Mar ‘24 BOTS: Outliers

March’s Book on the Shelf

Title: Outliers - The Story of Success
Author(s): Malcolm Gladwell

Dimensions of Well-being: Intellectual, Vocational, Spiritual

Take-aways: Behind every story of success is a series of opportunities, and seemingly insignificant actions that lead to extraordinary results. While the level of effort necessary to reach prominent success is long and high, there may be more at play then just “the grind.” What does this mean for us mortals? Success isn’t genetic OR luck…. it exists at the crossroad of Preparation (within our control) and Opportunity (within our control to be open to it).

You'll LOVE this book if: You don’t believe that you’re “born gifted”, are interested in a deeper explanation of what helps people become successful, and you enjoy both anecdotal and scientific evidence in your search for answers.

DON'T read if: You’re looking for a step-by-step strategy to increase your success, or you want a manual on how to change your life.

Reasons I love this book: I’ve never considered myself a gifted person. Average height, average intelligence, average social status….I don’t stand out in a crowd. But what started me on this journey of performance and well-being was fitness. I fell in love with the idea that if I embraced a challenge, I would grow (first physically, but later mentally and beyond). Anyone who is willing to go through that process can find their own success.

This book resonates with that notion because it takes the very essence of “gifted”, and turns it on its head. Gladwell examines historical stories of surreal levels of success, and asks “what if there was more to their success than “grit and gift”? The author takes stories from our past, from the classic epic of David and Goliath, to the less familiar account of the unlikely prosperity of Jewish lawyer Joe Flom (and how being Jewish in his town, in his city, in his era opened the door to his achievements).

It is no secret that achieving at a high level takes determination, discipline, and duration. But what this book does for the reader is open the door to a new possibility…that perhaps even those of us that are not yet “gifted” can benefit from being in the right place at the right time to find our own 10,000 hours to success.

Find it here on Amazon.

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Think prepping your life for more opportunities is out of your norm? Let’s work together to get you ready for your success. Let’s Chat! - Coach Woody