Antonio Gonzalez Barros (from Intercom), has the very kind habit of sharing the fragment and a brief comment of some book that has seemed interesting to him, every Monday morning at first light. That is how I met «Peaks and Valleys", in the form of a short review of an interesting book, which arrived in my email from my former boss.
I found the review interesting and the author, Spencer Johnson (author of "Who Moved My Cheese?«, «The Present«, «The executive by the minute» and so many other good books), I know I like it and that it offers in an entertaining (albeit parabolic) way good advice both on a personal and business level. So last week, on one of my visits to my usual bookstore in search of Science Fiction, I decided to buy it. The book can be read in a couple of hours or less.
The author presents life as a continuum of peaks (good times) and valleys (not so good times) and reflects on the cause-effect relationship between the two. To write this review I will use as a basis the summary made by the author himself, in the final pages of the book, and I will add my comments on it (in parentheses and in italics).
USE YOUR PEAKS AND VALLEYS AT WORK AND IN LIFE, TO MANAGE YOUR GOOD AND BAD MOMENTS.
Make your reality your ally. Whether you are temporarily at the top of a Peak or at the bottom of a Valley, ask yourself: What is the truth in this situation?
(The author places special emphasis on the need to correctly perceive reality and not create our own world. Asking ourselves what the underlying truth is in each situation is the key to solving it.)
TO LEAVE A VALLEY EARLIER…
Find and use the hidden good in a bad moment. Calm yourself, because you know that the Valleys are not eternal. Do the opposite of what brought you to the Valley. Get out of yourself: be more helpful at work and more loving in life. (I think this is crucial advice for getting through a bad moment… stop focusing on yourself and focus on others. It never fails and is also very satisfying.)
Avoid comparisons. Find out what is good hidden in a bad moment and use it to your advantage quickly. (This advice is especially important, comparisons lead to envy and fear... and as we know and the Benejeserit of Dune affirm well:fear clouds the mind«. Instead of yearning and fearing, it is better to concentrate on seeing the good hidden in every moment and use it to your advantage.)
TO STAY LONGER ON A SUMMIT…
Value and manage your good times wisely. Be humble and grateful. Do more of what got you there. Keep making things better. Do more for others. Save for your next Valleys.
(… how many times have I lacked humility… I can’t count them on the fingers of one hand… or even on two, for that matter. Anyway…)
TO REACH YOUR NEXT PEAK…
Follow your perceptive vision. Imagine yourself enjoying a better future with details so specific and plausible that you will soon enjoy doing what will get you there.
(This is another great tip that I put into practice whenever I can, and that I recommend to both students and friends: Visualize where you want to go, the mere fact of doing so shows you how you can get there and makes the path much easier. There is nothing worse than drifting and hoping that chance or luck will lead you to a safe harbor. In this sense, there is another of these books with a yellow and blue cover that can also be useful to us: "Good Luck" by Fernando Trías de Bes and Alex Rovira.)
TO HELP PEOPLE…
Share it with others! Help people to make the good and bad times beneficial to them.
(Comments are unnecessary)
In short, it is a highly recommended book, which in 90 pages can help a lot in these times of crisis when more than one person is stuck in a valley, so it is worth making the small investment in time that it takes to read the book and then have 3 or 4 more hours to reflect on what you have learned, notebook in hand, and draw up a plan.
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