Begin with Yes - Paul Boynton

"Contrary to what we've been taught, the secret to a good life is not about having a positive attitude; it's about taking positive actions." Paul Boynton

I 'met' Paul Boynton and Begin with Yes, through the awesome La Diva; she had been interviewed by Paul for Empower Radio. I listened to their half an hour chat with great interest. Firstly, because I got to hear La Diva's voice (and she sounded exactly as I'd imagined - full of energy and enthusiasm) and then, I was hearing Paul in action. It was a couple of months before I set up my Facebook page for the Lighthouse Network, but I remembered him and 'liked' his page. I genuinely adore his picture quotations: great messages with gorgeous pictures. Very positive, supportive and inspiring: all of the attributes for the Lighthouse Network!


I thought it would be good to share Paul's book with you. I bought it on my Kindle through Amazon and I'm really glad I have it. It is laid out as a conversation, rather than a traditional book with chapters, in a question and answer format. He also uses real-world examples of how his clients and other people he's known have used the Begin with Yes strategy. I really like this approach. It addresses and challenges peoples' queries about the system, without preaching.


It's breathtaking in it's simplicity. In a nutshell, he is saying positive attitude is fine and great, but actually, it's not enough. It's not enough to be positive, you've got to act positively. By acting positively, you'll get the Life you want. By acting positively, he means: identify what it is you want to achieve, make a plan on how you're going to achieve it and make a small step towards it every day. 


Boynton's approach is compassionate and generous. He does recommend being positive, but acknowledges that there are times and circumstances where it's very difficult to maintain that 'can do' attitude. He says it's important to acknowledge the difficult times, being blindly positive is an inauthentic response which is ultimately unhelpful. However, using Begin with Yes in challenging circumstances, becomes more important than ever. It means your dreams don't get derailed with the rest of your Life. You're responding to the difficulties in front of you, whilst keeping your ultimate goal firmly in the forefront of your mind.


I like his no-nonsense, straight-talking delivery. He makes no promises that Life will be perfect, everything will turn out as expected, you'll live happily ever after. What he says is you're far more likely to succeed using the Begin with Yes strategy, than if you start each endeavour with a negative attitude.


Begin with Yes is a short book, it's well-written, accessible and it's very clear what it's all about.  Personally, I've written out the strategy and stuck it to my board, to keep me focussed. It doesn't make unrealistic promises neither does it patronise in the way that some self-help books do. Paul Boynton comes across as the kind of guy you'd want to meet up in the pub and as the Yanks say 'shoot the breeze'. He doesn't have the ego that many within the self-help circuit cultivate.


I realise this is not so much a review as a recommendation. Ah well. Be that as it may, it's worth a read. If I were you, I'd also 'like' Begin with Yes, Facebook Page. I mis-remember a quote that goes motivation is like bathing, you've got to do it every day - it's great having his reminders in your newsfeed. 


Anyway darlings. Enjoy! Have you already read his book? Are you a fan? Let me know what you think!