Books like The Go-Getter

There is an abundance of knowledge available to us; there are libraries, websites, mentors, and lessons learned the hard way. There are goals to reach, mountains to climb, lives to change, and new roads to travel. We have dreams, we have passions, and we have must-dos, can-dos, and should-dos. All of us have within us the power to make great strides for a better world for ourselves, our families, and the generations to follow. These achievements take personal and professional forms, sometimes a combination of both, and can create massive success and happiness; or, we dismiss them, say they are too hard, or let the next guy take care of them. The truth is that to realize our potential we need to believe in our missions and in ourselves.- Casey Naiduk> Are you a Go-Getter? > Are you someone who wants the best in life? > Are you prepared to work hard to make it happen? > Need some inspiration to help you get there?If you've answered Yes to any of these questions, you might like to read The Go-Getter - a short, motivational parable with big applications.The Go-Getter, an important and famous work, was written by Peter Bernard Kyne and first published in 1921. The story centres around disabled World War I veteran Bill Peck, a worker who must overcome many obstacles in order to build a successful life for himself. At every turn he is thwarted by life's circumstances and must rely on his own tenacity and wits to see him through.Peck's left forearm has been amputated half way to the elbow and he walks with a slight limp; the result of a broken leg that was a long time mending, and now it's shorter than it really ought to be. Peck also developed pneumonia with influenza and T.B. indications were also found after that. He spent over a year in hospital recovering. But was he blue or discouraged? \ "Oh, I got off easy. I have my head left - and my right arm. I can think and I can write, and even if one of my wheels is flat, I can hike longer and faster after an order than most."\ Peck approaches an old lumber yard company founder, Cappy Ricks, and asks for a job. Cappy gives him one and Peck proves to be a huge asset, securing a number of lumber orders for the company. He soon earns the opportunity to be considered for broader horizons and Cappy, wanting to ensure that Peck is ready to take on greater responsibility, decides to put him through the "Degree of the Blue Vase" or the \ Blue Vase Test.\ This is the test of the Go-Getter.Peck is assigned the task of purchasing a particular blue vase from a certain market place. Cappy mentions he needs to gift it to a lady of acquaintance for her wedding anniversary and that getting that particular vase is of paramount importance. Cappy is to board a train at 8 pm and it is vital that Peck deliver the vase to him at the train station before he departs. The enterprising Peck then promptly asks for a description of the blue vase to get clarity on his task. \ "What sort of blue it is, how tall is it and what is, approximately, its greatest diameter? Does it set on a base, or does it not? Is it a solid blue, or is it figured?”\ Capper informs Peck that it is an old Dutch blue, with some Oriental flowers and birds on it.The search for the blue vase begins, with Peck having 5 hours to secure it. He hunts everywhere for the vase and finally, after hours of tiresome walking, he sees it sitting in a shop window of a store called "B Cohen's Art Shop". But the store is closed! Peck immediately obtains a phone directory from a hotel and proceeds to call every "Cohen" in the book! \ “In despair he changed a dollar into five cent pieces, sought a telephone booth and commenced calling up all the B. Cohens in San Francisco. Of the nineteen, four did not answer, three were temporarily disconnected, six replied in yiddish, five were not the B. Cohen he sought, and one swore he was Irish and that his name was spelled Cohan and pronounced with an accent on both syllables”.\ It was now six o'clock. Time was running out. Suddenly Peck had an inspiration. Was the store name spelled Cohen, Cohan, Cohn, or Coen? Peck makes his way back to the store to take another look at the sign. It reads "B. Cohns Art Shop". Cohn without the "e"! Furious with himself, Peck heads back to the hotel, obtains the phone directory and calls all B. Cohns. This time he is successful and he manages to track down the owner. However the owner is at a dinner and has no desire to come back to open the store for Peck. He suggests instead that Peck contact his head salesman, a Mr Herman Joost. Peck gets hold of Joost, but Joost can't meet Peek until nine o'clock, one hour after the train leaves with Cappy!Without going into the remainder of this short story, I can definitely say that The Go-Getter offers timeless advice about meeting goals, learning from experience, asking the right questions, and tackling tough projects with unflagging zeal. Through fictionalizations that cut to the core of these issues, this book offers everyone the inspiration to tap resources and overcome roadblocks on the way to success.The Go-Getter is a valuable source of motivation for those committed to success and looking for the inspiration to take them to the next level. It stands out as a wonderful example of how a short fictional tale can teach the lessons of life in a simple, to-the-point story. Without becoming too simplistic in its approach, this book still has much to offer today's Go-Getters.