<p>I read Peaks and Valleys twice this past weekend.  It is by far one of the most insightful books I have ever read.  It made me analyze my own life and where I stand.</p> <p>The good news is that the book helped me realize what I need to do.  I am leaving my plateau and heading for my peak (returning to New York to get my career back on track).  This by far is Dr. Johnson's best work yet!</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 12 12 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 13 0 <p>Two things really hit home when I read Peaks and Valleys -- ask yourself "what is the truth in this situation" and the idea that what you do in the bad times can bring the good times back.</p><p>I'm a 45 year old woman and I've worked for more than ten years as a mid-level sales person at a company that is closely tied to the home construction business.  After a long period of steady growth and good profits, the last year and a half or so have been really tough and the company's profits have basically disappeared. My hours keep getting cut back and I've been finding it hard to make ends meet.</p><p>I kept telling myself that things would turn around, but when I was really honest with myself and asked "what is the truth in this situation," I realized that the company might not make it through another year like this one, and my job is in danger.  I can't keep my head in the sand and pretend that things are just somehow going to magically improve.</p><p>Then I thought about the idea that I could do something now that might lead to better times for myself in the future.  So while I still have this job, I've decided to go back to school at nights and learn the skills for a new career -- I'm learning to be a hair stylist!  It's something I always thought I'd be good at but never pursued.  I'm feeling really excited about the prospect of this new career, and I never would have done it if I hadn't been honest with myself about my current situation and used this down time to prepare myself for a good time.</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 5 5 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 7 0 <p>If I had stayed in my “valley,” I would not be living in New York City today. I first moved to the city in the mid-nineties, fresh out of college. Long on attitude and short on experience, I wasn’t truly prepared for life in the Big Apple, and I left after only two years.</p> <p>I decided to try my hand in smaller markets (“peaks”). I made my way to Washington, DC for a few years and I had some success there, but after awhile I became complacent and knew I needed to make a change. I left Washington, DC and moved to Philadelphia. I expected to achieve the same level of success there as I had enjoyed in Washington, but I didn’t have the same luck and didn’t do the legwork, and I struggled. It was a disappointing time.</p> <p>Eventually, I was offered an opportunity to move to a small town in Vermont. I ended up spending three years there, making ends meet and living in comfort. But, with no prospects for advancement, I realized that it was time for me to leave that “plateau.” Knowing I had climbed (or tried to climb) smaller peaks in my past, I knew that the time had come for me to climb the biggest peak again. So, with much better preparation and support, in 2008, I returned to New York City.</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 17 17 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 18 0 <p>There is an amazing serendipity to reading this book at this time. I can relate this to a very personal situation. I am an actor and artist. I had been caring for my mother for years and the caretaking became acute at the death of my father and brother. Since both parents are deaf – I was their “voice in the world.” My “valley” – the time and effort to care for her – was transformed by help of my mentor and acting coach into an unbelievable “peak” when I engaged in, completed and performed my own one woman show about what it was like growing up with deaf parents.</p> <p>Now – she has passed away and while I miss her – I am free of a lifelong burden.</p> <p>And the economy went south and I find myself in early retirement and very frightened. My sign posts are gone – a mother that I cared for – a job I really hated. So now what? She is gone and now I am free but with no income? How to see this? As total fright? Anger? Now, I’m free but with no money?</p> <p>But that is not the truth of the situation. The first “rope” I threw out was to get early social security. And the truth is – I have savings to carry me through.</p> <p>And now I have something more important than a job I hate. I have a wondrous and “sensible” vision! I am free to pursue my acting career – and what I learned from this book was to feel joy in doing the things I thought I hated – like follow up letters and all the detritus of the “Business side” of acting. I am happy to do it and follow my vision.</p> <p>And I have the time to spend in my art studio and to create pieces that will sell and support my vision of being self supportive through my artistic life. “Enjoy what it takes to get there” – Yes, this is very important. Love! Trust! There is so much good in this “bad” time. I’m going to make it work.</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 18 18 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 19 0 <p>I was able to use something I learned in Peaks and Valleys to help a colleague who was going through a really tough time. I work for a media company and our PR director sat down in my office the other day and said she was feeling completely overwhelmed by a special project that our boss had asked her to handle -- she had been put in charge of planning a huge, star-studded event with all sorts of logistical headaches and details. This fell outside of my colleague's realm of expertise and she was on the verge of quitting.</p> <p>I thought about what it says in Peaks and Valleys: To turn a valley into a peak, find and use the good that is hidden in a bad time. I suggested to my colleague that she try and see that the skills she was learning putting this big event together had the potential of completely opening up her career in a new direction, allowing her to reinvent herself and take on new responsibilities. In other words, this project that seemed like a nightmare could actually be the foundation of an exciting new phase in her career, as long as she recognized everything she was learning from it. The skills she would possess after pulling this off would make her stand head and shoulders over her peers, and she'd be able to position herself as someone with extraordinary experience.</p> <p>I suggested she read Peaks and Valleys herself to get more insights. Long story short, the event went off without a hitch and my colleague was a hero and now that she has this experience under her belt, I've noticed that she seems more confident and assured in meetings and it won't surprise me if she gets promoted soon.</p> <p>Thanks to Peaks and Valleys, I felt like I was able to offer some really simple yet constructive advice to a colleague who needed it! I guess that's what the author means by "Share It With Others." Thanks.</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 19 19 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 20 0 <p>Not too long ago I tried to advance my career within my profession. The position came down to two candidates, myself and another. Unfortunately, the position went to the other candidate. I was devastated!!</p> <p>I was so sure that I was the better choice that the rejection left me in a very deep depression. How could it be that my ability was not recognized? I seriously began to doubt the skills I had developed. I stopped my professional growth, retreated from any challenge, and had a very negative outlook an all things. I was not able to see the good that lay within that rejection until a little book provided the key for me.</p> <p>After reading 'Peaks and Valleys' I took stock of where I was. I realized that I had many good qualities that would allow me to advance professionally. I began to look for opportunities within my current situation and have found that my talents are being recognized. Different choices are being presented to me and I now find myself in a much happier place.</p> <p>'Peaks and Valleys' is a little goldmine. Worth its weight in gold.</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 20 20 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 21 0 <p>Reading the book reminded me of a difficult time in my life when I was fortunate to be connected to a great spiritual support group (note to self: maybe it’s time to reconnect!)</p> <p>In the Valley: I had completed a challenging two year professional masters degree program in government, a field in which I was not particularly sure I wanted to work in the first place (I had previously tried to pursue a career in music and theater). After a couple of jobs in the city I had relocated to, I was offered what looked like a promising job in a large and prestigious government agency. I somewhat reluctantly relocated again to work at the new job, but it felt like a fresh start, and I was optimistic. What I wasn’t prepared for (among other things) was politics. Not two weeks after I started the job, the manager who had hired me got promoted and did not take me with him, the kiss of death, as I was to learn.</p> <p>I was then shunted around from manager to manager, finally reporting to someone who appeared to despise me. I received very little support in my job. I dreaded going in to work. Although I surreptitiously spoke to other managers and tried to get transferred to an area where I felt my talents would be better utilized, my efforts were in vain. I was involuntarily transferred to another unit at another location in the agency. (Oh, and I forgot to mention that there were constant threats of layoffs.)</p> <p>My reaction to these events was to feel like a failure, a victim, to beat myself up, and to be absolutely sure I was never going to make a living. Luckily, I was connected to a spiritual group at the time, and one of my friends there said something that kind of sounded silly: “I look at every job as if it’s a temp job”. Isn’t that really the truth – nothing is permanent, we just gotta show up every day.</p> <p>I wasn’t thrilled about the job I was transferred to – it was not what I was trained for, the people seemed to be very different than me. But with the help of the spiritual group I was involved with, I tried to see what the truth was in this situation, as Dr. Johnson says. Whatever I thought people thought of me was really not helpful, probably not true. I must have had a part in what had happened to me, but some of it was due to forces over which I had no control. In the meantime, I was in a situation where I had to see what was the truth of the situation and how I could best be of service – and that was by learning my new job, showing up without a chip on my shoulder and being open to new opportunities and my new colleagues.</p> <p>Climbing my way out: I had to go to an administrative building to fill out paperwork for my involuntary transfer. While I was there, I saw a posting for an interesting job in another division, where I knew a former classmate worked. I called her and made some inquiries about the position, and with her encouragement, I applied for it. Guess what? I eventually got the job (but this being government, it took quite a while), and it turned out to be a very demanding, but very rewarding opportunity where I learned and grew professionally.</p> <p>In the meantime, I was learning the job I was transferred to. My colleagues went to visit a former office-mate in her new job, and asked me to come along. It didn’t sound like the most fun lunch hour I would ever spend, but I thought – ok, hang out, get to know them (politics = people). I met their former office-mate, and she introduced us to the people she worked with, one of whom was this guy who seemed really sweet and had a nice sense of humor. Guess what again? Three years later I married this guy! We’re still married some years later, and he has been a most supportive partner in helping me deal with the peaks and valleys, and encouraging me to pursue my interests in the arts, but that’s another story…..</p> <p>I definitely agree with Dr. Johnson’s book – in my case, working hard to change my attitude helped me to survive an uncomfortable and challenging time, to feel better about myself, and helped me to be open to other opportunities.</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 21 21 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 22 0 <p>There was a slow period recently at work and my hours were cut back. At first my bruised ego was what preoccupied my thoughts. Then I realized all the good things that could come from this. I could use the extra time each week to tackle several lingering house projects myself instead of paying someone else to do them and I could set up some informational interviews to not only explore jobs in my current career but in other fields I've wanted to investigate.</p> <p>I am now viewing this as being paid to interview and spruce up my home. I was also able to negotiate to keep my insurance during this downturn which is a huge relief. What had been an initially fearful situation has turned into a golden opportunity and I've realized that peaks and valleys are really a state of mind; I control how I feel about and handle the situations I face and there are opportunities presented in both peaks and valleys.</p> 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 24 24 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 25 0 A terrific book. I guess the author has written this and has been realeased just at the right time when the things are going tough in the world and everyone needed some hope and strength to come out of the "Valley" and turn it into a "Peak". Kuidos Sir.. looking out another such book. Neville 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 49 49 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 125 0 I just wanted to write to tank Spencer Johnson. The book has helped me put some problems at work into perspective. What I didn't realise was that I'd put myself in the valley, and I was blaming everyone else for it, when I'm responsible for being there, and I am responsible for getting out of it. Thanks Ben 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 50 50 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 128 0 This was by far the best book I have ever read. I checked it from my local library and couldn't put it down. Everything in it makes perfect sense, especially in these tough times. I would recommend this book to everyone out there. I promise that if you just read it and share it, you will find that you are on your way to higher peaks and less valleys. I am planning to put some of these ideas into a notebook of my own to help me stay focused. I plan to share this book with my husband. I think that once he reads this, things might not look so gloom and doom. Please find it and read it for yourself. I know it will help you. 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 55 55 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 149 0 Picking up the book yesterday in our book store, I read the first chapter and decided to get this book, as I am familiar with other books by the author. Recently we as family moved back to Melbourne, as my executive role was restructured. I knew I was in a valley, but struggling with the fear of my ego. I read the book in two sittings, part of it last night, and the rest this morning. Whilst the message is simple, the depth of this story and the peaks and valley approach is filled with layers of context and connection. Now I know that in previous times when I was in the valley, I did not fully understand how I got there and why I was feeling so disconnected. As I now continue on my journey, trying to get to the next peak, I know I will enjoy the journey more as I have developed a sensible vision of my next executive role. During my journey I also look forward to sharing with others how this book can make their career transition more positive. This book is about personal change and provides a practical framework to have more enjoyment as we travel through life! 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 57 57 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 162 0 This book kept "jumping" out at me. I bought it and then passed it along. Once again - a deep thank you to the author for putting simple concepts in easy to understand and integrate fashion. I enjoy the story telling format that is deceptively simple in that it truly helps me to deeply integrate the lessons while enjoying an enjoyable tail. I add this along with "They Yes\No Guide to Decision Making" as among my favs! Thank you-- I have embraced the concepts as I move from my recent valley and into a much more sustainable peak :) 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 61 61 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 177 0 Great book needless to say. But, what strikes me the most is the power of the parable where I took away different things from the book compared to others who read it. The notion of plateau was refreshing...I happen to go there every now and then and it was good to know that is indeed an healthy trait. Also, the notion of having to go in a deeper valley to get to higher peak was though provoking. 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 63 63 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 180 0 Yesterday, i spend some time going through from cover to cover. The writer tries to tell us something with a simpler way. Here I still have some questions: 1. I think each of us must be quite familiar with the points that the writer'd like us to know. However, the key point is for us to apply it to real life. How do you guys do? 2. You need to create a strong vision of your life and believe that you are in the situation you desire. Would this be a bit like what the book " Secret" tells us? Thanks for your sharing if possible. ^^ 4 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 0 66 66 1 2009-03-02T17:54:16+00:00 201 0