Saidzhan Sayid Abdullaev – Assessments – International Institute for Global Leadership

As a Man Thinketh

Assessment by Saidzhan Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

I was galvanized by the scope of information and profound meaning that this book shared with me. One of the biggest meanings that I believe it entails is that each of us is destined for greatness, born to shine and inspire and motivate others. However not everyone is able to embrace that potential due to the wrong thinking. An author insists, that person can create and have everything he wants to accomplish, when he has right thoughts, because thoughts empower us to act, and an act brings us closer to our goals. Moreover author firms that every circumstance that one is facing is because he created it in his mind.

Positive thinking is a key to success, empowerment, equanimity, and the capacity to move forward with the sense of purpose not hesitation.

Negative thinking leads one to illness, doubt, fear, despicability, and evil. I believe that author by writing this book was trying to show his readers that it is important to understand the idea of right thinking and become responsible for your life, instead of blaming everyone else around. Just like an author, I believe that an “oak sleeps in acorn” that circumstances do not define people, people are the one who influences circumstances, and most importantly that with patience, positive thinking, commitment, hard work, and calm state of mind impossible does not exist I simply becomes Impossible!

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.

Idea#1 “Man is made and unmade by himself” – I was born in the simple family, my parents never went to college or traveled abroad. Moreover we belong to the minority ethnic group and therefore faced a lot of different challenges with discrimination, racism. However having support of my family and positive attitude I realized that the ethnicity and social status are not important, therefore I gave promise to myself to study, get my education, empower people around me. Last year I became a college graduate, a first member of my family, it was a huge moment in my life and the lives of my parents, as via commitment, positive thinking, and faith in myself I was able to accomplish. On the other hand every day I see young people with great potential however, who not believe in themselves, and blame circumstances, government, and other people for their problems, they live in a little bubble and feel safe there, however never are able to explore their full potential and live the life they truly deserve.

Idea#2 – Man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep enough to mine of his soul. Very often we have amazing dreams, visions, and plans for our life, but time by time our dreams began to crush, because we are not being honest with our being, we are sacred of failing and never being able to embrace our true potential.

Our mind is covered by doubts that slowly drown our ambitions and hopes. It happens mostly to everyone, however only truly strong individuals are able to overcome this phase by understanding their heart songs that signs melodies of truth, melodies of encouragement, but most importantly, this melody leads you to the real you: you beautiful, you courageous, you honest, you kind, you strong, you awesome, you fascinating, the one you are truly meant to be.

Idea # 3 Every man is where he is by the law of his being. It is important to understand that I can lead myself to whatever my heart, mind and soul are craving for. If my mind embraces positivity, kindness, support, audacity than it will lead to the situations where I can fully enjoy these qualities. However if I think negative, evil, indolent, trying to decisive others than it will lead me to the situations where i can really destroy my being. It is the law of attraction, and I am happy that I understood its philosophy in the early age.

Idea #4 The soul attracts what it secretly harbors – Soul is the main ingredient in living the life we truly want to, however in order for it to happen, we need to be true with ourselves and ask what we truly want to accomplish, who we truly want to be. Looking at all the great people who accomplished some amazing things that all wanted deep inside, it did not happen because of the coincidence, but because of their minds attracted it into their life. For example soul harbors to make a positive difference in the world, where everyone can feel safe and valuable, and all the time, I get attracted to opportunities to make it happen.

Idea #5 Men do not attract that what they want, but what they are.

The importance of the idea lies on the following example: if I want to see around me confident, kind, and empowered people, it is not enough for me to only think about it, but also to be it, be confident, kind, and empowered, when I am that myself, I ignite the light in others to become that, as well. But if I am wick, depressed, evil, negative it would only attract me to the similar situations. The most important thing is to understand that right thinking is not effective, when it is not supported by the right actions.

Idea #6 The body is the servant of the mind. We are well aware that every single organism in our system is connected to support each other. However I believe that mind coordinates the efficiency of our body. There were so many stories when mind was able to heal the body by positive thinking, excellent mood, and accomplishing dreams. When some of my body parts are being sore I always talk to it and imagine how the pain soothes and goes away.

Idea #7 Dreamers are savors of the world. Dreamers do safe the world, because they motivate others to pursue their dreams. I am always inspired by the great literature that makes me think, sculptor that motivates me to create something beautiful, great individuals who gave the life to their dreams despite all the odds and challenges they had to face. I believe that one day my dreams will also inspire people worldwide!

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

It will help me to always be true to myself and dream, to understand that there is no such thing as impossible dreams. These lessons also gave the prospective to always have a positive state of mind and not be scared of future, because the future is the one I design for myself by dreams, thoughts, visions, and actions. Currently I am applying to a lot of different programs to continue my education. I have out a lot of hard work, commitment, and positive attitude towards its accomplishment and now I know that I am in the right way. And I truly believe that once I accomplish my dreams, being the best person I can be, and help others to find the way to true them will be a big contribution in making this world a better place to live in.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Oak sleeps in the acorn” this quote played such a profound role on my state of mind, because I always dream big, to accomplish big and exhilarating things, but sometimes I feel very small in comparison to these dreams. For example I would like to become a UN Secretary General, and everything I do moves a little bit closer to it, however they are times when I say to myself: “Common this is not real, you cannot become a UN Secretary General, you are too small for that,” but after reading this book and scanning this quote with my experiences and visions I know I’M possible to become to become that bird that has no any limits in flying.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

To me everything was clear and understandable; however there are some moments that I have hard time to agree with. The book clearly insists that everything we face was attracted to us by the way we think, I agree with it, however there some situations that this concept is very hard to connect to, like genocide, I do not believe that people in Rwanda attracted that their families would be butchered, or minority ethnic groups in China attracted to constantly being discriminated and prosecuted. I traveled to a lot of countries and was able to meet a lot of people from different cultures, including people from Rwanda, so talking and interacting with them it is really hard to put the idea of “when you face bad circumstances it means that you attracted it by negative thinking. ”

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

The book did not contain exercises, however it suggested to visit their website and to refer several people to read the book. I did it right after finishing reading and received a free copy of Acres of Diamonds that is very inspiring as well.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

The only thing that I would like to comment on is that this book was written more than 100 years ago but still the meaning of the book is more than relevant in our time as well, which means that true and sincere dreams do not have any confinements of time, place, or language.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                            9
B. How helpful were the contents?                           9
C. How easy was it to understand?                           9
D. Would you recommend it to others?                   10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?      9

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

JLS is story of audacity to dream and alacrity to pursue these dreams.

It is a story of each of us, of every human being as all of us have dreams and goals, however not everyone is able to accomplish due to the wrong thinking and blaming everything on circumstances. We say who we are to be rich, to be like our role models, we do not have enough skills, enough connection, enough time, and money, whatever, and to make it happen. I think each of us goes through that kind of thinking, until we listen to our hearts, close our eyes, and vividly envision and feel the sacred dreams of our souls, and then everything is not the same anymore, because once we felt the beauty of our dreams, we are never the same. JLS’ meaning is that we can stop being pathetic, we can stop only dreaming, but actually living the dreams, we can learn to fly, we can learn to be better, stronger, grater, healthier, richer, we can learn to accomplish our dreams. And moreover there is nothing hard to do so; you just need to have this faith in your true being, your dreams, and of course hard work, because commitment and hard work when are combined together will defiantly attract an incredible opportunity, and when this forces connected, true magic will happen. JLS is a book of turning every challenge into an opportunity to grow, to live, and to learn how to fly. JLS is a moment when we take the first little step towards the greatness, fall down, rise up, and try again. Also it portrays that each of us manifests the greatness within us. I was inspired by this book and was able to realize that Jonathan L Seagull is also living in me, and despite that challenges I face of being different, I now know that being different means being unique. It helped me to embrace the fact that it is OK to have different priorities goals, because the combination of it makes who I am today, not who people what me to be.

Idea 1 “One who has touched excellence in his learning has no need of that kind of promise” – this means that when you have already experienced the beauty of your dreams, there is no point to return to the idea of being like everybody else, simply because you need to become that example that illuminates the possibility of accomplish your dreams. This idea is very important for me, because I would like to work on the global level, even a lot of people tell me that I need to stay home, however after experiencing the cross cultural opportunities I realized that I can not only make a difference in my home country but can also do it on the global level.

Idea 2 “One school is finished, and the time has come for another to begin” – for me it means that is always never ending process of learning on everything we do, and everywhere we go. School can be counted not as a traditional one, but as an experience you shared, challenge you overcame, or people you meet. It is extremely important to understand because the more we learn the wider the world of opportunities is around us. And we think that we know everything and do not want to develop new skills, it means that we on the brink of ignorance and stupidity.

Idea 3 “Purpose of living is to find that perfection and show it forth” – it is extremely vital for a person to find what he wants to do in this world and then simply do it, but the way of finding it, it is experimenting in different skills and things, as well as, listening to your heart. For example I am very much a diverse person, I am a human rights advocate, civil rights activist, and director of the youth nonprofit, volunteer, scholar, recently I have started modeling, and now am thinking on taking some acting classes. My ultimate goal is to make a difference in the world, to help people to achieve their potential, and show them that they can do it.

Idea 4 “We choose our next world through what we learn in this one, learn nothing, and the next world is the same as this one, all the same limitations and lead weights to overcome” – it means that every experience we face prepare us for the next steps of our lives, but it is only possible to embrace if you learn something from this experience. I am always fascinated by this notion, because every experience that I have been having in my young life always provided some incredible opportunities for further growth and development. Even during challenges I always try to understand the lessons of this situation and how can I move forward towards greatness using the acquired skills and competences of such lessons.

Idea 5 “To fly as fast as thought, to anywhere that is you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived.” I believe it! I know it is true! It is the first step to turning your vision into a reality, it is it understands, feel, and envision what you would like to accomplish. For example I always wanted to study in the US, at the beginning it has been so unreal, because I thought it is very expensive, I need to be more smarter, but then I realized that I have more than money o brain I have the ability to dream, and then I started to envisioning me being in the USA, getting my college diploma, immersing myself in a new culture, and then at the end of my junior year I was awarded a FLEX scholarship, to become an exchange student in the USA, it has been an incredible journey that helped me to also receive a full ride scholarship for college in the USA. This May I became the first member of my family who graduated from college, during graduation I cried the tears of joy and happiness, because I did envision it, I felt it, I wanted it, I prayed for it and It happened, and it was absolutely beautiful.

Idea 6 “Perfect speed is being there” – On our way towards our dreams we always think that we do not have enough time and try to accomplish it very quick, however by rushing we miss the signs that life is giving to us, we become so obsessed by deadlines and time, that we forget the original feeling of following our dreams. But we should that the most perfect speed is doing it, is feeling it, is having that sense of purpose. It is a great lesson for me, because often, I think I need to accomplish something right away, like becoming a super model now, without understanding and listing what needs to be done first to make that happen.

Idea 7 “Understand what you truly are and begin practicing it” You do not have to be famous, rich, or powerful to realize the beauty of your life. You can be just a simple clerk, but be the best one in it, you can be just truck loader, but the best one in it. It does not matter who we are, but what matters we truly do to manifest the glory of our being.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

Currently I am working on my application to get accepted for a full scholarship to the Columbia University, School of General Studies, and sometimes I have thoughts like “it is impossible” but examining the lessons from JLS, I know that I can do that, and do even more. I wrote these lessons in my diary, and before entering the info into it, I go through these lessons and feel every word of it in my heart. It gives me positive energy and the ability to think fresher and better.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“He was not bone and feather but a perfect idea of freedom and flight, limited by nothing at all”

The importance of this quote is that it does not matter how you look, you might be thin, fat, super tall, or short, weak, lousy, scrawny.

But what matters is how strong you are inside! People do judge people by their appearance, but once you have this amazing power that illuminates others, entices new possibilities which is inside you, your heart, your true being, that what important. As I previously mentioned that I would like to become a male supermodel, however I do not have official parameters of height and weight to be in the fashion modeling, despite that I know that I can become a fashion revolutionist and change the parameters, I know I can become a perfect idea of freedom, free of fear and stereotype!

“We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!”

I am born to live the best life I possibly can, I am destined for greatness, I meant to shine! Instead of being ignorant, arrogant, negative, pessimistic, I need to focus myself on developing my skills, my greatness, my excellence, I need to focus on incredibility of my dreams, and visions, hard work. And Once I do it, I know that the world will fall in love with me.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

What is a little bit unclear to me is when liberate ourselves from our fears, why is it so important to return to your original place where everything is started, where people have ignored and made fun of you, I know it is important to share your knowledge, but is not it important that each person would come to the liberation on its own instead of following somebody else?

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

No it did not include any exercises, however, I suggested to read this book to a lot of friends of mine, who were absolutely amazed by it.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

I wish the book contained information on the author of the book and the inspiration he got before written it.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                                  10
B. How helpful were the contents?                                 10
C. How easy was it to understand?                                 10
D. Would you recommend it to others?                         10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?           10

Keys to Success

Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

The main idea of the book is to demonstrate that human beings have all the potential and power to achieve their goals. The author has created a list of necessary secrets to the life one desires to have.

The main secret is that in order for the one to achieve his/her dreams one has to have a definiteness of purpose, one has to be absolutely clear one what he wants. Very often we see people complain about the lack of opportunities, poverty, shortage of resources, but according to the author it happens because we are focused on these things, instead we should only be focused and spend our energy on the alacrity of our goals. For example if one wants to be a millionaire, one has to write it down specifically, and include the date on what would he like to accomplish, then every day read it and focus its energy and thoughts in the definiteness of goal. Deciding one what once desires is biggest step towards the success. Also author is sharing other secrets on how to organize time and energy, create a pleasant personality, handle stress, and cultivating a creative vision. Also author insists that by knowing what you want to achieve, and believing in it with every cell in your body, you automatically push on special button that actives your subconscious thinking that will altered when the perfect opportunity would come towards your achieving your desired goals. These seventeen principles were developed through the comprehensive research of interviewing successful people, observing situations in which success was derived from, the personal interactions with rich people, and the assessment of needs on what has to be done towards the success. The author has spent 20 year on the aforementioned method of researching materials for this book.

a. “Fierce determination.” I really liked the idea of having not just a determination, but a fierce determination. I define determination as the quality that I show when I have decided to do something and I will not let anything stop me. And the word fierce for me is being wild, intense, and aggressive. When these incredible two forces are combined, something really amazing and unique happens. So I believe that having determination is great in your goals, but having a fierce determination will bring me to my goal much faster.

b. “The Universe is constructed to allow you to achieve your greatest potential” I believe that everything is connected, that our lives are tied to the ones whose destinies and experiences tough ours. Therefore the Universe is magic that reveals its secrets to those who are passionately trying to understand it and believe it. I believe that that if I really want to get something, the entire Universe puts its efforts to accommodate me. And the more I use the power, the more the Universe is getting to know me, and sends me some incredible gifts and blessings.

c. “There is not scarcity of resources. There is only shortage of imagination” I have to be honest that sometimes I get this feeling of not sharing some opportunities or job proposals with others, just because they might still it from me, or do it better. However after some personal reflection I concluded by having such thinking I put limits in myself and send the energy to the Universe that” I am not smart enough that us why I feel inferior, or I do not have enough skills and knowledge if I think that is better” However I have decided that there is no such thing as a competition, each of us has its own unique qualities , there is abundance of resources and blessings that are awaiting to be embraced by me, the only thing I have to do is to flee myself from fears, take a giant leap, and fly…

d. “Master mind alliance” The idea of having a group of supporters and people who share my vision would bring me towards my goal much quicker. Because when I work alone, I am limited by my own thinking, but when I open up and invite people to join in, I automatically receive more ideas, feedback, support, new perspectives, and plans. It is like one head is great, but many is much better.

e. “Art of keeping my mind focused upon the thing I really want.” Life consists of so many different things, activities, meetings, trials, victories, challenges, perspectives, and many more others. Sometime by getting to much on my plate, I am getting overwhelmed by the scope of things that have to be done, but then I stop for a moment and ask myself “does the stress and little things I do bring me closer to my dreams …. Hmmm … No” It is important to learn the skill of art to be focused upon things that I really want, everything else is not important.

f. “It is inevitable that every seed of useful service I sow will sprout and reward me with an abundant harvest” I strongly believe it that hard work is the main ingredient towards achieving the success and live the life you really want, but it should be backed up with thankfulness, positive attitude, and faith, and most importantly walking an extra mile. Sometimes when I do not achieve something that I was (like a scholarship or participating at the international activity I evaluate why I did not get, and it always I did not make that last extra step to ensure and let the Universe know that I really want it!

g. “People who are strong in faith are always humble of heart” When person has something to believe in, and does it sincerely and honestly, one will never have evil thoughts to bring pain to somebody, because his heart will not let happen. Strong faith gives energy to heart and opens up the positivity, humbleness, and self-awareness.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

After reading the book and getting acquainted with these lessons, I have given promise to myself to always have a definiteness of purpose and passionately believe in the beauty and the realization of my dreams. I have created a specific plan for my personal goals as well as professional. I have listed the important factors of my dream job, and the things that I would like to do and get involved with. I have evaluated my community service work and the way it can be improved and developed. I start my day with the smile on my face and gratitude for all the blessings I have and for the ones I will have. The lessons I have learned from the book will be my shields against laziness and negativity.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Faith is my awareness of, belief in, and harmonizing with the universal power” I believe that faith is a major factor towards achievement success in every aspect of my life. I had difficulties to define what faith is, because it is such an intimate thing, but this quote helped me to truly understand on what faith is.

“Whatever my mind can conceive and believe, my mind can achieve” I would like to go to Columbia University. I have dreamed about it, and developed a specific set of action towards achieving it. I believe that I will be a student at Columbia university fall 2012 and am extremely grateful for this opportunity..

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The charts that were presented in the book were a little bit unclear to me, and the explanation of it was vague.

Reading the book I thought author was contradicting himself in several chapters, especially when he talked about the importance of subconscious, that everything can be achieved through that, and at next chapter he talks that only through the divine power one can truly achieve his dreams

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

It contained spaces to be filled out for the specific principles of personal achievement.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?    8
B. How helpful were the contents?    8
C. How easy was it to understand?                          8
D. Would you recommend it to others?                  8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?    8

Success through PMA

Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

The main idea of this book is that positive mental attitude is the mandatory requirement for any venture, business or anything one would like to immerse himself into, because without PMA the failure is guaranteed. Also book provides several recommendations on how to improve and develop you PMA by waking up a giant within you, clear up the mental cobwebs, using self-starters, and self-motivators, motivate others, and the technique of getting rid of negative thoughts and feelings. Moreover it provides a mental approach towards the citadel of wealth by appreciating what you have, learning how to set goals, developing a magnificent obsession, and recharging your energy level. Also, the author of the book insists that everyone can achieve any goals or dreams by only using PMA.

Idea I. ”Awaken the sleeping giant within you” – Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by so many different things around me and often feel like there is nothing I can do because the issue or challenge is way too big to deal with. But after reading this chapter I have learned that each of us, including myself has sleeping giant deep inside in our hearts, that awaits for us to wake him up and use him as a resource towards turning challenges into opportunities.

Idea II. “We are poor – no because of God” I always hear, people complaining on God because of their misfortunes in regards of their finance s. They say, I am poor, because God wants me to be poor. But this is absolutely not true. God does not want us to be poor, he wants us to shine and use our potential to glorify him. I was also born into a family who could not pay for my college or buy me things that other kids had such as computers, travelling, and exc. But I did not let my situation to dictate my life, but chose to build my own opportunities, and develop a sense of appreciation for my life and all the blessings I have.

Idea III. “Meet the most important living person” A lot of my friends and family members think that it is not OK to like yourself, it is sign of bad upbringing and selfishness. I disagree, I think if one does not like himself he is not able to like others, help others. People say that it is selfish are insecure and are afraid to step out of their comfort zone and embrace their awesomeness.

Idea IV. “Are you seen only the more in the other fellow’s eye”

I have to be honest; there are some people whom I do not like. And for a long time I did not have any specific reasons of why, it is just a feeling that keeps me away from them. However I understood that it happens because I focus on finding their faults instead of appreciating their individuality and celebrating their diversity. After reading the chapter, I made a list of people whom I did not like and had clashes and tried to focus on things they do great!

Idea V. “OPM”-Other people’s money. I loved this approach, if I do not have a capital for starts ups or to start my venture. I have to be resourceful and use other people’s money. It might be a grant or project proposal and fundraising.

Idea VI. “Day by day in every way I am getting richer” – The idea of using self-motivators is extremely appealing, to make it my daily mantra, my motto, and follow it, because If I can see it in my mind and I can hold it in my hands too. I also loved the self motivator “Living in the happy valley” by Mr. Hill and event used it in my facebook profile _

Idea VII. “Be a catalyst” for me it means to keep shining and invite others to join me. Because when we shine, move forward with confidence and poise, we motivate others to join in and start living the life we truly deserve and are meant for.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I use the self-motivator approach daily and try to come up with new motivators for different situations in my life. When I feel down and upset, I try to make the sleeping giant in me to take over. I encourage people around me to do the same as well as provide a lot of great recommendations from the book for my family and friends.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Anything in life worth have is worth praying for.” I believe in the power of prayer, I believe in the power of working hard towards the things that really matter in my life. I pray daily for my blessings, for my challenges who serve me to learn more about myself and develop new strength. When I pray I usually close my eyes and envision my prayer become a reality, which brings a huge smile on my face. I believe the prayer is the powerful force that send incredible ripples of positive energy to the Universe .

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the book as much as I have enjoyed reading other books at the course because of several reasons:

a. Every chapter of this book contained examples from the think and grow rich book, I felt like I was reading a commercial advertisement for the “Think and Grow Rich,” which created a feeling for me that “Success through PMA” book has absolutely lost its originality, uniqueness, but became a cheap counterfeit.

b. Also “Success through PMA” contradicts some important points from the “Key to Success books” by Napoleon Hill. For example, “Success through PMA” provides the list of 17 success principles that are in some way different from the “Key to Success Book:” one book suggest that the most important principle is the definiteness of purpose and all the other principles are attached to it, however the other book suggests that the main principle in success is PMA and other principles are built upon it. Even though the author is the same in these two books. And there have been more clashes within these two books as I moved forward in reading it.

c. I did not also enjoy the extensive examples in every chapter on prisoners and how the “Think and Grow rich” helped them to be motivated and how being in prison sometimes brings you more happiness and helps you to develop the sense of purpose. It would be much better of the author would focus maybe on mental prison that so many people themself into and provide concrete and own advices to its readers.

d. Even though I am a spiritual person and a believer, I did not enjoy reading the extensive appeal towards the Bible and Christianity. I believe that division creates misunderstanding of those who do not share the same belief, and delivers disrespect towards people other dimensions, or people who do not believe in any religion. It would be much better and interesting if author would also provide examples from other religions. Personally, I strongly believe that one of the biggest indicators for success is to learn to appreciate the diversity of people, religions, cultures, and places around you, instead of focusing only on your own beliefs.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

The end of the book included the Success Quotient Analysis that was focused on the 17 success principles and was constructed in the form of different situation. According to the test I have received 300 point.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Maybe it is important to include the “Think and Grow Rich” book, as it sounded very interesting from what I have read from “Success through PMA”

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 3
B. How helpful were the contents?    3
C. How easy was it to understand?                          10
D. Would you recommend it to others? 1
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?     3

The New Psycho Cybernetics

Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

Psycho Cybernetics is the science that studies the hidden power of our brain’s capability and its influence on everything around us: the inner world, thoughts, feelings, interaction with people and the ability to achieve all the incredible things we would like to have.

The author believes that our brain is the most powerful tool in achieving success and contains all the necessary techniques to put us on the road toward the success. It happens through the process called Servo – Mechanism, which is an inner computer that includes our imagination, critical thinking, effective problem solving, memory search, and the retrieval. But in order to activate the positive sides of servo mechanism, it is highly important to first control our behavior and self-image. Our brain remembers everything; even we think we forget something, that information is located somewhere inside of our brains. So when we feel better, flee ourselves from resentment and self -abnegation, when we imagine success and our dreams, when we can create it so vividly in our mind, it all gets stored inside of us, and then guide us towards its achievement, this process reminds us of our worth and potential, it creates the path of possibilities and self-fulfillment. But if we are full of inhibition, and negativity, our brain also safe that information, and guides us to failures, insomnia, havoc, struggles, illnesses, and other tragedies.

Moreover, the magnitude of psycho cybernetics includes not only the achievement of the success, but also leads us to the place of feeing OK with who we are as people. It comforts us when we look at the mirror or talk to strangers. It covers us with strength, confidence, and sense of direction, and healing. But, it is important to remember that psycho cybernetics is only effective and useful when we start taking responsibility for our thoughts, our feelings, our visions, and our imaginations.

a. Consider the risk before the wheel starts turning – it is a great recommendation for me. Because I usually get very nervous after I did something like, applied for the job interview, scholarship, exc. And then I spent most of the time thinking on what I did wrong and could have done better. But it does not matter, because all the thoughts, fears, and ideas have to be generated before the “wheel starts turning” and then just enjoy the process, because I cannot undo it.

b. Habit of taking no anxious thought for tomorrow by giving all your attention to the present moment. I believe tomorrow may never come if you do not enjoy the present moment. A lot of people can spend their entire morning or day, and even freaking out about the future, doubting the divine powers, and feel miserable about them. And I cannot say that I do not have any fears about my future, in fact I do have a lot of, I am not invincible, however I am doing my very best to develop that habit of giving all the attention to the present moment, because every habit turns into an attitude, and an attitude turns into a way of living.

c. Our habits are garments worn by our personality – habits define us, they define who we are, what our dreams are, how we react on certain situations, how we communicate with people, how embrace each moment, the way we see things, and many more others. Just like in fashion, beautiful and comfortable clothes provide confidence and sense of style, the same goes with habits; beautiful habits accommodate us with beautiful life. Diagnosis: Destined for Success! – if people say I am crazy and I need special help, I proudly respond yes, I am crazy, and my diagnosis is that I am destined for greatness, destined to shine, destined to live the life I really want.

d. “Life is worthwhile only when you have firmly fixed in your sights worthwhile goals” – Food and water are necessary for the human being to live, fuel is necessary for a car to move, the same for life, goals are mandatory for the fulfilled life.

e. “Nostalgia for the future instead of the past” The saddest thing I have ever heard people to say is “I wish I could turn the time back.”

f. People say it all the time, without realizing that these words undermine their own potential and their intelligence. Instead of thinking of the past, we must enjoy this moment, and look forward towards the future.

g. “Shadow boxing” – a really great recommendation, to look at yourself through your shadow, through the lens of other people. What would they say about you? What would your own shadow say about you? If I want to hear a great feedback from them, I have to start developing a positive and enthusiastic personality.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I have written down all these wonderful ideas and quotes into my daily notebook and calendar and I start each morning going through them and developing the habit of using the ideas into fulfillment of life and the accomplishment of my goals.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“One grain at a time” – meaning do not pile up yourself with tons of things at a time. It is not healthy to try working on several things at a time, because you lose the focus, energy, and the sense of purpose. It was a really great recommendation to get a sand watch on your desk and look at it once in a while, especially when overwhelmed by many things around, take a deep breath, and say yourself “One grain at a time”

“Do not try to get rid of butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation“- My favorite quote!!! We all get the anxious feeling when we put ourselves into the unfamiliar situation, or when we give a speech, have to perform a dance, job interview, and whatever, we get this feeling of butterflies filling up our entire system, and most of us are really scared of this butterflies trying to get rid of them, but instead try to use them into your advantage to make them into any form or shape you want, so they can easily fly you towards success.

“My winning feeling will be reflected back and envelope me in its warmth” – Always remember the feeling when you felt absolutely amazing, absolutely beautiful, and absolutely incredible, store this feeling in your system, and open it up, when you need inspiration or get a positive idea!

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared to believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.” – This is such a powerful quote, which I think a lot of people can relate to. Very often I hear that if you are poor then you will stay poor for the rest of your life, or if you were born in the family with a lot of money, you do not have to worry about the future. It might be true, but I strongly believe that it depends on each person, on how we perceive the world around us, how we embrace each moment, choices we make, and how much we truly want to accomplish our deepest dreams. Because circumstances do not define us, but our attitude towards them does.

“Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen “ – for it means that everything can be controlled by our attitude and opinion towards the situation we face in life.

“You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you” – I so believe it, because thoughts provide the most powerful platform for building up the life we want to live. Thoughts control our feelings, feelings control our inner world, and inner world lead us towards the action we must take to turn our vision into a reality.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

Everything was clear and coherent! I loved it!

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

The book contained a lot of visualization exercises, on developing the imagination, and turning on the Automatic Success Mechanism. I found every exercise and recommendation very helpful and easy to implement.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

I really loved the path that was leading the author towards the psycho cybernetics, the way he started as a plastic surgeon, and realized that most people in reality are in need of the emotional surgery instead the physical.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?    8
B. How helpful were the contents?                         8
C. How easy was it to understand?    10
D. Would you recommend it to others?                  8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?    8

The New Dynamics of Winning
Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

Sometimes, we experience fear of trying new things, changing our surroundings, and embracing new experiences. We self-doubting our potential to do great things saying: “Oh I am not too smart, I am not too strong, and exc.” And sometimes we are so scared of future that we forget to enjoy the present. Personally, as a human being, I do too occasionally find myself experiencing the aforementioned fears.

Mr. Waitley in his book provides compelling and real stories of human potential to do fascinating things by ensuring his readers that winning does not depend on how much money you have or how much knowledge you have obtained, but it is all about how much you want it, how much you ready to sacrifice for it, and how much you are willing to go to make it happen. It is about breaking the boundaries of impossibilities and creating opportunities. He believes that we are all destined to do great things, but only few of us actually manifest that glory.

The usage of the action camp in conducting such event was a great success.
I look forward to using it in my long terms projects, as well.

Idea#1 “Being in the Zone, ” the main idea of being in the zone means doing more than you or anyone else thought possible, being focused and fully dedicated to your cause, dreams, and its implementation. Being in Zone means moving forward even thou there is no visible road, it is about creating possibilities when the world is against you, it is about keep on breathing when there is no hope left.

Idea#2 “Be propelled by desire, not compelled by fear” I embrace this idea and I admire this statement. It is not about how sacred you are, but it is about how much you want to have it and how much you are willing to go to make it happen.

Idea # 3 “Total integrity in our personal and professional life” – integrity mean being complete clear and honest with yourself, because at the end of the day it is not about all the check mark in your notebook, but it is about transformation, difference you have made, lessons you have acquired, it is about walking the extra mile, admitting the mistakes, and appreciating everything you have.

Idea #4 “High expectations are the key” I think it is important to have high expectations in whatever I do, because without expectations there is no clear ideas on where would you like to go, what would you like to achieve, and what results you would like to acquire. In whatever I do I expect not only do good but do great, surpass the previous experiences and break the walls of any limits and boundaries, High expectations help us to stay focused and be sure what’s needed to turn the vision into a reality.

Idea #5 “Are my goals really my own? Are they realistic in terms of what I have done in the past and what I can do in the future?” It is so important to feel in every cell of your body that your goals are real and are your own. Because very often we choose goals based on what is famous or glamorous or because our parents told us to do it. It is extremely dangerous to continue on the path of doing something that is not for you or you do not enjoy doing, because once we lose our passion, we start losing our personality, our honesty, we become delusional and falling down quickly to the nothingness.

Idea #6 “School is never out for the winner” – for winners every day is a platform to learn something new, to share knowledge with someone else, and to create opportunities for people around. For winners there is no such thing as done with classes or graduation, for winners every moment is a lesson to do better and to make a difference.

Idea #7 “Losers let it happen, winners make it happen” – winners create things instead of waiting for them, develop opportunities instead of focusing on challenges , they decide instead waiting for the results just appear, they take risks instead of just floating around, they move forward to take a giant leap instead of spending their lives thinking what if.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

I was inspired by the aforementioned ideas to reevaluate my goals, to transcend my values, and reexamine my future and present plans. I am excited to use the personal action plan in implementing my projects for my community both locally and globally.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“It is not who you are that holds you back, it is what you think you are
not” – Circumstances do not define who I am nor the place where I was
born or how much wealth I own, but it is about what I think of myself and my potential. It is my thinking and attitude that takes me down or up high.

“Failure is really a matter of conceit. People do no work hard because, in their conceit, they imagine they will succeed without ever making an effort. Most people believe that they will wake up some day and find themselves rich. Actually, they have got it half right, because eventually they do wake up” Visualization is a powerful tool, but it is not enough to fully embrace all the blessings. Actions that are backed up with perseverance and determination are the highly important to go through the challenges toward the awesomeness.

“Real leaders come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. But they all have a few things in common: They are never so big that they cannot bend down to help someone else, they are never so wise that they do not remember who taught them. They are never so gifted that won’t share their skills with others. They are never so fearless that they do not play by the rules and live by the law. And they are never such big winners that they forget what it feels like to lose.” – This quote became my daily mantra and a reminder of who I would like to become and what kind of things I would like to focus on. I do aspire of becoming a person who listens first and speaks last, a person who knows that leadership is not a position but responsibility, I would like to become a person of actions. I would like to become a real leader.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

Everything was clear and I thank you for introducing me to it.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Also, Mr. Waitley at the end of his book provides a personal action plan for accomplishing a short term or a long term activity. Personally, I chose for my personal to implement a camp for children with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan promoting inclusive system of education. Using the action plan platform I have recruited local volunteers, developed a mastermind alliance. Later with the group of volunteers we have conducted fundraising activities where we mobilized local business community people to raise money to conduct a three – day camp for the 30 children with disabilities.

The main goal of the camp was to increase participation of children with disabilities in the development of civil society. Leadership camp included ; team building games, art and craft activities, tolerance, dance, visiting local park and zoo, and many more others. The camp has mobilized parents of children with disabilities to create a network for advocating and promoting interest of their children in the governmental level, local volunteers to continue implementing regular camps, and inspired children to embrace the concept of being different means being unique.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Luck is laboring under correct knowledge!!!!

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                              8
B. How helpful were the contents? 8
C. How easy was it to understand?                             8
D. Would you recommend it to others?                     8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?       8

Real Magic
Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

We all dream of making a our lives much better, brighter, richer, But for some reason we try to find these luxuries outside of our environment, in other people, or somewhere far away. Most of think that real pleasure in life consist of material things, and the more we have them, the better. However Dr Wayne, unfolds his book as a gift to the world, for people to understand that the magic is possible and only possible to achieve through yourself, it lies inside of you, and not outside. He gives a great platform for people to realize that we can all create happiness, wealth, and prosperity via reverence to the high power, spirituality, and satori, which is an instant awakening.

The main meaning of the book is to be kind, let of enmity and anger, and to surrender yourself to the world around you. His examples of real simple magic tantalize its readers to believe, to open their hearts, and trust the process of transformation. However, the main foundation ob the book was built on two principles: “Spiritual being having a human experience” and “then student is ready, the teacher will appear.” These two statements have had a visceral affect on me.

Because if we focus on the concept of being first spiritual being, we let go of all the physical pain, personal dislikes, pleasures, and truly dedicate ourselves to embracing the world that is bigger than ourselves and for that to happen it is necessary to be ready by opening your heart and soul, and teach will appear, it can come through books, vision, people, and many others.

Idea#1 “The cycles of life are approached as representatives of infinity” – I understand this statement as a method of fighting the fear of death, understanding that as a spiritual being I will exist forever, and when my human experience will come to its end, their will be another cycle that is very essential to embrace.

Idea#2 “Only when you abandon the need for external power and align yourself with your soul’s purpose, you will be ready for real magic.” – It is time to give up the doubts, needs for materialistic things, and truly dedicate myself for discovering and awakening my true spiritual side and flourish it through time.

Idea # 3 “The Bridge across forever” – by being a great human being, living a giving life, respecting diversity, finding your purpose, helping others to realize their potential, and doing it all as spiritual being, we are creating the bridge across forever, the bridge that can never be burn, but will be served as a foundation for people of all ages and time to walk.

Idea #4 “When you trust in yourself, you trust in the wisdom that created you” – I have memorized this statement. Sometime I have doubts about my personal contribution to the world or on what is my gift to this world, what have I done to make a difference. But by trusting my intuition, trusting my feelings, I truly trust the biggest power, the energy that has created me.

Idea #5 “Trust in the miracle that you are” – I am not only the spiritual being, but I am also a miracle, I can create miracles, not only for myself, but for people around me. The only way for me to get awaken is through

Idea #6 “There is no way to prosperity, prosperity is the way” – When I stop doing things for the sake of prosperity, reward, and increasing my financial position, only then I can truly embrace the unique gifts of real magic. Prosperity should not be the destination, it should be a journey, a value, something that you do not achieve, but something that is helping me to follow my destiny.

Idea #7 “I am a messenger of miracles to the World” – I believe it, by miracles I mean, my actions, my words, the way I live. We are all messengers or mini mosaics of life with our personal gifts to the world, and it is important to find these gifts to shine as bright as possible, illuminating people around me to join in.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so how?

All the aforementioned lessons would help me to truly embrace and understand the concept of satori, or instant awakening, which would allow me to realize my gifts to this world, the way I can contribute to the world. Because I believe when person is capable of getting to know himself on a very personal level, only then he is able to be a gift to this world. Ahead of me is a long journey of discovery, contemplating, accepting, and believing … and I am sure when I will be ready to embrace my satori, the teacher will appear.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“When God speaks through your hands and smiles upon the earth through you, because you are an unconditional giver, a purposeful being, asking nothing of anyone, prosperity will be your reward” – I would like to become that person that is being describe in this quote. And I believe through the books of IIGL, I am obtaining necessary skills and knowledge and skills to step closer to be that kinds of person.

“Households, cities, countries, and nations have enjoyed great happiness, when a single individual has taken heed of the Good and Beautiful such men do not only liberate themselves, they fill those they meet with a free mind” – It is a person who turns the impossible into I’M possible, person who turns the vision into a reality, person who changes the status quo, questions the conventional thinking, and creates tangible for people around. It would be honor to meet that kind of person and follow his/her leadership.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

I felt, through the book there were lots of repetitions and the same examples, but it was anyways a great piece of writing.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

It gave lots of recommendations on the power of mediation. I would like to look into it more and develop a habit of spiritual meditation and instant awakening.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Recently I have experience the biggest loss in my life – when my mom has passed away at the age of 50. I was extremely broken hurt. But it happened several days after I finished reading the book, and at some point it gave me some comfort, that my mom still does exist in this world, but now only in different shape.

That’s what I have written 20 after my mom has passed away:

My dear global family,

It has been 20 days since the day my mom has left this planet to go to Heaven.

Losing a parent is such an outlandish feeling, like somebody took an important piece of your soul and left you figuring it out without any hints on how to move on. It is when breathing becomes so unfamiliar that you have no idea if you still belong. It is an impossible pain, however it makes you stronger, because it is the only choice you have…

I know my mom would want me to keep on smiling and move forward with the sense of purpose towards the greatness she has breathed into me.

The week before my mom has passed away, we had a profound conversation on the importance of finding the purpose of being here on Earth and discovering the gifts that each of us has to make this world a better place. I asked my mom, what she thinks her gift was to this world; she looked at me with her kind eyes and said “It is you!” she said, she believes in me, and she knows no matter what kind of challenges might be ahead, she is firm in the belief that I will be great.

Therefore, I am choosing to be patient, I choosing to be grateful for the time I was able to spent with my mom, I am choosing to celebrate each day as a promise to carry the legacy of my mom in all I do, I am choosing to continue making a difference for mothers, fathers, and children the world over, I am choosing to live each day with an open heart and an open mind.

The day my mom has passed away, on the International Day of Peace, I was getting ready for my meeting with the Russian President Putin, and my mom was so proud and excited. It was already hard for her to move and talk, but as I came to her room in the morning, she was in a lot of pain, but she found strength to extend her hands to me … as I kissed them, she said “Do not cry: it is all going to be great,” she held my hands, I looked at her eyes and they were full of courage, pride, kindness, perseverance, and warmth. If only I knew it would be the last time I see her, I would hold her hands forever …

My mom has given me the birth on Earth Day and left this planet on the International Day of Peace, and that’s how she will be remembered: peaceful and kind, a beautiful spiritual being who has blessed us with her human experience, small person with the huge heart, and of course as the mother who has experienced incomprehensible challenges to raise us, her children, and taught us to be always responsible for the space we are holding on Earth …

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                              8
B. How helpful were the contents?                             8
C. How easy was it to understand?                             8
D. Would you recommend it to others?                     8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8

How to Win Friends and Influence People
Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

Every page of this momentous book has spoken to me in a very special way leaving visceral feelings, as so far it has being one of the very best books I have read. The entire book was like a journey and it was extremely easy to walk through that journey and be fascinated by its view. The main idea of the book is the each of us has a tremendous potential to influence people in the positive way that would not only bring you what you need, but also would motivate others to open their eyes towards the process of winning friends, colleagues, job opportunities, business proposals, and even relationship. The main aspects of this book are focused on treating people as creatures of feelings and not logic. It provides some powerful examples of how to not criticize but provide a constructive feedback that would empower people to take actions in their own hands.

Also it includes information on how to act in unfamiliar situations with unfamiliar people and be amazing in it. Simple things like smiling, remembering the names, shaking hands were greatly exemplified with real situation stories of influential people of the 20 century.
Also the book highlights the importance of never underestimating the details, as later on details can be used as the missing puzzles when it comes to the bigger picture.

My favorite part of the entire book was the extensive collection of quotes and historical examples on how the art of public speaking, interpersonal communication, and listening can influence the course of your entire career, future, and transform your world around.

a. “By criticizing we do not make lasting changes and often incur resentment.” I have noticed in a lot of situations working with people from different backgrounds. That event thou people say criticism is good and necessary, nobody likes it. And now after reading the book, I can confidently say that criticism never brings positive results, but complicates the situation even further. Instead of criticizing and being honest, it is important to be considerate and using constructive feedback in the language that unifies and heals.

b. “It takes character and self –control to be understanding and forgiving.” Do not assume people can forgive easily just because they are saying they do, observe the way they act and behave, the way they talk, listen, their body language. Forgiveness and understanding do not come is the sway of a moment, but take a long process.

c. “The only way to influence people is to talk about what they want and show them how to get it.” If you would like to get what you want and need, it is important to master the skills listening and opening your ears. I notice it in my friends and family members the importance of listening, and you never know how surprised you might be. Once you listen and show the high interest in what people need you unconsciously let that person feel secure, you make that person to feel that she/he matters to you and that the most powerful tool you can ever possess.

d. “First arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely walk.” People have the tendency to want to belong to something bigger then themselves, it might be the religion, political identity, or whatever. What important is to see that vision even if it is not visible and have the skills to clearly communicate it to as many people as possible. If you can do that, the entire world will be on your side.

e. “Drunk with the sense of their own importance and intoxicated with their own egos.” I really appreciated this saying as, it is so true, every day we meet people who are intoxicated with their own self and pollute everything around with their negativity and thoughts. The most important thing is to remember that you cannot control other people, but you can control your behavior around them.

f. “When two partners always agree one of them is not necessary” – very often I get defensive about my position in the teamwork if I know I am “right,” but this saying helped me to understand that when I work in the team I no longer represent myself as an individual, but I am a part of bigger movement. And if everything goes smoothly all the time, there is defiantly a problem; it means that there is no spark, no passion. And It is healthy if your partner disagrees with you, it generates the dialogue which might bring new ideas that have not being thought before.

g. “You will not alter their opinions, for you have hurt their feelings.” So true, but how often we forget it. If you would like to people like you, make sure you make feel them liked and welcomed. This concept is also similar to the quote that says, people will forget what you said about them, but they will always remember the way you made them feel.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“I judge people by their own principles not by my own,” by Dr. King. Travelling around the world and meeting people from different backgrounds, it is important to follow these sage words of Dr. King as they provide a platform for understanding the perceptions of people that might vary from my own. As we have all grown in different families/communities and therefore have developed different values.
But for being truly a global citizen it is essential to be flexible and adaptive to other people’s principles and thoughts.

“Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories.” These words were used by President Lincoln in his letter to generals during the Civil War. I use this quote when I take exams or immerse myself into unfamiliar situation that reminds me of possible challenges but being focused on victory by using energy and vigilance.

“I have no right to say or do anything that diminishes a man, in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him, but what he thinks of himself. Hurting a man and his dignity is a crime.” I believe it is the biggest crime to hurt people’s feelings and make them think less of themselves. We are all here for a limited time, so we should make sure to inspire people to develop their potential, and praise them for simply because they are here sharing this space with you, simply because we belong to one race – humanity.

“I shall pass this way but once and any good, therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now, let me not defer not neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” We are giving this space for a reason, I hope to find it one day, and pass the knowledge of finding the purpose to people I meet.

“Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him.
Emerson.” We are all mutual travelers, and we are all tied with an invisible thread and even though all of us might not meet each other, but we are all having a silent conversation simply because we were blessed with the gift of life. Therefore each of us has something to offer, skills, tools, knowledge, story, or smile. Each of us is going through a personal battle and it is important to acknowledge it and learn from each other. I hope to never underestimate what I can learn from people around.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

Everything was clear to me and I have enjoyed reading it.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

The entire book was an exercise based testimony that I am passionate to use in my daily life and further.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Recently I have participated at the UNESCO Intergenerational Forum and would like to share with you updates on it.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                             10
B. How helpful were the contents?                            10
C. How easy was it to understand?                            10
D. Would you recommend it to others?                    10
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?      10

Giant Steps
Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

Giant Steps by Anthony Robbins is a simple manual to use for creating tangible and profound changes in one’s life. It includes the extensive collection of quotes, exercises, assignments, recommendations, advices, and feedback that can be used daily for achieving the certain goal. The main idea behind the book is that no matter how big the goal might be, it should be broken into several sub goals with a simple action plan, and that even small steps should never be underestimated when it comes to following and achieving one’s dream. The manual composes information on self-mastery for relationship, health, leadership development, and personal growth. Compare to other books on inspiration and self-motivation, this particular book encompasses action activities for every day, for example, personally very often, after reading the book I get inspired and have an ephemeral urge to start following the recommendations, however often give up in the first steps of implementation, because of the scope of information that very often gets lost in the daily routine, and personal problems. However this manual was designed to suit the daily routine and resolve personal problems without losing the track of following the dream.

i.. “The more decisions you make, the better you’ll become at making them.” The importance of this idea for me is huge, because very often I just cannot make up my mind on whatever issue. I spend lot of time analyzing, thinking, deliberating, and sometimes it is good, however sometimes it led me to the point, when it was too late or somebody else already took advantage of the particular opportunity. Now I understand that it is like using you muscle, the more I use it, the stronger it gets, the same with making decisions, the more I make them, the better I become in doing it.

ii. “Mentally rehearse.” -Just like every person, I also experience the situations where I feel absolutely strange, blue, and uncomfortable. The idea of mentally rehearsing such situations is reinvigorating, as our brain does not know the difference between the reality and the visions we create in our head. Therefore it is useful to envision the future interview, what questions the might ask, how would you answer, you can rehearse the situation of maybe meeting your future sweetheart and the way you approach them, the list can go on. The more you mentally rehearse the situations you would like to escape from the more prepared you become when you finally face them.

iii. “The answers we seek always depend on questions we ask.” This idea profoundly reflects in the state of mind that I am currently in. As I transfer into a conscious young adult, I am in the quest of answers about life, future, religion, and other philosophical discoveries. However, it is not about answers, but questions that I ask, and the way I ask them, I believe every single question we send to the Universe is heard and comes back in different forms as an answer, it can be person I meet, book in IIGL course, a whisper I hear, the dream I see, and many others.

iv. “The power of metaphors.” It has being proven through my personal experience that metaphors provide a significant help when I work with people or when I try to share my inner feelings, because people would understand better and deeper if they can associate it with something. For example when I have some disagreements with my friends or colleagues, I use the power of metaphors instead of confrontation.

v. “Art of keeping my mind focused upon the thing I really want.” Life consists of so many different things, activities, meetings, trials, victories, challenges, perspectives, and many more others. Sometime by getting to much on my plate, I am getting overwhelmed by the scope of things that have to be done, but then I stop for a moment and ask myself “does the stress and little things I do bring me closer to my dreams …. Hmmm … No” It is important to learn the skill of art to be focused upon things that I really want, everything else is not important.

vi. “There is a force that shapes your life.” I truly believe that there is a spiritual l force that shapes my life which provides a sense of awe, reverence, and inner peace inspired by a connection to all of creation and/or that which is greater than myself. Therefore I feel responsible for the space I am holding on Earth and following the quest which helps me to develop my gifts to this world.

vii. “The more awareness you possess the more control you have.” Based on my personal observation and experience, I wholeheartedly agree that the more information and awareness I have the higher chances I have to accomplish my dreams and goals. That’s why I truly appreciate the IIGL course, as it provides me with a great platform to discover my true personality and develop my bequest for this amazing world.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

Every idea presented in this book would be daily reflected in my personal live as I move forward to learn more about people, learn more about myself, I would like to share these ideas with people around, as well as, meditate on these ideas to be used in my professional work as a global civil servant.

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Nothing happens unless first a dream” – This quote is important to me, because I often accept fast results and get frustrated if I do not get what I want, but I have to realize before anything could happen unless I first focus all my attention and desire to form my dream.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reasons for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” – Being inquisitive has being one my greatest priorities, and it has absolutely changed my life, because through questioning the world around me, I was able to create my goals and ambitions to find answers to these questions through community service and inner peace discovery.

“Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters” – I agree with this quote, because very often habits turn into attitudes and attitudes turn into a way of living. Therefore I need to be careful on what kind of habits I have in my life, do I exercise, do I read, do I smile, and do I sleep enough. This helped me conduct a monitoring over my current habits and see what I would like to develop and what habits I would like to eliminate.

“Words form the thread on which we string our experiences” – we should be careful not only what we wish for, but also what we say. I believe words have tendencies to be leaving the powerful energy force that exists forever, thus creating an atmosphere around our being, which shapes our experiences and situations.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

Everything was understandable, however I strongly believe that this book should be taken off form the level one, because the nature of this book is dedicate exactly one year to fully appreciate and comprehend everything author intended for its readers to observe.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

The book contains multiple of assignments and exercises that should be completed on a daily bases. The nature of exercises are identifying goals, breaking it down into small parts, creating an action plan, receiving a feedback, and others.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Thank you!

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                             8
B. How helpful were the contents?                            8
C. How easy was it to understand?    8
D. Would you recommend it to others?                    8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?      8

Leadership for Dummies
Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

I was completely blown away by the intensity of the information this book provides. I believe the main idea of the book is to challenge the myth that natural leaders are born and could not be made, like the concept of “Sword in the stone” which symbolizes one single person, pure of heart and purpose, which can draw a sword. This book, however, says that Everyone can be a leader; it is not something you are born with, it is something that you develop, acquire, and observe throughout your life. To prove this idea, the authors have included multiple of interactive assignments and activities that help everyone to brash up on their leadership skills. The core element of this book though is the emotional intelligence, which is a combination of self awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. If developed these skills, the leadership position would be extremely easy to use.
The other message of this book is that leadership skills can be learned and developed in every aspect of our lives. It just depends on how well we can marshal our resources. One of my favorite ideas from this book are following:

“Flattening the pyramid” – which means, distributing leadership roles broadly across a company, and only to the “top” of the pyramid.

The intensive usage of metaphors, for example “Gordian Knot” – a bold –stroke solution to a complicated issue.

Jujitsu leadership style – let the problem come to them and Karate leadership – push at problems Practice Dual inclusivity – neither shut anyone out from your decision making processes, nor bring them in so closely that they feel like they are being overwhelmed by responsibility without authority.

Challenge Bunker mentality – misplaced idea that if you just keep your head down, bad things pass you by.

I consider this book as the most useful leadership manual to be used daily in every aspect of leadership development.

A. “Respond to situations with flexibility.”

I believe flexibility is the most important aspect in leadership, as the world constantly moves around us, and in order to survive in such a dynamic atmosphere, it is crucial to practice flexibility or using other words adaptability to new situations. For me, flexibility also means that every situation has different angles and it is my role as a leader to make sure that I have envisioned every outcome possible before responding to a particular situation.
B. “Take advantage of fortuitous circumstances.”

Unaccepted circumstances can make or break you. This book has taught me that it is important to absolutely embrace the fortuitous events and take a full advantage of them. To do that, it is advised to have a plan B and plan C for the most important situations in my leadership positions. Also this idea suggests that even in bed situations, there are seeds of good and beneficial that has to be harness and cultivated.

C. “Make sense out of ambiguous or contradictory messages.”

This leadership quality is something I am trying to develop. As a leader, I also have to be able to clearly communicate the messages using the simple language and common sense.

D. “Recognize the importance of different elements of situations.”

Every problem or dilemma, situation on plan has multiple of elements that have to be considered before taking a final decision. Every element can embody its own challenges and opportunities that have to be well though through.

E. “Find similarities between situations despite differences that may separate them.”

Every opposing group or situation might have some mutual beliefs. For me as for leader, it is important to identify such sides and use it as a foundation for drawing an outcome.

F. “Draw distinctions between situations despite similarities that may link them.”

Even though some situations or projects might similar, it is highly crucial to look for distinctions, as every situation requires a different solving approach.

G. “Synthesize new concepts by taking old concepts and putting them together in new ways.”

One of the most important qualities in leader is the ability to create new and innovative approaches and concepts congruently with the old ones. It is like a synergy, many old concepts might have brought a lot of great benefits, but connecting them with new approaches, might be a powerful force in solving every complicated situation.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“A smart leader fills a team with individuals who are strong where the leader is weak.”

There is no a person on earth who can be good at everything and have qualities of being ubiquitous. Therefore a sage leader uses his/her resources to fill the weak gap through seeking mentorship and assistantship in the team members. Seeking help also symbolizes humility and creates an atmosphere of cooperation in the organization or project team.

“The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the trace of genius can deal with successfully.”

For me this quote symbolizes the concept of being able to create opportunities for my team members without my personal reward. I have met a lot of leaders, who made me feel less, simply because I did not have an Ivy League education and did not possess technical skills in particular subjects. Therefore, I have promised myself to always make people feel matter and important.

“Keep strong, if possible. In any case, keep cool. Have unlimited patience. Never corner an opponent and always assist him to save face.”

Put yourself in his shoes – so as to see things through his eyes.

“Avoid self righteousness like the devil -nothing so self-blinding.”

This quote is the one I printed out and hang on my desk and every day I remind myself the importance of having a human attitude towards people, not the attitude of a manager or someone in charge. It also reminds of the importance of helping me out people, if then they might be my competitors or rivals. I have to be better than that, I have to accept then as mutual travelers, and the importance of meeting them is to learn from them and provide a shoulder to lean on.

“Managers do things rights, but leader do the right things.”

Managers are people who follow rules of binders and treat people as binders, but leaders do not necessarily follow every line in rule, the inspire people to do the right things by being a powerful example themselves.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The book was extremely beneficial. I have learned a lot of interesting exercises and interesting assignments that I have shared with my friends and colleagues. I learned how to plan and organize strategic planning, communicate with people, how to put the needs of others above my own, and listening skills. Moreover I have acquired some interesting teambuilding activities that I will be introducing in my university and community.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

The book contains multiple of assignments and exercises that should be completed on different leadership programs. The nature of exercises are leadership development, time managements, budget planning, project design, advocacy, history of leader, the way to motivate people, how to turn challenges into opportunities, how to elicit cooperation and exc.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

None.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                                 8
B. How helpful were the contents?                                8
C. How easy was it to understand?                                8
D. Would you recommend it to others?                        8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?          8

Goals
Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

Goals are the roads towards happiness and prosperity!

We all want to be happy, wealthy, and healthy, however according to Brian, it is a wishful thinking, and we will never be happy, unless we set measurable, time bound and specific goals. And that’s what separates mere dreamers from achievers: mere dreamers just dream, which is great and extremely important, however dreaming will not change our current situation unless we do something to turn such dreams into realities. And the best way to do so is to turn my dreams into specific written goals. For example: I cannot just say I would like to be happy, it is very broad and not tangible. However expand “being happy” to several goals, starting with answering what exactly makes me happy, when do I feel the happiest, what would I like to accomplish. After finding the answers, I would have to write a specific goal which would translate my dream into a concrete action.

However, my goal should also be measurable and have indicators that would allow me to monitor my progress. Next, my goal should be time bound for an action plan, where I indicate daily steps I have to take towards embracing my dream. The afore-mentioned seems very easy; however only a few number of people actually do that, and according to the Brian it happens because of the following reasons:

Some people just do not have goals, they have wishful thinking, they
just follow the crowd and believe they cannot change their lives.

Also a lot of people do not know how to set up goals, they do not
understand the power of written specific goals.

Fear of failure is a strong indicator for people to be reserved. It
is a powerful force that keep million people an inch away from living the bets life they can possibly imagine.

Failure of rejection is another powerful surge that keeps a lot of people away from dreams. People are scared of being ridiculed and rejected.

However, according to the author of the book, once we liberate ourselves from self-limitation and understand the importance of written goals, we can accomplish every wildest and impossible dream.

He motivates his readers to be the change we want to see in the world by starting with writing down the specific and measurable goals.

Life is more like a buffet or cafeteria than it is a restaurant.

Life is full of wonders, opportunities, and resources, and the best part of it that it is all unlimited. We can have whatever we wish for, as long as we committed, honest, and true to ourselves. I grew up in the environment, where people were very limited in thinking and had a belief that all rich people are evil people. I am glad I was given an opportunity to challenge such thinking and start living my dreams.

B. Nature doesn’t care about the size or scope of your goals.

Very often I get scared by the intensity of my goals. For example I would like to become a UN Secretary General and receive an Academy Award. Sometimes I think that these two combinations do not go together, but by thinking so, I sent energy to the source that I do not deserve to embrace both of these goals without realizing that nature does not care how intense of big my dream is, there is no size requirement.

C. The greatest need of the human being is for a sense of meaning and purpose in life.

I am still looking for my purpose of life, and every experience and lesson is bringing me closer.

D. “No Road Signs”

Signs are around us, signs that lead us towards our ultimate goal, signs that lead to the people we have to meet. And I believe one of the ways towards recognizing such signs is through developing clear goals.

E. Living without clear goals is like driving in a thick fog.

Driving in a thick fog is dangerous not only for myself, but also for people around me. Meaning living without clear goals not only dangerous for my well being but also for people around me, because a person without goals sooner or later, does not thrive, loses interest in the beauty of life, which can lead to depression and substance abuse.

F. Your outer world ultimately becomes a reflection of your inner world

I have to be careful what I feel and what I think, because everything inside of me is reflected outside me. When I have great thoughts and happy feelings, I automatically attract and magnet the positivity and optimism in every aspect of my life.

G. “The greatest discovery in human history is the power of your mind to create the aspects of your life.”

In order to accomplish my dream, I do not need to be rich, have a political office, or be super smart. Everything I need, I already have, such as my mind and my heart! And these two when work in congruency are the most powerful tools that can help achieve any dream.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step.”

Sometimes when I dream about my future, create my vision plans, I get excited but also scared, scared not because it seems impossible, but scared of actions needed to be taken in order to accomplish the particular dream. However this quote has a great sentiment to me, explaining that after taking the first step, it would be much easier to move forward.

“The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good.”

This quote reminds me of a fact that there is no shortage of opportunities only shortage of imagination. Often people are scared to pursue their passions simply because they believe they are not good enough. However we are all given the vast majority of amazing opportunities to make this world a better place and to live our passions.

“Realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.” By: William Moulton Marsden.

I would add to this quote, that we truly identify what we want, the entire world is begin to be filled with the opportunities and signs to accomplish it. However, every day I meet a lot of people, who do not know what they really want, and sometimes I have the same insecurities of what I really want to do and what really makes me happy. I yet have to find a book that would include such information and provide a foundation to identify the desire of the soul.

“The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible.”

It is true, for example I always wanted to study at the Ivy League Institution, but actually never tried to apply, always thinking that I am not good enough. However when I liberated myself from negative thinking and finally gave it a shout to apply for my top choices of higher education: Brown, Columbia, and U Penn. I developed a plan, followed through, visualized, followed my inner intuition, and recently was notified that I have been accepted to all of my top choices. If I never would try to take step but was just dreaming, I would not be able to accomplish that goal.

“The person interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the process getting to the top.” Joyce Brothers

Personally I do not believe in failures, I believe in lessons. Because for me the word failure has a very negative context to it with a dark energy around it. But lesson is something I have learned and embraced through the process of trying.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

Everything was clear to me and I have enjoyed reading it, however it would be better to include the case study at the end of his goal formula.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

Exercises included the development of written based goal for professional, personal, health, physical, education, and spiritual parts in readers’ life. I developed a special notebook that I call “The reality book of a goal drive person;” where I write down my long term and short term goals.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

I m excited to follow the system of written based goals that are specific and measurable at the University of Pennsylvania and beyond.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?    7.5
B. How helpful were the contents?                             7.5
C. How easy was it to understand?                             7.5
D. Would you recommend it to others? 7.5
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?       7

Unlimited Power
Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

We often wonder why some people are really successful and others are not. We often think what makes them different, what kind of secret do successful people possess, and what are the keys to their wealth, prosperity, and peace of mind. But the worst part is when we try to find explanations for their success and own failures. In his book “Unlimited Power” Anthony call such thinking as destructive, and believes it is the most dangerous thing human being can do. He believes that we are all destined for greatness, no matter where we are coming from, how well educated we are, how powerful we are. He believes that we are all playing on the same field, once we understand and embrace the responsibility for every though and feeling we have.

The core of his philosophy of ultimate power lies in information. He states, that currently we live in the age of information, meaning that ultimate success can be driven only through information. He highlights the importance of self awareness of the beginning process of the information age. And self awareness includes honesty about our current state of mind, ability to clearly communicate what exactly we would like to accomplish, and the passion to achieve it. Robbins supports his discovery with numerous examples and exercises that allows his readers to truly experience his words in actions.
He continues his main idea of creating the present and future we desire through reprogram our mind in minutes to eliminate fears and phobias, via embracing our fears, and asking one simple question what the worst can happen to us. He shares the secret of creating instant rapport with anyone me meet via coping their moves, reading their energy, and absorbing their behavior.

The other important idea that Anthony is try to convey to his readers is that self-care is mandatory for achieving goals. He provides great recommendations for eating and physical exercises, as well as meditation techniques. His sincere revelation of success through getting to know yourself better is extremely compelling and provided a great surge of new skills and knowledge towards ultimate power in personal and professional life.

A. “Do not major in minor things.”

Very often I pay too much attention to little things and details that on a long term do not really matter but drain a lot of energy. Also I lately realized by focusing on minor things, keeps away from my ultimate goals. This idea helped me to understand and appreciate the importance of pacing myself when it comes to goal implementation.

B. “It has to be everybody or nobody.”

As a global citizen and a leader it is important for me to use words heals and organize actions that unify. When we try alienating people, we create an invisible gap in our hearts that consume our energy and energy of people around us. However when we embrace people, we enrich our lives in ultimate way, which broadens our horizons and breathes new perspective into us.

C. “I demand more from myself that anybody else could ever expect.”

The most important expectation is my own expectation. What I think of myself determines my self esteem and the way I choose to embrace each moment. Also, being a human being I demand from myself to be responsible for the space I am holding on Earth. I demand from myself to be a representative of humility, courage, and commitment.

D. “I challenge myself to make my life masterpiece.”

We are all destined for greatness, we are all born to make this our lives and lives of people around us better and brighter. And I challenge myself to accomplish it via being true to myself, my values, and becoming the voice for those who lost it through community service and peace building initiatives.

E. “You are either climbing or sliding.”

The importance of figuring out if you are climbing or sliding lies on how honest I can be in assessing my current situation, assessing my qualities and my actions. Self-monitoring is an essential part for achieving any goal.

F. “I am on the launching ramp and ready to take off toward the stars.”

Self–affirmation and positive keys are mandatory as well. The launching ramp represents the passion and commitment towards embracing and accomplishing my goals, and my willingness to work hard to turn my visions into realities. Also I like to think of launching ramp as a platform to help people through connecting them to different opportunities and helping them to reach for the stars.

G. “Profound personal commitment to moral excellence.”

For me moral excellence represents felling OK with who I am as a person, being satisfied with the person I see in mirror. Do the right thing in the direct opposition and follow my heart.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“By criticizing we do not make lasting changes and often incur resentment.”

I have noticed in a lot of situations working with people from different backgrounds. That event though people say criticism is good and necessary, nobody likes it. And now after reading the book, I can confidently say that criticism never brings positive results, but complicates the situation even further. Instead of criticizing and being honest, it is important to be considerate and using constructive feedback in the language that unifies and heals.

“It takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”

Do not assume people can forgive easily just because they are saying they do, observe the way they act and behave, the way they talk, listen, their body language. Forgiveness and understanding do

“The great tragedy of the average man is that he goes to his grave with his music still in him.”

We all have a heart song, our personal song, our music that is incorporated in our calling for life. And it is true that many of us just live the lives without considering why they are here in earth, what their missions are, and what their gifts are. And only few of us are capable of realizing it and sharing it with people around us. I hope I am on the right track of realizing what my heart song is and they way I can share it with people around me.

“If you make it to the top of success mountain by yourself, you will probably jump off.”

There is no point of accomplishing incredible goals and dreams, if there is no one I can share the moment with. It is important to keep in touch with people with have helped once, keep friends close, even keep annoying relatives close, because we are all part of one and we can only survive through loving each others.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

Everything was clear to me and I have enjoyed reading it.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

The entire book was an exercise based testimony that I am passionate to use in my daily life and further. It has also enunciated the importance of community service and volunteering, as one of the essential exercises towards achieving a great success in personal and professional live.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

I appreciated the information on physical health being and recommendation for food options. Recently I struggled with eating disorders and being on a verge of anorexia, however now I understand that before saving the world I need to save myself.

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read? 8
B. How helpful were the contents?                                8
C. How easy was it to understand?                                8
D. Would you recommend it to others?                        8
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?          8

Goal Setting 101

Assessment by Sayid Abdullaev (Kyrgyzstan)

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?

The main idea addressed in this book was that every goal can be accomplished and developed as long as there is a stricture, plan, and action every day. Author highlights that very often we get overwhelmed by the intensity of the goal and because of it refuse to complete it or even pursue it. But every goal can be broken into small parts which makes a goal more accessible and implementable.

For example, one wants to pursue a goal of getting into a law school. Such goal should first divided into categories that are needed to accomplish this goal: 1) Transcripts, 2) Letters of Recommendations 3) LSAT, 4) Statement of purpose 5) CV 6) Meet all the deadline 7) Send all necessary documents

Next, each of these categories can be broken into actions necessary to meet the requirement. For example:

1) Transcripts:

Get tutoring to improve grades

Request transcripts

Talk to professors on how to advance the academic progress by the time of applying for law school

Create a schedule with academic adviser to ensure necessary classes for law school.

2) LSAT:

Have a system of memorizing and doing LSAT exercises

Every day have two or three hours dedicated for LSAT prep

Purchase necessary books or hit the library

Create a schedule for LSAT studying

Talk to Law schools for tips on advancing the LSAT test

Moreover the author of such manual continues to provide variety of techniques and approaches that goal implementation more successful and easy to follow. The biggest advice that is also given that every goal should be written and every day should be spent on something to advance the goal further.

i. Goals should be specific.

Every goal should be Specific, it cannot simply be: My goal is to be happy, it needs to be defined what one means by “happy,” what makes one happy. For example maybe happiness entails having a great job, therefore it is necessary to to indicate: having a job in this particular area makes me extremely happy. But it is also recommended to continue the analyzing process and keep asking yourself, what exactly about this particular job makes you happy: your experience, working with people, working in the office alone, salary, and etc.

ii. Goals should be measurable.

It is also important to keep in mind that every goal should be measurable. Example of it can be, My goal is to gain “25 pounds by 2015,” therefore one can continue to write down sub goals that can be measured, it can be the amount of protein one consumes, the number of times one hits the gym, and others. Whatever you do, it is important to have a system of measurements of the progress or regress that would allow you to see the weakness and strengths.

iii. Goals should be attainable.

Next it is crucial to keep in mind that every goal should be attainable. I cannot just say, my goal is to get my PhD by tomorrow morning. First of all it is unhealthy as it puts a lot of pressure on my nervous system, and prevents me from enjoying the experience of working towards embracing my goal.

iv. Goals should be realistic.

Moreover goal should be realistic and must take into consideration the resources available to accomplish that particular goal. For example, I cannot bring dead to life or turn metal into gold.

v. Goals should be time bound

It is easier to have a goal with the specific dates that are realistic and allow you to embrace it. But it is very important to also stay flexible within the time frame, because sometimes the unexpected things happen that can throw us off of our game. Therefore time frame allows you to have a structure, as long as, you do not let it to curtail your progress and creativity.

vi. Goals should be written

There is always something magical when we put down our goals and hopes in a written form, it makes it real, it shows commitment, and it allows us to always go back to it to review it, to analyze it, and to get a perspective, and appreciate the progress.

vii. Do something every day that brings you closer to your goal.

It is important to know that consistency is mandatory. For me it is easier to do something, even small, that brings me closer to my goal, it can be finally putting a check mark on a deadline, giving gratitude, reading a helpful book, or saying a prayer.

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.

“Your best friends in goal setting process are who, what, when, and where.”

It is important to incorporate who, what, when, and where, when it comes to a goal setting. Because it allows us to have a system and structure. When I have a clear understanding of what I want from life, the universe rewards me with opportunities to embrace it and advance it.

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?

The book was extremely beneficial. I have learned a lot of interesting exercises and interesting assignments that I have shared with my friends and colleagues.

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?

This past year has being a very interesting year me in terms of my professional, academic, and spiritual growth. But also it was the year of getting to know myself better and embracing my true self. One of the main goals of the past year was to be more comfortable with who I am and celebrate my sexuality. Therefore as one of my sub goals was to create a letter and email it to people who matter in my life and hear their perspectives.

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.

Thank you!

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.

A. How interesting was it to read?                                     6
B. How helpful were the contents?                                    6
C. How easy was it to understand?                                    6
D. Would you recommend it to others?                            6
E. What is the overall rating you would give it?              6