Lessons From the Traveler's Gift

The Morris Community Foundation has examined some of the workforce issues in our county as part of our CommunityWorks program.  Local business and industry have told us that the problems are not as much skill-related as those of attitude, ethics, and character.  The Foundation will be sponsoring programs that focus on “attitude for work” to address this concern.

 

A little book has come to our attention called “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews.  It speaks to the young and not-so-young who feel lost, cannot see their future, and have little hope.  This book takes anyone who will listen on a mind-bending journey through history to meet heroic figures such as President Truman, Anne Frank, and Christopher Columbus.  As the author “visits” with each figure, the story will challenge you, inspire you, and give you seven decisions that you can employ to determine your own personal success.  For example:

 

President Truman: I accept responsibility for my past.  I control my thoughts.  I control my emotions.  I am responsible for my success.  “The buck stops here.”

 

King Solomon: I will listen to the council of wise men.  I will choose my friends with care.  I will be a servant to others.  I will seek wisdom.

 

Christopher Columbus: I am passionate about my vision for the future.  My course has been charted.  My destiny is assured.  I have a decided heart.

 

Abraham Lincoln: I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness.  I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.  I will forgive myself.  I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

 

The lesson of this little book is simple: Life is about choices.  We all have very little control over the events that intersect our lives. We cannot control winds that blow against us.  To use the metaphor of the sailor, we can only control the “set of our sails.”  Success in our lives, however you define success, is determined by the choices we make daily.  This book should help everyone make good choices.

 

You can find this book at the Morris Public Library as well as other public libraries around the region.  The original (a New York Times bestseller) is written for adults struggling with work and family.  The author has also produced a teen version.  This book is a short, easy read – you can get through it in an evening or weekend.

 

The Morris Community Foundation is please to make this book available to everyone through the Morris Public Library.

 

 

 

 

Box and bold: “The lesson of this little book is simple: Life is about choices.”