I hope I’m not violating any copyright laws by putting the list here, and will just say it's a very good book which has a lot more to it than what is listed below. It includes a great story surrounding the nine lessons of selling, further support of the importance of the lessons which I won’t touch upon here– and a religious reference which made me chuckle.

Anyways, here are the nine laws of the book, with a key paragraph copied out of each lesson/chapter.

Law #1:: I will form good habits and become their slave.

• In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I wil obey, which precedeth all others is- I will form good habits and become their slave.

Today my old skin has become as dust. I will walk tall among men and they will know me not, for today I am a new man, with a new life.

Law #2: I will greet this day with love in my heart.

• For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures. Muscle can split and even destroy life but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men and until I master this art I will remain no more than a peddler in the market place. I will make love my greatest weapon and none on whom I call can defend against its force.

If I have no other qualities than I can succeed with love alone. Without it I will fail though I possess all the knowledge and skills of the world.

Law #3: I will persist until I succeed.

• I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion, and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.

I will persist.

I will win.

Law #4: I am nature’s greatest miracle.

• Since the beginning of time never has there been another with my mind, my heart, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my hair, my mouth. None that came before, none that alive today, and none that come tomorrow can walk and talk and move and think exactly like me. All men are my brothers yet I am different from each. I am a unique creature.

Nature knows not defeat. Eventually, she emerges victorious and so will I, and with each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult.

I will win, and I will become a great salesman, for I am unique.

Law #5: I will live this day as if it is my last.

• I have but one life and life is naught but a measurement of time. When I waste one I destroy the other. If I waste today I destroy pages of my life. Therefore, each hour of this day I will cherish for it can never return. It cannot be banked today to be withdrawn on the morrow, for who can trap the wind? Each minute of this day will I grasp with both hands and fondle with love for its value is beyond price. What dying man can purchase another breath though he willingly give all his gold? What price dare I place on the hours ahead. I will make them priceless!

I will avoid with fury the killers of time. Procrastination I will destroy with action; doubt I will bury under faith; fear I will dismember with confidence.

I am a man of love and today is my last chance to prove my love and my greatness.

I will live today as if it is my last. And if it not, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.

Law #6: Today I will be master of my emotions.

• Henceforth I will recognize and identify the mystery of moods of all mankind, and in me. From this moment I am prepared to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will master my moods through positive action and when I master my moods I will control my destiny.

Today I control my destiny, and my destiny is to become the greatest salesman in the world!

I will become master of myself.

I will become great.

Law #7: I will laugh at the world.

• Laughter is one of nature’s greatest gifts, and I will waste it no more. Only with laughter and happiness can I truly become a success. Only with laughter and happiness can I find the fruits of my labor. Were it not so, far better would it be to fail, for happiness is the wine that sharpens the taste of the meal. To enjoy success I must have happiness, and laughter will be the maiden who serves me.

I will be happy.

I will be successful.

I will be the greatest salesman the world has ever known.

Law #8: Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

• And how will I accomplish this? First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life. Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout, so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize. In setting my goals I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold. This will be the standard by which I will live my future. Never will I be of concern that my goals are too high for is it not better to aim my spear at the moon and strike only an eagle than to aim my spear at an eagle and strike only a rock.

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

And when it is done I will do it again, and again, and there will be astonishment and wonder at my greatness as the words of these scrolls are fulfilled in me.

Law #9: I will act now.

• My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible.

All are of no value unless they are followed by action.

My procrastination which has held me back was born of fear and now I recognize this secret mined from the depths of all courageous hearts. Now I know that to conquer fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters in my heart will vanish. Now I know that action reduces the lion of terror to an ant of equanimity.

I hunger for success. I thirst for happiness and peace of mind. Lest I act I will perish in a life full of failure, misery, and sleepless nights.

This is the time. This is the place. I am the man.

I will act now.

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Years ago, a struggling actor, and my first trip to LA. Went with a friend to check out a cheap Motel he had an address for. His aunt and uncle were arriving in LA.

Guess who owned the Motel ? You got it, Mr Patel and his wonderful family.

A charming host, Mr Patel insited on us sharing in some great Gujarati food. The whole family was there sitting on the floor, on beautifully laid out mats in the family kithchen. The walls were surrounded by paintings and idols of every Indian God you could think of, but primarily of beautiful gold inlaid paintings of Krishna and the Gopi's. There in a corner was a temple devoted to Krishna. The family had obviously just finished an 'aarti' before dinner.

At the end of dinner we got down to bussiness, as my friend and Mr Patel began the negotiating of room rates. Patel's gentleness totally belied his negotiating skills. I wanted to see the rooms, to see if some of the traditional decor had leaked into the rest of the Motel. Mr Patel sent his 14 year old daughter to show me around.

It was an interesting room. Spacious. But a bit overdone.Nothing Indian. Predominently browns, but still, something I could not put my finger on.

Till I sat on the bed. As I almost toppled over I realized this was Water Bed ! Looked around and realized there were too many mirrors in the room. And then on the roof right above the bed was a large roof mirror. This was a room designed for sex ! Quick as a flash I looked at the 14 year old girl standing impassively on. And averted my eyes quickly. She did not blink. She had been asked to show me the room and that was what she was doing, impatient to get back to her dinner.

The mind reeled at the thought of my friend's old aunt and uncle trying to sleep in a water bed, surfing for for Zee TV and finding only naked copulating couples. I rushed back to warn my friend before he handed in his credit card that he was booking them in a sex motel.

There,a beaming Mr Patel, asked me if everything was 'appropriate'.

I have had several imaginary conversations with Mr Patel since this incident many years ago. To my many imaginary questions I hear just one imaginary answer.

"My kitchen is who I and my family are, and the Motel is just my bussiness. It's what I do to take care of my family. Which is my Dharma".

Shekhar

ps - this is not a moral judgement of Mr Patel. Nor is it about the morality of sex hotels. It is an observation of a contradiction.

Spirituality is about who we are
Morality is about what we do

What happens when the two are on conflict ? As they often are. When I was filming Bandit Queen, I met many active dacoits that were avid devotees of Kali, donating half their earnings to the temples to Kali. and to the villages that looked after them. Yet, the bussiness of Dacoity is that of Kidnapping, looting and even killing.

And this could be taken to much more macro extremes. How about "I hate killing people, but as a President of a country I am forced to take decisions to go to War."

Dont we all face this dichotomy in out lives to some degree ?

shekhar "