Want to be better person?
Learn from Ben Franklin!
I love sitting in a train compartment, sipping a glass of wine and glancing at the scenery as we read or chat. So a while back I felt mellow, as my husband and I rode the Amtrak Capitol Limited from Washington to Chicago.
We sat reading in bed as the train traveled through Pennsylvania. Along the way, I was reminded that the Keystone State was the adopted home of one of our most intriguing Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin.
Moving from Kindle to paper, I jumped around my reading stack, from a self-help book, to periodicals, to a novel. In that brief time, I happened to come across three references to Franklin.
For me, Franklin was an important influence, not so much for his great historic contributions but because of how he coached himself into living a successful life. As a kid, I read his autobiography, where he described his youthful efforts to become a man who would do well by doing good. Riding in the train, I recalled that book, and the “aha” moment when I realized we can shape ourselves into the kind of people we want to be.
One way Franklin helped form the national character was through that posthumously published memoir. He said he wrote it to teach Americans how to grow into their full potential. In his view, practice and a little help from our friends can make us better, more successful people. [Read more…] about Self-growth tips from a great American coach – Ben Franklin
