Rating:  ☆☆☆☆

Recommended by:   Adrienne Bulinski

Author:   Andy Andrews

Genre:  Fiction, Self-Improvement

227 pages, published April 30, 2005

Reading Format:  Book

Summary

The Traveler’s Gift weaves a business fable about a man named David Ponder who loses his job and money, but finds his way after he is magically transported into seven key points in history.  At each location, Ponder meets historical the following historical figures and learns these important lessons:

1. Harry S. Truman:  The Buck Stops Here.   “I accept Responsibility for past.  I control my thoughts.  I control my emotions.  I am responsible for my success.  The buck stops here.”  Are you in control of your life?  Are you leading your ship or are you a passenger, allowing others to determine where you go.  Do you blame moments of the past for your current situation?  Do you allow the weather to determine how you feel?  Stop and take control over everything that matters.  Today.  You and only you should be in control over your success.

1. King Solomon:  I Will Seek Wisdom.  “I will be a servant to others.  I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care.  I will seek wisdom.”  Do you read?  Remember, rich people have big libraries and poor people have big TVs.  Do you ask the advice of those you find to be wiser than you?  Do you hang out with people that can help you grow and not tear you down?  Do you help others or hinder them.  Never stop growing.

1. Colonel Joshua Chamberlain:  I am a Person of Action.  (Chamberlain’s group of men were on the extreme left flank for the Union Army that was protecting Gettysburg.  Most of his men were dead or severely injured and they were out of ammunition.  They could not retreat as that would mean the South would advance and take Gettysburg.  They couldn’t sit there and wait either as that would mean sure defeat.  Chamberlain had no choice but to charge.  “I do not fear failure, for in my life, failure is a myth. Failure exists only for the person who quits.  I do not quit.  I am courageous. I am a leader.  I seize this moment.  I choose now.  I am a person of action.”  Act.  Do not hesitate.  Do not fill your mind with possibilities of negative outcomes.  Take action.

1. Christopher Columbus:  I have a Decided Heart.  “I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future.  My course has been charted.  My destiny is assured.  I have a decided heart.”  What could you discover if you were so passionate about your future?

1. Anne Frank:  Today I Will Choose to be Happy.  “I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.  I will greet each day with laughter.  I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.  Today I will choose to be happy.”  Is being happy a choice?  Can you decide what kind of mood you are in?  Yes it is and you can.  Good things and bad things will come your way.  You can decide how these things affect you.  Be grateful and express gratitude.  Smile often, laugh with your friends and family.

1. Abraham Lincoln:  I Will Greet This Day with a Forgiving Spirit.  “From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny.  I have forgiven myself.  My life has just begun.  I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness.  I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.  I will forgive myself.  I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.”  How many hours have you lost due to resentment and anger?  How many relationships have been ruined as a result of your ability to say “I forgive you”?  How many opportunities went by the wayside because you couldn’t forgive the one person that matters most, you?  Holding on to anger towards another person is an incredible waste of time and energy.  Often times the other party has no idea of your feelings anyway!  Forgiveness is not something to be hoarded inside but rather should be given away whenever possible.  It has no value unless it is given away.  If and when you make a mistake, do not keep yourself down.  Own the errors of your ways and forgive yourself so that you can move forward and continue to grow.

1. The Archangel Gabriel:  I Will Persist Without Exception.  “I will believe in the future that I do not see. That is faith. And the reward of this faith is to see the future that I believed. I will continue despite exhaustion. I focus on results. I am a person of great faith.  I will persist without exception.”  The last person Ponder meets is the Archangel Gabriel who shows him a picture and tells him the names of the children that he never had.  Ponder responds that they always wanted more children but did not think they could afford it.  Gabriel tells Ponder that they are in a warehouse filled the dreams and goals of the less courageous.  It’s a very somber moment.  There are no second chances.  Once an opportunity is missed, it is gone forever.  You will miss some, plenty actually.  But there will be many many more.  Be ready.

Quotes

“Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to the fullest- well, that is a choice.”

 

“Successful people make their decisions quickly and change their minds slowly. Failures make their decisions slowly and change their minds quickly.”

 

“You are where you are because of your thinking. Your thinking dictates your decisions. Decisions are choices.”

 

“I will not waste time on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.”

 

“As children, we were afraid of the dark.  Now as adults, we are afraid of the light. We are afraid to step out. We are afraid to become more.”

 

“My smile has become my calling card.  It is, after all, the most potent weapon I possess.”

 

“Every man of character will have that character questioned. Every man of honor and courage will be faced with unjust criticism, but never forget that unjust criticism has no impact whatsoever upon the truth. And the only sure way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and be nothing.”

 

“First we make a choice. Then our choices make us.”

 

“I possess the greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind, the power of choice.”

 

“The answer, of course, is that we are always and forever influenced by those with whom we associate. If a man keeps company with those who curse and complain—he will soon find curses and complaints flowing like a river from his own mouth. If he spends his days with the lazy—those seeking handouts—he will soon find his finances in disarray. Many of our sorrows can be traced to relationships with the wrong people.”

 

“A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure.”

My Take

While the structure of The Traveler’s Gift seems a bit forced at times, there is a lot to like about this book.  Andrews tells his story and imparts his pearls of wisdom in a very reader friendly manner that is easy to follow and understand.  I agree with his life lessons and am glad to be reminded of them.  The Traveler’s Gift is a book that I wholeheartedly recommend.