Motivation 12: There's More To Life Than The Corner Office

"What is the best, most redemptive thing I can do for the greatest number of people?"

While the question is simple, it too often goes unsaid in our daily routines. If there was one message that I walked away from this book repeating, it was this.

There's More To Life Than The Corner Office by Lamar Smith and Tammy Kling is an extremely quick read. Both my wife and I finished it in a single sitting, which is extremely rare. The format of the book is an educational fable. Much in the same way that The Richest Man in Babylon (One of my all time favorites!) delivers a message of frugality and saving, There's More To Life Than The Corner Office uses an entertaining story that forces us all to step back and reexamine our priorities in life.

The story starts with an overworked, slightly bitter protagonist named Patrick Mitchell slogging through a stressful and depressing life. While his career seems to be moving along well, his personal life is in shambles, with a pending divorce staring him in the face. Through a fortunate encounter on-board an airplane, Patrick is introduced to a "business icon" named Al Crafton. After realizing that Patrick is a good person with tremendous potential, Al decides to mentor him and teach him the ways of the world.

Through regular meetings, the two discuss their life stories and Al provides innovative ways to look at the problems that Patrick faces. In many ways, most of us can relate to the situations that Patrick encounters, and I constantly found myself making parallels between his life and mine. The lessons that Al teaches are delivered in thoughtful and insightful stories, many of which derive from his days as an aviator.

My main complaint with the book was the simplicity and predictability with which the messages were delivered. Although the lessons learned were valuable, the story lacked surprises or the true "rising action" that most great fables contain. In addition, the authors write the book in relatively simple linguistics, appropriate for many that read infrequently but not as sophisticated as most business savvy readers would like to see.

Finally, I can endorse this book for the unique method with which the message is delivered. I hope that it begins a new trend of using clever fables to deliver life's lessons rather than the simple lecture style that most business books tend to adhere to.

I also support the key message of maintaining balance in every aspect of our life. When is the last time that you REALLY told your wife that you loved her? How about spending a night on the back porch staring at the stars and thinking about your hopes and dreams? And most importantly, when is the last time that you asked yourself "What is the best, most redemptive thing I can do for the greatest number of people?" before planning out the next few years (or days!) of your life.

Think about it.......

For more on Lamar Smith and his teachings, you can visit his website at improvingyourbalance.com.