As part of its activities in the blessed month of Ramadan, the Qatari Forum for Authors broadcast the third episode of the “I chose for you from my library” initiative, presented by journalist and writer Hessa Al-Suwaidi every Wednesday on the Forum channel on YouTube.

In this episode, Hessa Al Suwaidi chose the book “Guide to Greatness” by Robin Sharma, where she began by asking a group of questions such as: What are we doing with all this time that we live in the time of home quarantine, and what will we gain from it? Will all this time, if long, be wasted, or will we use it for useful work?

To answer these questions, Hessa Al-Suwaidi mentioned that Robin Sharma’s idea confirms the statement: “your days define your life”, calling for the necessity of awareness that our days are a pictorial version of our life, and that what we do today is what establishes our future and depicts it for us with the words we say and the ideas that come in our minds, and the food we eat, as Sharma says- in this regard- that each of us is qualified for greatness and elevation, and within each of us there is a tremendous strength and tremendous energy through which we can affect ourselves and those around us amazingly.

The spokeswoman explained that people take up the procedural side of things and spend the best hours of their days busy working, and in this meaning, one of his clients recently told him: Sometimes I find myself so busy that I don’t even know what this busyness was, but (the question arises) What if he is busy with the things that are worth to be busy?

The author Robin Sharma concluded that thinking deeply and strategically is your first step on the road to elevation, and as he says in one of his pages that “clarity precedes success,” preoccupation with thinking reduces your vulnerability to events and your response to stimuli, and you will be able to have more choices of wisdom and prudence.

On another page, Sharma speaks on the idea of reference points that lead you towards a new way of seeing things and introducing you to a new set of possibilities that may open doors in front of you that you did not know they were existed, for example Sharma Lance Arminstrong is an American cyclist and record holder in the number of wins, a great point of persistence and perseverance, especially after he had cancer, he retired, and after that he came back and continued to run races.

On another topic, the author narrates his story with his mother in enhancing listening to him and paying attention to what he will say, presenting a story that when you sit next to someone on the plane on a 3-hour flight and that person begins to speak and continues to speak until the plane lands without this person asking you about your name, your country of residence, or your job. Sharma says that this behavior of these people tells me that they suffered in their childhood from not listening to them adequately.

Robin Sharma focused on a real fact about listening, which is that most people spend the time preparing their answers when the other party talks only. He mentioned a phrase he liked which is: do not speak when you could only nod your head. He ends this topic by saying that your success is as a businessman, as a member of your family, and as a person in general improves if you implement this advice correctly. Listen more than you talk, be a first-class listener. Show a keen interest in what others want to say to you, and watch how they respond with you, you will receive acceptance quickly.

Al-Suwaidi presented a fundamental question to the author: What are you doing to help create a new and better world?? Then he continues, “Do not blame politicians or those around you or your parents. Doing so means that you play the role of the victim – and the world is full of people who play this role while they are able to excel, shine, and make a huge difference … The author gave an example about Mother Tereza related to this idea, saying: If only each of us swept away at our doorstep, so the whole world would be clean.

Sharma reviews seven forms of wealth. He believes that wealth is not limited to raising money.  There are seven elements that must be promoted to the level of excellence. These elements are: – Spiritual wealth – Physical wealth – Family and social wealth – Professional wealth – Economic wealth – The wealth of exciting experiences – The wealth of influence and making a good impact in life.

She said that few people devote time to designing their lives in the same way, wondering if you do not know where to go, then how will you know that you have arrived there? And how can you hit a target that you cannot see?

 

She added that the author reminds us of the effect of apostasy and means the thing that you want to see more of in your life is the same thing that you should give to others, addressing the individual: Would you like to have a greater appreciation for everything you do and for what you are personally? Based on this, be the person who gives appreciation to others and gives them the thank. Spread appreciation with a big heart. Give others what you want from them more than anything else. This will give the minds and hearts of everyone around you room to give more appreciation, then give more love, so do not be an enemy of yourself and apply what has been called the effect of apostasy.

In this context, Sharma says in his book “Guide to Greatness” in its first part, “Plant a peg in the ground to distinguish your place under the sun. Stop being a prisoner of your past and instead become a maker of your future and remember that it is never too late to be the person you always dreamed to be.