It is a motivational in a story book. You'll enjoy the story plot and you'll get some inspirational or life guide notes too.
I believed it is to capture readers who want fast yet entertaining motivational facts. Sometime, the points are more easily absorbed into our mind and soul. Just like when we want to memorize something important by combining it into our favourite song.
I did that a lot. I memorized my school subjects with songs as my back ground. So when I want to recall certain facts, I remember the song and suddenly... wallah!
Okay.... This book is about a lawyer Mr. Theodore J. Hamilton and his faithful assistant Ms Margaret Hastings executed a will from the late Mr. Howard 'Red' Stevens.
Everybody in the family - the sons, daughter, in laws, out laws, relatives closed and far far away land received their entitlements except one.
The only person who, late Red Stevens supposed to hate, did not received any of Red Stevens properties............ yet.
Jason Steven 24 year old great nephew was fumed when he did not get his as easily as the rest of his family member.
And to make thing more interesting, his great uncle make him wait until next year with certain instructions for him to do under Mr Hamilton supervision.
He need to fulfill an elements within a month before he can open the next element in sequences.
Those are :
1. The Gift of Work
He who loves his work never labors.
2. The Gift of Money
Money is nothing more than a tool. It can be a force for good, a force for evil or simply be idle.
3. The Gift of Friends
It is a wealthy person, indeed who calculates riches not in gold but in friends.
4. The Gift of Learning
Education is a lifelong journey whose destination expands as you travel.
5. The Gift of Problems
Problems can only be avoided by exercising good judgement. Good judgement can only be gained by experiencing life's problems.
6. The Gift of Family
Some people are born into wonderful families. Others have to find or create them. Being a member of a family is a priceless privilege which costs nothing but love.
7. The Gift of Laughter
Laughter is a good medicine for the soul. Our world is desperately in need of more such medicine.
8. The Gift of Dreams
Faith is all that dreamers need to see into the future.
9. The Gift of Giving
The only way you can truly get more out of life for yourself is to give part of yourself away.
10. The Gift of Gratitude
In those times when we yearn to have more in our live, we should dwell on the things we already have. In doing so, we will often find that our lives are already full to overflowing.
11. The Gift of a Day
Life at its essence boils down to one day at a time. Today is the day! Plan how you would like the last day of your life.
12. The Gift of Love
Love is a treasure for which we can never pay. The only way we keep it is to give it away.
Readers will read how Jason completed his tasks until to the final element. It is how the author explained in details about each element of the ultimate gift. I believe all of them are equally important. It is what differentiate a good person than a bad one.
The 1st simple element we can try is The Gift of Gratitude. Once we wake up in the morning, before get out of bed, we should state 10 things we're grateful for. It need not be difficult. Just list out all simple things we had in our life. Things that we take granted all this while. Someone once said to me that things we take granted are usually free. Since they are free, we tend to overlook them. But once they are taken away, we cannot replace them.
The 2nd element we could give a try is The Gift of a Day. How would we spend our last day today? Remember.. tomorrow we will die. How and who we want to spend our last day in life. If we do this often, we can differentiate what is important in our life and what is to ignore.
Life will be less stressful if we can answer both questions truthfully. These 2 important questions are the basic element that teach us to focus our life more clearly
In the end, life lived to its fullest is its own ultimate gift.
9/10
