This is the title of an inspiring book, subtitled “A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea,” by Bob Burg and John David Mann.
The story is indeed short; the book can be read in no more than three or four hours. Its main character is Joe, who learns the “Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.” And although these laws are not necessarily things we don’t already know, the way they are presented can truly inspire you. For me, this is important—perhaps most important. I see it as a sign that the person who wrote it did so from the heart, and because of that, it touches the heart of the reader. And that is exactly where the desire and energy to change our lives reside.
At first glance, this is a book about business success and how to achieve it, but in reality, it is a book about success in life. True success in business is inseparable from success in life as a whole, which includes self-fulfillment, meaningful connections with others, and an authentic way of living. As the book states:
“These lessons aren’t just about business, Joe. A truly good business principle is applicable in all spheres of life—in friendship, in marriage, everywhere. That is the real test. Not just whether it improves your financial metrics, but whether it improves your life metrics.”
This is another one of those books that defend the value of internal integrity—a concept that won me over years ago in Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It is expressed in the fact that a successful person is whole—they say what they think and do what they say. Therefore, such a person can be trusted, and most importantly, they are the kind of person who can achieve true success in life.
This book inspires because it offers hope that eternal human values are not obstacles to success; on the contrary, they are the true prerequisite for long-term success. Above all, it gives the reader confidence that THEY can do it too, and that is exactly why it is worth reading.
“People, remember one thing: it doesn’t matter what training you’ve been through, what your skills are, or what field you’re developing in—you yourself are your most valuable asset. The greatest gift you can give is yourself… At the foundation of everything is who you are. It all starts with you. As long as you try to be someone else or adopt a behavior or a role that someone else taught you, you won’t be able to truly reach people. The most valuable thing you have to give is yourself. No matter what you think you’re selling, what you’re really offering is you.”
The above is an excerpt from the chapter presenting the Fourth Law—The Law of Authenticity—which states: “The most valuable thing you have to offer the world is yourself.”
I am not a big fan of books that offer “everything in a few steps,” but I am a connoisseur of clear and inspiring messages, even when they are presented as laws for achieving “stratospheric success.”
And so, the first law is the Law of Value (giving), and the last is the Law of Receptivity (receiving). Because the circle in which both love and money circulate is called exchange…
Kameliya Hadzhiyska
Note: The quotations are translated from Bulgarian and are not presented as verbatim citations.
