by Jim Cathcart

Brief Summary of The Acorn Principle

To live the life of your dreams you do not need to be somebody else. You do not need to be smarter than you are or have a different personality. All you need to do to achieve your greatest goals is use what you've got exceptionally well.

If you sincerely want something, the potential to bring it into reality already exists within you and in those with whom you can connect. The more you explore your nature, your relationships and the patterns in your life the more you will be able to readily tap that potential.

A more fulfilling and impactful life is possible for you without changing who you are. The mighty oak sleeps within you . . . right now.

Learn how to notice the following and more in each person you meet, as well as in yourself.

• Natural values - the intrinsic motives behind a person's interests and choices

What they care about.

• Personal velocity - the pace and intensity at which someone performs best.

Their "zone" of optimal performance.

• Multiple intelligences - the unique and varied ways in which a person is smart

How they are smart.

• Thinking style (Intellectual Bandwidth) - whether someone tends to think conceptually, strategically or operationally most of the time and how much information they could effectively process at one time.
• Behavioral style - the predictable patterns within a person's behavior in both positive and negative situations. How they come across to others.
• Background imprint - the influences and effects one's experiences have had on them. Whether they are working with a head start or a handicap.

If you knew that much about anyone you would have a tremendous advantage in dealing with them. You could predict what they'd like or dislike, how they would approach a new task, what they'd do under pressure, how they might interpret the behaviors of others . . . and more.

This is precisely what you'll learn as you read this book. Those who do take the time to explore and nurture themselves have a tremendous edge in the world. The better you know yourself, the better decisions you make. The better decisions you make, the better your life will be. Every day you face choices: people to see or not see, places to go, things to do, ways to deal with whatever life gives you. The more effectively you make those choices, the more appealing your outcomes will be.

Self-awareness - knowing your nature, your abilities and how you'll react to people and things - may well be the greatest life management skill.

Compared to people who don't know themselves very well, people who are self-aware:

• are better listeners
• are less self-conscious
• tend to be less judgmental of others
• seldom take on tasks for which they are not suited
• do a better job of assessing risks
• are more willing to admit their mistakes
• recover from disappointments more easily
• are less likely to be absent from work
• tend to produce better quality work
• manage stress more effectively
• experience fewer interpersonal problems

In short, people who are self-aware are more likely to succeed and live an abundant life than those who are not. They are also much easier to work with.

People who know themselves are easy to be around. They don't worry much about others judging them. They are comfortable with themselves and accept their shortcomings without complaint. They learn what they can do well and build on their strengths. In situations for which they are not suited, they say, "no, that's not for me," and happily go on with living.

The Acorn Principle improves your ability to understand what makes you who you are. As you read and do the simple exercises in this book, you will learn things about yourself that most people not only don't know about themselves, they don't even suspect these things exist!

You'll learn:

• why some people attract you and others repel you.
• how to predict your instinctive reactions to various situations.
• to understand what circumstances you'll thrive in and why.
• where your intellectual blind spots are, in the ways you typically think.
• why you like or dislike certain things and how to use that knowledge to motivate yourself.
• who the most influential people are in your life and how to connect with them or others more effectively.
• how to control your simple daily actions in such a way that you develop new abilities and continually grow a better life.

I believe each person is genetically designed for a highest and best purpose. Finding your highest and best is a matter of connecting with your nature and growing it, noticing more and more about your needs, your habits, your thoughts, your abilities, and your nature. You were put here for a purpose, and your greatest joy will come from pursuing and fulfilling that purpose. The only limits to what you can be or do are the limits of your nature, and the limits of the resources you choose to tap into. What you don't find in one area you can tap into in another. Magnify your nature by managing your nurture.

Which elements of one's diversity are more meaningful?

External Diversity Internal Diversity Religion, Beliefs Natural Values Age, Gender, Health Personal Velocity Education, Credentials Multiple Intellects SAT Score, IQ Rating Thinking Style Language, Lifestyle, Social Status Behavorial Style Culture, Race, Job Experiences Background Imprint Political Party, Philosophy Psychological Blind Spots

When you understand internal diversity, the rest of people's differences become less important. If we were able to know ourselves and each other that fully, most prejudice would go away, because the better we understand each other, the less we judge each other. The less we judge, the more we accept. The more we accept, the less we fear. The less we fear, the more we cooperate. The more we cooperate, the more we accomplish. And the more we accomplish, the better life is for all.