Rough Life Rich Life presents a life skills model for all round
excellence and success –
in studies, career, entrepreneurship, sports and recreation, family
and relationships… in overcoming setbacks, financial difficulties,
bad habits, addictions, and so on.
The life skills model is called PRAISE and it embodies six key
concepts of success:
Prizedream
Rules
Analysis
Invincibility
Strategy
Excellence
Applying these six key concepts, we get the SUCCESS 6 PRINCIPLES:
Set the Prizedream
Use internal Rules
Conduct Analysis
Cultivate Invincibility
Execute the Strategy
Sustain Excellence… and achieve
Success unlimited
This model is presented through:
The life experience of author George Tan. He grew up in extreme
poverty, was badly abused by his father and did badly in school,
but went on to top his post graduate studies and achieve success
in career and entrepreneurship;
The lives of great men and women who achieved extraordinary success
– people such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander the Great,
Abraham Lincoln, Konosuke Matsushita, Florence Nightingale, Mother
Teresa and others.
The book calls them PRAISE Champions. They are people who left
deep imprints on the soul of humanity. Rough Life Rich Life shows
how they had subconsciously lived by principles similar to those
of the PRAISE model.
A chapter featuring Canon as a corporate ‘PRAISE Champion’
that overcame numerous setbacks and achieved extraordinary success,
not so much through a visionary leader, but through excellent
management.
The PRAISE model has been well-received by a number of international
scholars, motivational speakers and best-selling inspirational
authors.
The model was applied to the life of Benjamin Franklin, the American
scientist, inventor, statesman and civic leader, in another book,
Benjamin Franklin – A bright spark!
Roy Goodman, Curator for Printed Materials at the American Philosophical
Society and President of The Friends of Franklin, Inc, wrote in
a Foreword to that book:
Clearly, there will be many conferences, books, exhibitions…
planned for the Franklin 300th throughout America and the rest
of the world. However, there may not be a tribute as valuable
as Benjamin Franklin – A bright spark!
Ralph Archbold, an actor famous for his portrayal of Franklin
and considered ‘the official living Benjamin Franklin’
wrote:
In all my years of studying Franklin and reading everything
I can find that has been published about this extraordinary
man, I have never found a book as important as this.
Mark Sandborn, a best-selling author and one of the top 20 motivational
speakers in the world, wrote in a Foreword to Rough Life Rich
Life:
While some people might try to help by sharing their financial
wealth, this book will give you something infinitely better:
a wealth of wisdom from a life well lived.
Dr Tony Alessandra, also a best-selling author and one of the
top 20 motivational speakers in the world, wrote in another Foreword:
Rough Life Rich Life is a rich book – rich in information,
rich in wisdom, rich in experiences and, most significantly,
rich in inspiration.
The main body of Rough Life Rich Life is divided into six sections,
each of which discusses, in detail, the six key concepts of the
PRAISE model:
Prizedream is a dream or vision that comes with a valuable ‘prize’.
This prize is so meaningful and valuable that a person or organization
is willing to do all it takes to make the Prizedream come true.
The Prizedream of Canon’s predecessor, SKK, was to build
an affordable camera on par with the Leica. Canon’s Prizedream
today, guided by its philosophy of kyosei, is to create a better
world for humanity and the environment.
Rules refer to the internal rules that form the guiding principles
of a person or organization. In the PRAISE model, these rules
are:
Be different
Be decisive
Never give up
Take control
Take ownership
Analysis considers those factors that either help or obstruct
the achievement of a Prizedream. These are:
Cause – the higher inspiration that drives one to action
Heaven – external factors beyond one’s control
Earth – external factors within one’s control
Command – a leader’s ability to inspire others
System – a leader’s ability to manage direct and
indirect resources.
Invincibility refers to the cultivation of virtues that promote
strength of character. These are:
Wisdom
Sincerity
Courage
Strictness
Benevolence
Strategy refers to the process of formulating and implementing
a strategy. This is a five-step process as follows:
Foundation
Revision of plans according to changing circumstances
Examination – putting plans to the test
Evaluation
Discipline – group or ‘system’ discipline
to see the plan through.
Excellence is not just an end-result, but a continuous process
to achieve cycles of success unlimited:
Action – going through the steps of the PRAISE model
Success
Habit
Character
Perseverance
These concepts are discussed in detail, with illustrations drawn
from the author’s life experience and from the life stories
of individual and corporate PRAISE Champions.
Finally, a concluding chapter offers words of encouragement to
the reader. The book aims to inspire readers and encourage them
to Never give up and Give yourself a second chance.
