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Summary: What my daddy said.
Review: When I was little my daddy would always say, "Cammy. There's three kind of people in this here world. Them's that makes things happen. Them's that watches things happen. And them's that wonders what the heck just happened. Make sure you're always them of first kind." That was good advice. Thanks, Dad. I'm sure it was my daddy's philosophy that led me to this book. The ten golden rules, according to McGraw, are: (He calls them "life laws".)
#1: You either get it, or you don't. Become one of those who gets it. #2: You create your own experience. Acknowledge and accept accountability for your life. #3: People do what works. Identify the payoffs that drive your behavior and that of others. #4: You cannot change what you do not acknowledge. Get real with yourself about your life and everybody in it. #5: Life rewards action. Make careful decisions and then pull the trigger. #6: There is no reality; only perception. Identify the filters through which you view the world. #7: Life is managed; it is not cured. Learn to take charge of your life. #8: We teach people how to treat us. Own, rather than complain about how people treat you. #9: There is power in forgiveness. Open your eyes to what anger and resentment are doing to you. #10: You have to name it before you can claim it. Get clear about what you want and take your turn. As you can see my daddy was right on the money. For an uneducated man he was pretty dang smart. Daddy said it. Lee Ann Womack sang it in her hit song "I Hope You Dance", "...And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. Dance . . . I hope you dance." And now Phillip McGraw writes it. Be proactive, rather than reactive. A great book for anyone who is searching to take charge of their life. Cammy Diaz-Lawyer
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Summary: LIVE BY LIFE'S LAWS TO FIND 2,000% SOLUTIONS
Review: Mr. McGraw rightly insists that you must face the truth about yourself before you can change and move ahead. His ten Life's Laws are wonderful reminders of the way life works. My favorites are There are no accidents, Life rewards action, Live is managed, not cured, and We teach others how to treat us. Mr. McGraw claims that if you live by Life's Laws you can then move on to your Life Strategy. If you like this book, you will also like The 2,000 Percent Solution which takes direct aim at complacency. Action is required. Why is it so hard to face the truth and do something about it? Perhaps because we have been taught "stalls" by copying others. The 2,000 Percent Solution describes these stalls (much like Life's Laws, you need to recognize them and face up to them). Stalls include The Communications Stall (the message is not understood), The Disbelief Stall (We can't do it), The Tradition Stall (We've always done it this way), The Bureaucratic Stall (too many wasteful policies), The Misconception Stall (decisions based on poor assumptions) and The Unattractiveness Stall. Let Dr. McGraw teach us Life Strategies and then we will be ready to follow the steps to develop our own 2,000 percent solutions to achieve 20 times the usual benefits of progress.
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Summary: Dr. Phil offers solid advice
Review: Dr. Phil is a terrific guy who is happily married, successful in his career and life. He shows you how to make your life work with the use of solid principles. I agree with Dr. Phil that we must be realistic, and claim our lives, teach people how to treat us and that we must recognize that ultimately other people are responsible for their own choices. I strongly recommend Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self as a companion to this book. Optimal Thinking shows you how to be your best and make the most of every sitution. These books will change your life and you will never have to settle for second best again.
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Summary: Know Thyself and Become a Student of Human Nature
Review: Reading Dr. McGraw's book is similar to watching him on TV. He comes across as very likable, he grabs your attention, he doesn't sugarcoat it, and you feel that you can trust him and that what he has to say is valuable and based on experience. He has the energy of a charismatic coach who wants to share his knowledge of what works best, and hopes you will get it and use it. Here the message is that you need to bring awareness to the way you live your life and interact with people, in order to make your life experience one that is fulfilling and worth having. All along the book, he gives the readers assignments to help them develop the critical awareness that is key to an empowered life. If you have been looking for that key , I also highly recommend the book "Working on Yourself doesn't Work" by Ariel and Shya Kane. The Kanes present their findings in a very different way from Dr. McGraw . They invite you gently to discover the path to transformation. They do not emphasize action but awareness. Their simplicity is profound. Reading their book is like touching the philosopher's stone. It shows you the possibility of transforming a mundane life into a magnificent one.
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Summary: Common Sense Master
Review: This guy is like King Solomon. He is so insightful and so darned wise. Go figure? I also like the book, The Little Guide To Happiness. It's like a lighter version of it.
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Summary: Ultimate Food for Thought
Review: Each of us has the power to make those decisions which ultimately determine the course of our precious lives. We have the power of choice....a power that must be used wisely. "Life Strategies" is one of those rare finds, a self-help book that does not wallow in big words or esoteric concepts. Mr. McGraw outlines his steps for success in life in simple, direct, yet engagingly written chapters. The organization of the book is excellent throughout and reflects an author who has had extensive experience in dealing with people from all walks of life. He deals with concepts such as self-reliance, individual responsibility and similar notions often downplayed (or ignored outright) by other authors seeking to play into the culture of victimization. You will find none of that in Mr. McGraw's book; his main theme is that we are responsible for our own lives and we do not have to allow ourselves to be knocked about like a punching bag on a windy day. Once you pick up the book, it is difficult to put down; you will find yourself nodding your head at what you have always known in your heart, but do not always acknowledge in your daily life. This book is well worth the time.
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Summary: Sensible and useful informaton; more than common sense
Review: A review from the author of DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF: A PERSONAL APPROACH TO DREAM INTERPRETATION; and DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DREAMS, DAYDREAMS, AND FANTASIES. Phil McGraw's LIFE STRATEGIES presents a no-nonsense approach to getting your life together and feeling good about yourself. But this is no easy "feel good" book with affirmations empty of action. His 10 Laws of Life remind us that having a good life (and a happy one) means taking responsibility for every aspect of it-including our attitude about our experiences and the wrongs done to us by others. Until we take control of our lives instead of talking about "someday," we stay stuck in our problems. I did not take issue with any of Dr. McGraw's "laws," nor with any of his examples. Well done. I'd like to see this book assigned in schools to fifteen-year-olds. His chapter, "A guided tour of your life," really gets down to the specifics people can use to get their lives on track.
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Summary: The Book WORKS!
Review: If we all followed this advice... we would not need Dr. Phil any longer. Think about it.
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Summary: A SUPREME WRITING
Review: I learned the 10 Life Laws and how each one can interact with one another. Specifically, I learned the importance of goal setting, forgiveness, the filters, creating your own experience, perceiving, being realistic, knowing what you want in life, teaching people how to treat us, walking rather than talking, and managing your life. The "time" element is extremely important in life, and I must act now to procure the things that I want in my life and that of my spouse. There are some things in the book I already live by, and now there are new things from the book I desire to put in the forefront of my life and others close to me. The book is totally enlightening and I accept it fully. I would give extreme recommendation for anyone to read this book as soon as possible. The benefits I see through this book are huge and I plan on keeping the CD book in my car so that I may have refresher training when I feel I am straying off course. It helped me take charge of my life and the desired course of action I wanted to take, without someone else sticking a foot in my butt. As time goes by, humans tend to change who they are what they do; sometines straying around like a lost dog.... this book is like a cup of coffee....on a cold and wintry morning.[...]
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Summary: Helpful
Review: Enhancing one's quality of life through a strategy is what this book covers. We all have areas needing work, he says he's never met a person whose life did not have serious problems. The real issue is how are those problems going to be managed. Life Law #9 is one of the most powerful because it deals with forgiveness. Every thought and feeling is associated with physiological changes in the body. That's the reason people harboring anger, resentment, and unforgiveness hurt themselves. This book helps you to approach life from a healthy paradigm, to see how to get the results desired. He tells you the right path to take and assists you on the journey.
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