The next day one of the girls I had given a note to came up to me and abruptly gave me a big hug. It took me about five minutes to write up. I told them that I appreciated the work they did. I decided to try the small kindness deposit I learned about by putting a simple note in the boxes of the student body officers I didn’t know well. “I am the junior class president at my school. The whole book talks about obtaining happiness almost instantly, but later on there would be a sacrifice. This poem puts most of what I read into one short poem. Because who would want only a minute of happiness and then have pain and sorrow for a week? And who would give their whole future away for a toy? Or who would destroy millions of sweet grapes for only one sweet grape? Only a stupid person would. Who buys a minute’s mirth to wail a week? Or sells eternity to get a toy? For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy?” This poem makes sense. Anyhow, this is the poem… “ What win I, if I gain the thing I seek? A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy. It is one of the sad things about the human mind, we want happiness, but don’t care about the cost. The book includes a poem about rejecting your future just to obtain a brief moment of joy. The book was definitely beneficial, for it moved me with these poems/stories I listed, and there were a few online posts about how it was useful to other people. Also it was reliable, there were many references to website were also reliable. It was very engaging by having multiple interactive activities and had some “baby steps”, a way to actually put what was in the previous chapter to the test. It is not surprising that The 7 Habits was a national best-seller. This book is a compass to guide us through the land mines of adolescence and into a value-driven adulthood. In summary, I found the book highly engaging and a must-read for any teenager looking for inspiration and motivation to succeed. That is the first step in developing a personal mission statement and setting goals. The Great Discovery Activity in particular really helped me understand myself and what is important in my life. I found the baby steps listed at the end of each chapter and the various activities extremely helpful. Mixed in are cartoons, famous quotes, song lyrics, poems and other classic techniques to keep you interested. The seven habits are: 1) Be proactive 2) Begin with the end in mind 3) Put first things first 4) Think win-win 5) Seek first to understand, then be understood 6) Synergize and 7) Sharpen the saw. This is explored through real-life examples from teens around the world who share their experiences and the habits they have developed to overcome obstacles. Reading it, you realize that though you may be struggling now, with hard work and a vision you can overcome any obstacle. The 7 Habits not only serves as a guide for teens to improve their self image, build friendships, resist peer pressure and achieve goals, but it offers hope. When I recently read about a teenager committing suicide because of stress over homework and another who shot his father due to pressure to succeed in athletics, I realized that more books for teenagers are needed. With school, hours of homework, athletics, jobs, clubs, helping at home and more, we barely have time to breathe. Today’s teens are busier and more stressed than ever before. Sean Covey has followed in his famous father’s footsteps (Stephen Covey is the author of many self-help books) and written the definitive success guide for teens, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
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