“Life isn’t a dress rehearsal,” says educator Steve Francis. So always act with gusto.
An Australian who moved to Hong Kong in 2004, Francis argues that goals need setting and chasing, that new experiences make life more enjoyable and that anyone can become a better person. To deliver the message, he created a new book, A Gr8 Life… Live It Now (2008, Gr8 People Publications, 212 pages, HK$95).
Truthfully, Francis didn’t “write” this self-help book as much as compile it. With minimal text and minus traditional chapters, the book uses an offbeat format, one providing ample space for readers to scribble their notes or comments.
Each left-side page shows a quote from a great thinker or historical figure, the likes of Aristotle, Albert Einstein, William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, Mother Teresa, Confucius or even Buddha.
For example, “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Mother Teresa. More people heeding those words would improve the chances for world peace.
Similarly, “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Buddha. Such advice helps in chasing happiness.
Every right-side page offers a short list of suggestions for activities, travel destinations, things to learn or personal improvements. Some hold more value than others. Not all suggestions appeal to every reader. Francis strives not to deliver a perfect plan, but to spur readers to make their own.
“No one could list all the possible goals, but the book has a wide range for readers to select from or be inspired by,” he said. “Some suggestions would be extravagant and others free. They range from watching an egg hatch or the Serengeti migration in Tanzania to learning how to edit home videos or to salsa dance.”
Here’s one list of suggested activities: “Fire a gun, organize all your photographs, watch whales swim in the ocean, build a piece of furniture from scratch, and eat favorite food at the city’s finest restaurant.”
Another list reads: “Sail a yacht at sunset, swim with dolphins, get a tattoo, bungee jump, and skinny dip at midnight.”
Tiny boxes beside the suggestions allow readers to “tick them off” if heeding the advice. Special pages at the front and back can hold lists of personal goals for “this month”, ‘this year”, “this decade” and “in my lifetime”.
“Life can’t go to plan if you don’t have a plan,” Francis said. “Now is the time to take action. Despite knowing we should make the most of each day, too many of us just get by from one day to another.”
Normally, a collection of quotations and short lists isn’t enough for an impressive book. In this case, so much zeal beams through that Francis may succeed in delivering his message.
Perhaps A Gr8 Life will help some readers to achieve what the title promises. More folks living lives of joy and enthusiasm, achieving more and reaping greater pleasures, should inspire others to do the same – with or without the book.
Francis calls himself “a passionate enthusiast for making the most of life”. In Hong Kong, he has worked as a school principal. He and his family have dabbled in franchised food, property, new-product development and Internet businesses.
A Gr8 Life… Live It Now stresses a worthy theme. Francis deserves praise for preaching it.
For more information: www.gr8people.com.au
(June 10, 2007)
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