here was someone saying, "Yes! That is true!"  

Two of the most conflicting perspectives are abundance mentality and scarcity mindset. Again, had never really thought about that, but on hearing it, let out a loud inner YES!  My Inner Unrepentent Pollyanna immediately warmed to the concept of abundance mentality, living without a net because you know you'll be safe, experiencing life as a blessing.  

The reverse - scarcity mindset - makes folks hold onto resources with a tight grip, rather than sharing.  It cripples them by being so worried possible loss that they miss any joy in the present.  

Strange but true - neither abundance mentality nor scarcity mindset have anything to do with your money or level of success, yet define our sense of prosperity or lack.    .    

Looking back at my life so far, can see that friends who believed there would be enough resources & success to pass around were the ones who felt accomplished in their lives, had a sense of prosperity. even when they didn't have immense wealth.  Sadly, I can also see how friends burdened with a scarcity mindset - who believed there's always a loser, that life is a struggle, burdened with limited resources - felt, on every level, a gnawing sense of deprivation..

The concepts of abumdance mentality and scarcity mindset have been discussed so much over the past 24 years, by so many authors, as to now seem almost trite, but the reason them seem trite is because they are right.  And are just as relevant today as they were in 1989.

So, what are these seven habits of highly successful people? 

“Two people can see the same thing, disagree, and yet both be right. 

It's not logical; it's psychological.”

Stephen R. Covey