Do It Anyway by Kent Keith
This book is just a real, honest, and great look at life. As we all know, there are going to be challenges, ups and downs in life, and yet it is up to all of us to “Do It Anyway.” To move forward in our life and to have an impact is our responsibility. To not allow other people or things hold us back from becoming what we are capable of becoming is our responsibility. This inspirational book really revolves around Kent Keith’s poem “Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments” that are sure to inspire and challenge you to have a new or refreshed outlook on life.
I love many aspects of this book and poem, yet here are 3 of the main lessons I have taken from it:
1. Who you are and how you live is more important than who remembers what you did. I love this statement from Kent in the book because it is all about Integrity – something that you do when no one is watching. Integrity is such a highly-sought after characteristic in today’s world, as there has been so much publicity towards the leaders and people that have not demonstrated integrity in their personal or professional lives.
2. It is harder to not live the commandments than it is to live them. What Kent is saying here is that personal meaning and happiness are on the other side of living up to these commandments and if you don’t do your best to live up to them, you may never truly discover how wonderful of a feeling that is.
3. The road blocks that we face are in our own heads and hearts. We stop ourselves from success. We stop ourselves from discovering personal meaning. We stop ourselves from having happiness in our lives. It is not until we truly “free” ourselves from our own self-sabotaging that we discover what we are capable of. Go ahead, give yourself permission to be successful, happy, and to discover personal meaning – there may be people that don’t necessarily want that for you, for whatever reason, Do It Anyway.
I could go on and on about this poem and book, yet I thought I would end this post with a portion of the commandments. Trust me my friends, this is one book and poem that will serve you well in your Success Library. Do It Anyway! Here is the start of the Commandments:
1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
In Your Service
Brandon Johnson
“Positive Energy Guy”
