"4 Ideas With Actionable Wisdom" plants seeds of inspiration in the minds of readers who are looking to balance their lives, be more grateful, and increase creativity. If you're interested in this book, congratulations! You're fertile soil, ready to nourish these idea seedlings, reap the harvest, and improve your life. These straightforward, implementable ideas are sure help you improve your life with intention. Are you ready to make effective life changes? Then this is the book for you!
Sometimes you come across a book and think, “Everyone needs to read this!” Well for me this little gem is one of those. The author is a photographer, and owns God’s Gift Photography. He lives in Woodland Park, Colorado, with his wife Linda. When asked, “What do you do, Bob?” Bob responds by saying, “I am a seed planter of ideas to creatively encourage and inspire others.” And he certainly does that!
There are lots of self-help books which delve deeply into how you improve yourself in various ways, however, the author in this one, had a unique approach. Firstly he plants the seed of each of his ideas, then he sprinkles it with fertilizer, this being examples of how others have helped him see the advantage of the particular suggestion. Next the idea is nurtured, with ideas on how to go forward in a positive way, and then encourages the reader to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
He covers, as the title suggests, four ideas which he incites his readers to adopt. He believes these will enable them to live better, more fulfilled, and peaceful lives. The first is one he was taught by his father, and it is one which resonates with me, as my father told me much the same. His father told him to give 110% to everything, because that way you would have given your best and know you couldn’t have done more. As his father quite rightly said, “Because that’s all you can do, and you will sleep really well!”
In this busy world his second recommendation is, in my opinion essential. This is to always incorporate quiet waters in the busy white waters of your life. Or in other words find a peaceful, reflective time in your day. Here he first suggests journaling, something he considers very important, and quickly the reader will understand why.
The third is the importance of gratitude for what you have, and here he has given some lovely quotes, my favourite being “Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices. —ROBERT BRAATHE.”
And the last is a very pertinent one for the world today, and that is to think outside the box. As he points out, corporations always worked in offices before the coronavirus, now, all of a sudden people are working from home. Throughout the centuries necessity has forced change, but we can instigate change ourselves, changes which although they may be scary at first, enrich our lives, give us new priorities, and enable us to dream.
In this troubled and uncertain world, take charge. Do not lead a “woulda, coulda, shoulda life,” embrace this incredibly motivational authors ideas, and be the best you, for your physical and mental wellbeing. Highly recommended!
Brief, beautiful, and practical! Don’t underestimate the power of the ideas in this book!
Bob Boylan is a professional landscape photographer, author, nationally known presentation skills trainer, and self described “seed planter of ideas to creatively encourage and inspire others.” He has written books distilling his principles of presentation making, leadership, and life philosophy. In 4 Ideas With Actionable Wisdom, Boylan plants the seeds of four ideas that could be potentially life-changing for the reader. With a positive and encouraging tone, Boylan tackles four common needs –finding balance, how to cultivate gratitude, how to make real and lasting changes, and how to increase creativity. Boylan’s own lovely photographs accompany many of the sections, helping to powerfully convey and illustrate the concept being shared.
Though these four needs are often addressed in self-help type books, I’ve never encountered a book like Boylan’s. For one thing, Boylan’s responses and ideas regarding these common needs are not typical, such as his suggestion that creativity can be increased by “falling in love with risk.” I’ll definitely be pondering that idea for a while. Secondly, this is a short book, with Boylan not portraying himself as an expert but as an introducer of ideas who asks questions and leaves the reader to work through how to apply the idea and let it grow in their own life.
This book is beautiful and practical, leaving the reader mental space to consider and physical space to journal through the ideas. Each idea is accompanied by several journaling questions, so that this book becomes more about wise reflection into one’s own life than accumulating knowledge. Boylan’s book is brief and to the point and could be easily read in one sitting. Yet for all of its brevity, the ideas within are not shallow and will take time to explore, digest, and apply. I think it would be more effective to work through it slowly, perhaps giving a week to repeatedly read each idea and slowly write through the journaling prompts. It would also be a brilliant guide for use on a personal retreat.
4 Ideas With Actionable Wisdom is the best possible combination of practical and inspirational, gently guiding the reader to consider and take action on the ideas within. In our current global crisis, so many of us are considering how to keep growing and moving forward in non-ideal circumstances. Boylan’s work is different and refreshing, a must-read! Highly recommend!
"4 Ideas with Actionable Wisdom", by Bob Boylan, is an enlightening self-help guide showing a path to a balanced life. The ideas are very simple, but unless you really think about them, or have someone like Boylan point them out to you, you can completely miss them, and be on the outside looking in at a happier you. Though there are many self-improvement books on the market today, few get to the heart of the matter and make you feel as if you can actually accomplish what the author sets forth in the book. This isn't a complex book, but still offers deep wisdom that you can use in everyday life, to be more creative, make positive changes, and be a better you.
Boylan has his finger on the pulse of human nature, and what it means to want a better life. And, he has a gift for showing you how to achieve it. The four ideas are nothing new, but the author presents them in a simple yet profound way that makes so much sense. If you're lost, confused, or looking for the next level of satisfaction in your life, Boylan will guide you there. They say change is hard, but only if you aren't ready for it. This book can help you get ready. Take gratitude for example. Just being thankful for the air you breathe, the heart that beats within your chest, and that you have a life worth living and should make the most of, is the first step in finding other things in life to be grateful for. A certain level of stress is normal. Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing much in the way of living. But there are ways to decrease stress, find a balance, and find rewards for all that you invest in. Boylan's style is clear-cut and honest without being harsh. He has an encouraging, enthusiastic style of writing and thinking that is infectious. You'll be motivated to make some bold new moves in your life by the time you reach the end of this brief but powerful book. A couple of his messages that I like personally are that you can learn to make purposeful decisions in your life, and that you reap what you sow. You can have some semblance of control. You don't have to let life just happen to you as if you're a hapless bystander. You can start your new journey right now. Boylan gets a lot of his inspiration from Biblical principles, as you'll read in the book. "4 Ideas with Actionable Wisdom", by Bob Boylan, should be in everyone's self-help library.
‘You cannot plant one seed and expect to harvest only one seed’
Colorado author Bob Boylan is a presentation skills trainer and photographer. His company is Successful Presentations, and he travels across the country training middle to senior management. His books to date include STOP BEING PREDICTABLE!, WHAT’S YOUR POINT?, GET EVERYONE ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, LIFE BEATS, BRILLIANT PRESENTATIONS IN 24 HOURS OR LESS, REBALANCE YOUR TIRES, DIFFERENTIATE TO WIN, RETIREMENT: YOUR NEW ADVENTURE!, and now 4 IDEAS WITH ACTIONABLE WISDOM. His landscape photography is represented by his God’s Gifts Photography, and he incorporates that as another fine aspect of this new book. Bob combines both of these passions as he states, ‘the value of seeing your life through the lens of gratitude.’
Admixing photographs with ideas proves to be a memorable approach to absorbing, internalizing, and incorporating Bob’s generous thoughts on finding the road to a satisfying life. He opens by contrasting Calm Water with Constant Whitewater, the take away being, ‘Realize the absolute necessity, on a daily basis, to predictably find what I call ‘Calm Water’ so that you can think thoughts about your whole life, not just your work life, and let those thought create concentric circles that will help you generate additional thoughts…You will become those thoughts – visions that become reality, living a life that makes a difference, living a life according to the thinking you have generated in your calm water time.’
The other IDEAS include ‘See your life through the lens of gratitude (‘If you see your life trough the lens of gratitude, you will have a happier, more fulfilling life!), Make changes more effectively 1 And 1 (Focus on One thing you want to do and One thing you need to stop doing), and Thinking outside the box requires risk...Fall in love with risk using two things – emotional energy created by love and focused energy created by risk).
In addition to his insightful ideas, Bob provides many quotes from famous people that underline his recommendations, and as a helpful assist in adopting his suggestions he offers lists to write down our personal responses to his coaching – a fine interactive technique that completely involves the reader in consolidating actionable wisdom! Practical and inspirational, this is a much needed guide, especially now! Recommended.
Bob Boylan has taken a lifetime of learning, teaching, making mistakes and creating victories to fashion a terrific self-help book, 4 Ideas with Actionable Wisdom. While relatively compact, this little book with a giant heart provides the reader with solid food for thought around every corner. Currently a successful landscape photographer, Boylan spent his corporate working life as an ‘independent presentation skills trainer’ and was famous for being ‘The Paradigm Changer.’
4 Ideas is easy to scroll through and each section ends with a series of questions which help one to embrace gratitude, give 110% percent and control thought to alter everything. Boylan draws on the Bible, writers, philosophers, clergy, sports figures and people who helped him along with his own up and down struggles.
In the first section, dedicated to carving out calm time, Boylan states that he wrote the book so one can ‘live in a contented and balanced life even when a good share of your daily life is actually in whitewater.’ 4 Ideas is a great gift book, one that might change someone’s life who might then pass it along to another in need of guidance.
In a surprise move, Boylan gives out his phone number on the last page of the book and invites anyone to call and chat about life.
The author, in this cleverly written self-help book, sows the seeds of ideas in his readers minds. Then he carefully nurtures them, encouraging personal growth and development.
An inspirational book which should be embraced by all.