Recently I was browsing in a Barnes & Noble Bookstore and ran across a book that was considered a "classic" 35 years ago when I first read it as a young agent with Aetna Life Insurance Company. It was one of those books that I made it a point to reread every January for several years.



Since I knew that it was still in my personal library I didn't purchase a copy. But I did go home and revisited its pages.This timeless book is the simple, yet inspiring story of a man's growth from what he being a failure to success.



Let me briefly review his story. The author's father died when he was a young boy, his mother had to take in washing, ironing and sewing to support her family. He dropped out of school after the sixth grade to help his mother, but never did stick with any job for very long.



It seemed that the only thing he was any good at playing baseball. He tried out for a minor league team in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and made the team. He thought he was on his way to major leagues, only to be cut from the team. Surprised, he asked the manager the reason for his being cut. The manager bluntly told him that he while he had ability, he was too lazy to play ball.



The manager then went on to tell him "In your next job you've got to wake yourself up and put enthusiasm into your work." A few days later, he successfully tried out for another minor league team in New Haven, Connecticut. Resolving to never be called lazy again, he became the most enthusiastic player on the team. He threw the ball with power, he ran the bases like his life depended on it, he put so much into his playing that his manager and teammates nicknamed him "Pep". Eventually, he became the starting third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. There his career was cut short by a severe injury.



Out of work, he took a job as a collector for a furniture store. Everyday he'd ride his bicycle around the city to collect from people who were paying on their accounts. One day, someone suggested he try his hand selling insurance. He decided to "try it", and failed miserably. He was ready to give up when he began to discover the principles that made him so successful in insurance sales that he could have retired at age 40, if he had chosen to do so.



The book is entitled simply, "How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling" by Frank Bettger. But it is much more than a book about selling. It is a book about self-discovery, life and more importantly the way to get the things we want most in life.



I hope as you've read this brief overview of Frank Bettger's story you've found the same spark of motivation and inner challenge that this book has brought to the millions who have read it. If you haven't read it, I would recommend that you get a copy and explore the principles for success he discovered (you can order it online from Barnes & Noble).



Among the principles that Mr. Bettger discovered that contributed to his success were time management, enthusiasm and projecting a positive image to everyone he met.



Even without reading the book, you can begin doing that this week, can't you?