"Secrets of Success" by Deborah Schupack

This small companion packs a wallop helping readers, especially young ones, to seek the good and strive for their goals.

Given our state of the world today, we could use some uplifting. This small, but powerful, book can provide that uplifting whenever needed. To put it another way, words make a huge difference when quoted. Because of the unwilling "laziness" among today's people, it is us, ourselves, and many others, who still believe in hard work and living. You're looking at Secrets of Success, a book filled with quotes that remind you, the reader, about challenges in Life, adjusting your focus, thoughts and, if any, expectations. For some, that might not sound like much, especially since you can find such quotes online, but sometimes, a physical companion like this is needed and will always be by your side at any time without internet connection and excessive electricity usage.

This book need not be read from start to finish, though you can if you'd like. It starts with affirmation of "stars in the skies" and "stars in your eyes." After that, it presents real quotes from various public figures, from presidents to writers, sharing thoughts like what it means to live; what it means to work and achieve; and also, the quality of someone with goals and dreams. This all seems like near-common knowledge, but it's best to be reminded some time in your life. After all, what are your dreams/goals you hope to achieve? As someone whose ambitions started at a young age and teenhood, nothing disgusted me more than those with a low-brow, pessimistic mindset. Granted, not everyone can choose where they were born and raised in, but you can choose to work and change your environment/living situation. That's where this problem lies with most people: they're not willing to put in the work. With today's advent of internet, there's more than enough resources to work toward a better life, but they don't have the will nor the drive to do so. This amazing compilation of quotes may, or may not, be able in helping those in such situations, but for others, it will guide them; some of which will trigger one's thought processes reminding them about the realities of Life. Come to think of it, you've made it this far, what else do you plan to do?

Whether you're keen in the world of Astrology or not, this book wraps up with motivational quotes by each astrological sign. This is another tactic to run by your birth sign and figure out who you are in another way. Again, this may not sound like much to many, but it will for some. People approach life differently, and as mentioned earlier, words as thoughtful as these featured in this book would be enough to uplift those in a rough situation. Even though things have become more convenient for us, it still takes time to get the ball rolling, working in what you want to achieve. For that, we find this book to be perfect for young kids and teenagers, blinded by so much information and distraction to where they've forgotten what they should do with their lives. Life is not supposed to be easy, but that doesn't mean you deserve the unnecessary pressures placed upon you by family, friends, and/or society in general.

Past the middle of this book lies a section titled, "Against All Odds." These feature brief, factual synposes about famous figures who overcame their personal struggles, only to become successful through adversity and hard work—from Oprah Winfrey to J.K. Rowling. Let not the dreary pessimist bring you down, claiming "truth" to what they otherwise say about working hard: hard work does pay off. For that, results may not be immediate, but you will see it later.

A book like this is a great gift to young adults, and, if you're a teacher, also a great present for your student(s). Point being is to making the most out of Life while learning and getting through obstacles that stand in one's way. It is a sad state knowing that those my age, and older, still haven't gotten a slight clue in what they plan on doing; nor have they worked to achieve what they hope(d) for. Best not to lose a minute, let alone an entire day, and if one were passionate about what they want, they'd make time for it. Get to work, and may this book set your mind straight on what's ahead and get you going.

Kris Caballero

Founder of KCU Network and KCU Plus, Kris has been writing since he started blogging in late 2005. Officially back to doing computer programming, Kris enjoys reading books on Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Philosophy, plus playing old video/MS-DOS games, digital video archiving, listening to sports, public radio and classical music.

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