Anything that reveals why people do what they do, or what moves us to act or not, fascinates me. That’s why reading or listening to motivational or success authors and/or speakers is something I’ve done most of my adult life. Sure some resources are better than others, but I always manage to learn at least one new thing that benefits my thinking, my perceptions, and hopefully my life. That’s why when I was offered a review copy of a new book by longtime author and speaker Brian Tracy, I said yes. Without a doubt the title intrigued me: Find Your Balance Point—Clarify Your Priorities, Simplify Your Life, and Achieve More. Doesn’t that sound SMART to you, too?
Of course I must confess I was skeptical. Brain Tracy has never been high on my list. While I never found his material objectionable—other speakers and authors seem to share similar information in a deeper, more interesting and dynamic way. But this time his book is co-authored with his daughter Christina Stein, and it carries both a great title and an enticing synopsis. With the caveat that I only provide honest reviews, I accepted the offer.
As background, the prolific Tracy has authored over 72 books (and he’s only 71!) as well as narrated over five hundred audio and learning programs that are available in 38 languages. Traveling the world speaking at hundreds of corporate events, his demand in the business world is legendary. Regardless of what I generally think of his material, absolutely no doubt remains that his popularity is impressive. And as an author, I fully appreciate the vast number of people he touches and inspires with his work.
On this project, Tracy and Stein have created a sort of commentary on issues that many of us struggle with while attempting to create a happy life. After reading this short book, here are what I found to be most interesting and thought-provoking.
- According to Tracy and Stein, each of us has a balance point where we feel in perfect harmony, grounded, happy, connected to others, and where our mind, body and spirit are in alignment. As Tracy and Stein say, your balance point is when “You feel at one with the universe.” While I’ve never thought about it exactly this way, I agree.
- Similar to living what I define as a SMART life, a balanced life is central our happiness and well-being. Finding it helps us avoid lives filled with too much to do, and feeling we have too little time to do it. On the other hand, having “false balance” throws people into addictions and over-consumption.
- Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or quick-fix. Finding and maintaining our balance point takes time and effort.
- Awareness and self-reflection are necessary for finding and maintaining our balance point. Tracy and Stein call this “clarity” and remind us that is essential in order to focus on and set our priorities.
- The authors are convinced that in order to arrive at your balance point you must be absolutely clear about your values. What are values? Stein and Tracy believe that values are the motivations that drive your beliefs, attitudes and actions.
- Tracy and Stein paraphrase two popular and powerful sayings that are good to remember. They say, “…you become what you think about most of the time,” and, “you don’t believe what you see, you see what you already believe.”
- Who you hang out with matters. Tracy and Stein boldly state that, “Fully 85 percent of your happiness will be determined by having the right people in your life.” While I too tend to believe this is true, I really wish they could have provided a reference behind this claim.
- We all need meaning and purpose to live a happy and fulfilled life. According to Tracy and Stein, “Each person craves connection to others. Creating something that helps people or providing a service of some kind is one of the best ways to feel connected to something bigger than yourself.”
- Stein and Tracy say, “In almost every study of successful, happy people, the acceptance of personal responsibility seems to be the starting point of a person’s success.” And just as a reminder, the “R” in SMART stands for “Responsible.” That means that while we might not be able to control the universe or events in our lives, we are always response-able for our own actions and re-actions.
- Like the authors, I agree that it’s critical to stop doing things that take away our joy and satisfaction, and instead organize our lives around those things that bring us peace, satisfaction, joy and value. Their statement, time management is really “life management” deserves to be remembered.
- I repeatedly say on SMART Living 365 that, “Everyday we can choose to be happy, loving and live life to its fullest—remember, we get to make it up.” Tracy and Stein say something similar with, “You will be happy only when your choices and your activities are in harmony with your values and beliefs and with what is really important to you.
- I thought the author’s idea of “KWINK” is a clever way to review our day. It asks, “Knowing what I now know, is there anything I would not start doing again if I had the opportunity to start again today?” If there is, make a different choice!
- We live our lives either by accident, or by design. What are you designing today?
Naturally Tracy and Stein include some helpful exercises and questions to help readers learn to clarify values and explore what is most important in our lives. Although somewhat repetitive, it’s an easy read. And about the only thing I didn’t care for was how the authors attempted to blend cutting-edge ideas about what’s most important in life, simple living, and essentialism into a mixture with old-fashioned ideas like achieving more, goal setting, productivity, and time management. Some of it worked, but some seemed just a bit off. Then again, that just might be the best way to introduce newer ideas to a whole new audience. After all, it’s difficult to guess where, when and how a person will suddenly start realizing that life is so much more than how much money you make, what you own, and other exterior ideas that keep us from living a happy, fulfilled and yes “balanced” life. In the end, if you stick with it, there’s a good chance that finding your balance point will lead to a SMART Life.
Find Find Your Balance Point—Clarify Your Priorities, Simplify Your Life, and Achieve More on Amazon.
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons Artist
which book(s) would you most recommend? it seems most books are rehashing the same info
Hi Sam! I agree that many of the books repeat a lot of the same information. But I have always approached the issue by saying unless I’ve “mastered the concept” I obviously need to hear it more. Plus, if I get only one good idea that I can use in my life, then how can that be a waste? There are thousands of books out there. Just follow your intuition and start. Thanks for your comment. ~Kathy
I’ve backed away from self-help books because I am tired of wasting money for advice that never helps. I loved Wayne Dyer because he definitely helped me through many challenges in my life.
Finding balance? It’s a lifelong goal, and with perspective and introspection it can (I hope) be accomplished. I don’t know. I just don’t know.
I love how honest you are in your review, Kathy. Very refreshing. Loved it!
Hi Cathy! You are right that Wayne Dyer was exceptional on sharing ideas of self-empowerment. And I also agree that far too many books make promises that sound good but are very difficult. But like Wayne Dyer, I believe in the power of intention so that if finding balance is important enough to us we will find it. May it be right around the corner for you and us all. ~Kathy
It is about finding that balance point. And for me until I did I found what I could maintain and still have a sense of harmony.
Hi Carla! Thanks for your comment. I completely agree that our balance point needs to be a place where we find harmony. ~Kathy
Hey kathy!
You made it again, Really a pleasant article to get “Balanced”, Keep Going.
Regards,
Maria ( your fan)
Hi Maria! Glad you like this one and I hope it helps you stay balanced AND SMART! ~Kathy
I am happy to read your review of the book. It sounds helpful which is great for the genre. I am not a reader of self help books but I like to pick up tidbits from those who do, so thanks!
Hi Haralee! In case you haven’t guessed already I’m pretty much addicted to the “self-help” genre! If they have a good title and synopsis I’m an easy sale. If you don’t care for them much then I consider it an honor that you read my blog because I likely fall somewhere close by in definition! I hope the tidbits are worth it! ~Kathy
You almost had me convinced to check out this book for myself until you added that they combine goal setting and time management. I do agree with the authors that unless we are living within our values we won’t find our balance. But if I were to take that one statement and build a book it wouldn’t contain time management and have the title it does. When I think about simplifying the need to learn these things belongs more to the busy over scheduled person.
Hi Lois! Yes, it is an interesting combination. The books says most of the right things about time-management and how we must focus in and use our time wisely for the right reasons….but, there are hints of needing to plan our time to get more done and it’s the old “getting more done” that I objected to myself. But I think that Tracy has been writing and speaking about time-management for so long that it is probably second nature to him. And if we consider that most of his books are sold through his speaking to large corporations they probably like to see that message in there somewhere. Still, like I said in the post, if we can learn one little thing that can help us lead a more balanced or SMART life then there is value. ~Kathy
As they say there is very little NEW in the world, just new ways of looking at it and new voices sharing it. I teach a lot of these principles as well and truly believe that what we focus on we will see and that we have to regularly look at what “balance” means as it will shift over time. I’m in the middle of that self-discovery now so the timing of this post was perfect! Thank you! (& thx to #MidLifeLuv for getting me here!)
Hi Tara! Thanks for popping over from #MidLifeLuv link up. And yes, I completely agree that there are a lot of us sharing similar ideas and messages but that it comes out in our own unique voice that hopefully different people will hear and relate to. So glad you find the timing of this post good! ~Kathy
Very thought-provoking post, Kathy! I’ve read Bryan Tracy’s work as well, and I love the way you fashioned this around it.
This truly tweaked me: ““Everyday we can choose to be happy, loving and live life to its fullest—remember, we get to make it up.”
Today I’m making up a happy fulfilled life 🙂
Thank You!
http://www.susanmarymalone.com/how-do-you-keep-on-keeping-on/
Hi Susan! Glad you liked it and if you’re a Tracy fan you will likely get a lot out of the book. I think it is set to be published September 1st. Here is a link to Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Find-Your-Balance-Point-Priorities-ebook/dp/B00XZ7U4CO ….I think I will add a link on the blog post.
And I’m so glad you like MY quote….actually it’s my husband Thom’s originally but I too use it all the time! ~Kathy
While we know that it is important to have that balance in our lives it sounds to me as if he is trying to reinvent the wheel. Introspection and meditation is the way to find that balance once you realize that you need to be looking for it. That’s the problem getting people to get of the hamster wheel to take the time it takes to figure out what balances them. Most don’t want to take the time they wait for people like this to figure it for them and we both know that’s not smart! Hahaha! Got you!
Hi Rena! Hahaha! You know I agree with you on that one! Of course Tracy does include a several “exercises” that will help a person figure some of it out but I always wonder how many people actually take the time to do the exercises when they read a book like this? Out of maybe five or six that I remember in the book I only did one or two of them myself. It’s far too easy to say to ourselves, “I’ll come back and do that later.” And as you say, “that’s not SMART!” ~Kathy
You would make a great Sociologist Kathy! Great “balanced” review. I preach balance but have to always watch it. I resonate with “Each person craves connection to others. Creating something that helps people or providing a service of some kind is one of the best ways to feel connected to something bigger than yourself.” and I will practice KWINK.
Hi Gary! Thank you for that high praise! Given a “do-over” I might have become a research sociologist! I do love digging into studies about what motivates us all so that would have been interesting to me. Of course now I have the best of both worlds because I get to do my research and then write about it and share it with others. And yes isn’t the KWINK idea an interesting way to check into our progress? ~Kathy
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I enjoy receiving your blog notes.
Hi Leslie! Thank you for letting me know you enjoy my posts. Feedback is always appreciated! ~Kathy
“you don’t believe what you see, you see what you already believe.”
This is profound and must underline why we still have profound racism on the planet. The negatives buried in the brain when we see people not like us leap out and change the overall picture. Unless we are willing to change our beliefs and then the vision will alter too.
Hi Beth! Yes isn’t that quote very much like Wayne Dyer’s book, “You’ll See It When You Believe It?” with a twist? And I completely agree that many of the problems in our world, including racism and violence happen because all of us to some extent “see” only what we already believe. It’s a challenge to stay openminded and see issues from the point of the “other” but very important. And like you say, our “vision” can’t change until we do! ~Kathy
you’re preaching to the choir on this one Kathy – I totally believe that balance is the key to everything. Once you figure out what is important and get everything else in its place then life is much more harmonious. I think it comes down to contentment and balance is a big part of that. ~ Leanne
Hi Leanne! You are so right! The people who already resonate with the idea of balance and the importance of it are mostly like to read this. The ones that might benefit the most–who knows? Then again, who knows when the right person at the right time might read the right message. We can’t give up on them either! ~Kathy
Hi Kathy! As I was reading your review, it got me thinking … a lot of books like “Find Your Balance Point” really articulate what we already know and have read before; the only difference is often the words the author chooses to use. In this case, would you say that finding your “balance point” and “right-sizing” your life amount to the same thing?
I too would like references for the point about who you hang out with. I was just advising a young man the other day, quoting something that I’ve heard before (but don’t have the reference): “You will be most like the five people you spend the most time with.” It makes a lot of sense, but it would be good to know what it’s based on.
Hi T.O.! YES! I definitely found a lot of similarities between Tracy’s “balance point” and right-sizing. While not necessarily new for most of us, it sure doesn’t hurt to hear it over and over again. And I think I’ve also heard that saying about “who we are will be much like the five people we hang out with.” That is SUCH an important thing for us all to remember. I wish I remember who said that. If you come across it let me know okay? ~Kathy
I’m a big fan of balance, as you know. 🙂 Whether it’s work/life, or healthy eating vs guilty pleasures or active living vs listening to your body when it needs a break from exercise.
p.s. I love that picture of the rock sculpture! Great balance!
Hi Nancy! Why am I not surprised you liked the photo of the rock sculpture? It also reminds me of so many of your great photos when you’re hiking in the mountains outside of Las Vegas. And yes, I doubt any of these ideas about balance were probably new, but if you’re like me, a reminder is always good. ~Kathy