If I'd Known Then What I Know Now: Why Not Learn from the Mistakes of Others? - You Can't Afford to Make Them All Yourself! » (1ST)

So says J.R. Parrish. Raised in the 1940s in a house on a dirt street in Macon, Georgia, he's living proof that you can succeed without having all the breaks -- as long as you've got the right attitude, a burning desire, and a commitment to following through. By learning from other people's mistakes, and heeding two mentors whose counsel he shares in this book, J.R. went from milkman to millionaire and retired in Hawaii at age fifty-five. He did this without a college education, and attributes his success to following good advice. Parrish reveals proven secrets of success in finance, business, investing, career, dating, marriage, school, and most importantly, getting along with others -- employers, teachers, coaches, parents, grandparents, and friends. Power-packed, and easy to understand and apply, this no-nonsense book is organized into five lessons for specific age groups, so you can get the best advice at exactly the time in your life when you need it most.

Accepting the guidance he shares here changed J.R. Parrish's life. If you'll take his advice literally, your life can be changed as well, assuring you a happier, more successful, and much more enjoyable future. How many times have you lamented, "If only I had known then what I know now?" This book will arm you with knowledge and help you learn from those who have gone before you. The wisest of you will want to learn from the mistakes of others, eliminating much of the pain and suffering inherent in learning by personal experience. Experience is a good teacher, but none of us lives long enough to learn all our lessons by this method alone. The best and least painful way to learn is from the experiences of others, which can make your journey through life less painful and much more rewarding.

You are precisely where you are in life today because of the choices you've made. It's not your circumstances that determine your success or happiness, but the choices you make in those circumstances. Two people can experience an identical event, such as a financial disaster, and, while one gives up and lives the rest of his or her life miserable and penniless, the other decides to start over and ends up having more than ever before. This suggests that it's not our circumstances, but how we think about and choose to deal with them, that determines the outcome. The information that follows will guide you to making better choices throughout your life.