I am currently reading a book that I’m sure many of you have heard about, or perhaps have already read: How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. It would be an enormous understatement to say that this book has impacted – and completely revolutionized – the lives of millions. Having been written in 1937, and often referred to as the grandfather of all people-skills books, it is still one of today’s all-time international best-sellers, selling well over 15 million copies. This book is saturated with timeless information for handling people, invoking enthusiasm among others, and becoming an all-around better communicator. Now, you might not be much of a “reader,” but I think this information is powerful and utterly invaluable. After all, nearly all of our life revolves around human interactions.

William James, a renowned Harvard professor, once said, “Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources. Stating the thing broadly, the human individual thus lives far within his limits. He possesses powers of various sorts which he habitually fails to use.”

I hope what Professor James suggests isn’t your story – that you’re only living life half awake, dazed and unaware of what powers you might possess. I know I don’t want it to be mine! And that is why I’ve decided to try to arouse your interest, as well as my own, in becoming a more influential, more productive, and, ultimately, more likeable person. For the next couple of weeks, I’m going to share some of the fragments from Carnegie’s book and post them on this blog. I encourage you to take what you read and digest it slowly. Let the techniques and anecdotes have time to sink into your person. Remember, these fundamental truths might just revolutionize your life. Now wouldn’t that be nice?