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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Energy Bus summary
Jon Gordon
10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy
18 mins
What is The Energy Bus about?
The Energy Bus (2007) is a handbook to positive energy and long-term success in your personal and professional life. These blinks are full of practical advice on how to cut out negative feelings, replace them with positive thoughts and fuel your life journey with committed people and a can-do outlook.
© Jon Gordon: The Energy Bus copyright 2007, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Used by permission of John Wiley & Sons Inc. and shall not be made available to any unauthorized third parties.
Table of Contents
The Energy Bus
summarized in 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
A lack of control over your life can breed unhappiness.
For most people, “positive energy” means walking around with a pasted-on smile. However, truly positive energy runs much deeper; it’s a state of real optimism and enthusiasm that cultivates a lifestyle of trust, passion and love.
It sounds great, but how can you reach that state?
Well, take our fictional leading man in this story, George. His life seemed perfect; he had a house, a wife, two children, a puppy and a team to lead at the NRG Company, which manufactured light bulbs. Nevertheless, George was miserable. Every little thing seemed to go wrong for him, and he was desperate to find meaning in his life.
Lots of people feel like George, trapped in the passenger seat of their own lives. After all, life is loaded with stress and impossible expectations, both personal and professional.
One Monday morning, George discovered that his car had a flat tire. He was late to a meeting about the launch of a new light bulb, and his team descended into chaos. To make matters worse, that morning he’d had a vicious argument with his wife. Just one day in and he was already certain that it was going to be another terrible week.
From there, it seemed like things only went downhill; George’s car also had a brake problem, and he had to take the bus to work for the next two weeks. However, when he climbed on board for the first time, he was immediately captivated by Joy the bus driver and her brimming smile. As it turned out, she had met many people like George and knew exactly what he needed.
George learned from another passenger that, according to a study, Monday morning at 9 a.m. is the most common time for people to commit suicide. It’s the time when people feel they simply can’t go on with another week of their lives. George was dangerously close to this point and Joy knew she needed to intervene. So, she invited him on a once-in-a-lifetime journey: a trip to a happier life on the Energy Bus.
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Best quote from The Energy Bus
No one creates success in a vacuum and the people we surround ourselves with have a big influence on the life and success we create.
—Jon Gordon
Who should read The Energy Bus?
- Anyone in need of an energy boost
- People seeking a more positive lifestyle
- Managers who want a crash course on leadership and teamwork
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