Chris Widener's Ezine
August 12, 2009
Issue 119

Welcome!

This issue, I am very excited to introduce to you my new book, Above All Else.

The characters and story are based on characters Jim Rohn and I created for our best-selling book, Twelve Pillars. It’s a sequel in a way. You will get an overview of the Twelve Pillars, principles Jim and I think should be a part of everyone’s life, early on in Above All Else as a refresher, or in case you haven’t read it. But, you’ll also discover important ideas about success learned from a piece of ancient wisdom written by the richest man of all time, Solomon.

Enjoy the preview chapter included below. In my research, I received insights from some of the most successful men and women I’ve met on how they apply success principles in their own lives. Their thoughts are included in the story.

I hope you will benefit from reading Above All Else as much as I did in writing it.

You Are Made For Success!
Chris Widener

P.S. Today's issue is going out to 115,803 subscribers. If you've gained value from what you read in my Ezine, then I would like to thank you in advance for forwarding this issue to friends, family and associates!

In This Issue.......

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article
2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary
3. The Last Word...
4. Save on Chris Widener's Above All Else
5. More Information

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article

Above All Else by Chris Widener

Chapter I

Michael Jones was walking down the beach on his beloved Sanibel Island. He and his wife Amy had lived an incredible life, and now, at age seventy-two, he was enjoying the fruit of that life. A number of years ago, they had built their dream home on West Gulf Drive on this exquisite tropical island. It was a sprawling estate built on three lots, with a cost of over ten million dollars. It had a gorgeous view to the south, looking out to the seemingly endless horizon. Dolphins regularly swam just off the beach. Birds were plenty. And most of all, Michael loved the shells—a nearly endless beach of incredible shells. He loved to walk and look for another perfect shell for his collection. He and Amy enjoyed the hand-in-hand walks they took together, but this evening, Michael was by himself. It was just before sunset, and he was walking toward the setting sun. His heart was filled with the wonder of it all.

His peace was temporarily broken when his cell phone rang. He normally didn’t bring it with him on his walks, but he forgot to take it out of his back pocket before he left. When he saw who it was on his caller I.D., he was glad he had it. It was his oldest grandchild, Josh.

He punched the “connect” button. “Josh! How are you?”

“Good, Grandpa. How are you?”

“I am doing terrific. Just walking along the beach, enjoying the sunset. What are you up to?”

“Just doing homework.” It was September of Josh’s senior year of high school, and he was inundated by the workload. Josh was a good kid—a strong young man with a good head on his shoulders and a bright future. Since Michael and Amy had moved full time to Sanibel Island, Josh hadn’t seen as much of his grandparents. Usually just a week a year for vacations. But Josh and Michael spoke on the phone every couple of weeks.

“What classes are you taking? You are a senior this year, right?”

“Yep. One year to go. I am taking the normal stuff. Pre-Calculus, English, History. You know.”

“Well, your grandpa is getting up there. It was over fifty years ago when I was in high school. Are you enjoying it?”

“Actually, I am. I am just trying to make sure I do well in school and also have some fun with my friends. You know what they say, ‘All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.’ ”

“Just like your grandpa, Josh.”

“Well, Grandpa, I am calling because of one class I am taking. It requires me to do a senior project on a successful person.”

“Yeah, who are you going to do it on?”

“Well, I was thinking about doing it on you, Grandpa.”

Read the rest of Chapter I of Above All Else.

—Chris Widener

Find out how you can receive FREE copies of Above All Else when you order special 50- or 100-packs of the book. Learn the complete details now!

2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary

“The treacherous, unexplored areas of the world are not in continents or the seas; they are in the hearts and minds of men.” —Allen E. Claxton

Chris’s Commentary:
Many of us would be excited to take a journey, an exploration, into unknown areas of the world where the potential for newfound discoveries was great! I know that I would! But have you ever thought about how much potential there is as you explore your own heart and mind? Don’t neglect the possibilities that can arise from within you as you take the time to train, explore and cultivate your inner life. You have tremendous potential, in many ways more exciting than any newfound area of the world could ever be!

Action Point:
Commit to taking the time to explore your inner life. This will require being quiet and allowing yourself to hear your thoughts and dreams. Read good material that will foster your inward growth, and then pursue the potential you find in your heart and mind!

3. The Last Word...

A Chance Encounter by Jim Rohn
(excerpted from Twelve Pillars, a novel by Jim Rohn and Chris Widener)

“The only way things are going to change for you is when you change.”

 “Crud!”

His hand hit the dashboard as he said it. “I can’t stand this car!”

That about sums up Michael Jones’s life—crud. And... he can’t stand it.

Forty years old, a wife of fifteen years he doesn’t know how to connect with, and two kids he barely knows. Add to that a boring job that doesn’t challenge him and hardly pays the bills. In a word: crud.

Where had his life gone? Out of college, he and his wife, Amy, had been so filled with dreams. Their lives were ahead of them and nothing seemed impossible. They were full of potential and wanted to do so much. But now, they were nowhere near where they had hoped to be.

Michael loved Amy, but it just wasn’t what it could be. They had grown apart through the years and he had no idea how to fix it. The kids are great, but, again, there was just no connection with them like he thought “normal” families should have.

And his job... definitely not what he wanted. A man his age making $40,000 a year with no upside? This was hardly what he had imagined for his life. It was what it was and it seemed like he was stuck—stuck with a dead-end job and poor relationships. This wasn’t the success and happiness he and Amy had planned for.

But his life was about to change...

This car is the worst, he thought as it convulsed and finally died. Going about 30 miles an hour when it stopped running, he guided it as it coasted to a stop along the road.

He was on his way to a sales call and he had never taken this road before. It was a long, winding road that acted as a shortcut between two major roads. Not many houses on this road, he observed.

After the car rolled to a stop, Michael got out and walked around the car. It wasn’t as though he would be able to tell what was wrong from walking around; he knew zero about cars. He knew how to put gas in it, turn the key over, and that was about it. No smoke, he thought, and that had to be good.

He popped the hood and looked at the engine. All the wires seemed connected. All the caps were on. He didn’t have any idea what to do.

I should have taken shop class in high school, he thought.

Michael reached inside his jacket for his cell phone. He figured he would call a mechanic friend he knew and see if he could get some help. He flipped the phone open and saw the worst—no cell coverage there!

“Just my luck,” he said out loud. “They can put a man on the moon and clone a sheep, but they can’t put a cell site up where I need it.”

He looked around, trying to decide which way to start walking. Up ahead about 200 feet was a bend in the road, and he couldn’t see what was farther, on so he decided to go that way, just hoping there might be a house beyond the bend.

As he walked, he kicked the gravel along the road.

Frustrated, alone, and stuck. That’s how he felt right now. About this situation and life in general.

As he turned the corner, Michael came across something he had never seen in real life before. Sure, he had seen many in magazines and on TV, but never something like this with his own eyes.

Nice pad. Michael found himself standing in front of the most beautiful home he had ever seen. Home may not even be the right word for it. Right at the roadside was a huge gated entrance. The large brick and wrought-iron fence stretched at least 500 feet along the roadside. And the gate was at least ten feet high. Behind the gate was a house that had to be over 10,000 square feet. It was a white plantation style that had twelve two-story pillars across the front—which made sense since the sign at the side of the gate said, “Twelve Pillars.” It was magnificent. Michael stood in front of the gate for a few minutes, just looking in awe at the structure.

Finally, he snapped back to reality and realized that he had to get his car fixed. He didn’t see any other houses nearby, but he didn’t know how to get to the house in front of him, either.

Just then, he saw an old man in white overalls emerge from what looked like a workshop just to the right of the driveway. The old man walked toward the gate.

When he got about 25 feet from the gate, the old man spoke, “Can I help you, young man?”

Save 52% when you order a special Chris Widener four-book package that includes Twelve Pillars and his new book, Above All Else. Get complete details here!

4. Save on Chris Widener's Above All Else

Above All Else is the absorbing sequel to Chris Widener and Jim Rohn’s best-seller Twelve Pillars. The new book takes the story to the next level and teaches what you need to maintain success. You’ll learn the single most important lesson for achieving, sustaining and enjoying success.

Thirty years have passed since that fateful day Michael Jones’s car rolled to a stop in front of a mysterious mansion. Little did Michael know, his life would be changed by the old maintenance man who teaches him the Twelve Pillars of Success—principles that governed the life of the mansion’s owner. Now, after a lifetime of applying those twelve pillars, Michael has achieved success beyond his wildest dreams, becoming one of America’s most famous and wealthy businessmen. Beyond the twelve pillars, there was one other lesson he learned along the way, though—the most important lesson. It was the one that should come “Above All Else.”

Take an afternoon and journey into the relationship between a grandfather and his grandson as the old man teaches the young boy the wisdom of the ages as set out by Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest man to ever walk the face of the earth. A quick read, an enjoyable story, and one filled with profound insights to help you achieve, sustain and enjoy your own success.

Pick up your copy of Above All Else and save when you take advantage of the exclusive new-release offer from Chris Widener!

Learn more about this very special offer! Or, to order by phone, call 877-929-0439.

5. More Information

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