Customer Reviews

Dynamic Components of Personal Power

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Personal authority, charisma, leadership, and influence are not qualities that are innate at birth, rather they are learned skills and abilities based on principles and concepts going back thousands of years in recorded human history. In "Dynamic Components Of Personal Power: Success -- The Black Belt Way", martial artist Jim Bouchard has produced an instructional manual based upon ancient martial arts teachings that he has adapted and adopted for modern personal and professional success through creating, enhancing, and maintaining personal power within any social, business, or professional relationship. As a founder of northern Chi Martial Arts and a member of the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Brouchard writes with a special expertise as he applies a Kung Fu-oriented philosophy and practice to harnessing its techniques to the development of personal talent and ability by applying the motivational and transformational power of the dojo to the demands of ordinary life. Of special note are the 'Power Drills', exercises specifically designed to strengthen goal commitments. Superbly organized and presented, "Dynamic Components Of Personal Power" is very highly recommended reading and would make a popular addition to any community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement reference collection.

Jim Bouchard's, "Dynamic Components of Personal Power," is a great resource that guides one into a natural system of enhancing their personal power from within. It's about personal power and mentally sustaining control over these dynamic components utilizing the 3 triangles Jim introduces, which is a brilliant way for the reader to learn, visualize, and retain the information being taught to help one gain and maintain true success in all areas of life.

Michelle Rossi (White)
Author/ All About Me
Contributing Author Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul 2
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Dynamic Components of Personal Power is a practical, no-nonsense book that makes the essential interpersonal work of accessing, understanding and harnessing our own inner power possible. This is not just one more theoretical, self-help book. Jim Bouchard provides the step-by-step guide to working with our personal power so we can create lives that are rich and meaningful; and deeply satisfying and joyful. Jim reminds us all soundly that life is an inside job and leads the way with courage, deep respect and a voice that beckons us each and every step along the way. This is a must read and a great gift for men and women alike!

Jackie Black, Ph.D., author Meeting Your Match: Cracking the Code to Successful Relationships

From behind the din of all the routine self-help, how-to books available just about everywhere comes a pleasingly unique sound! That sound, Dynamic Components of Personal Power, makes simple the art and science of locating, understading and harnessing our own inner power. Not another guru-focused blend of nonsense, repetition and self-promotion, Jim Bouchard speaks in a language common to us all as he outlines how we can develop our own step-by-step path that we can use so we can "make it happen" in our lives - on our own!

"Simple, but not easy" is a theme visited throughout this book, showing us in realistic and attainable ways how to work with our personal power every day and every moment. His explanation of failure as necessary to all of us and all we seek is something every one of us can understand and apply. I've never looked at failure so positively as I do since reading this book!

Although I've never taken even one martial arts class I fully appreciate the author's years of training as a part of his foundation in understanding and explaining access to personal power. Ya' don't have to be a martial artist to appreciate and get something from this book!

Almost a year ago I was fortunate to sit in on a seminar and workshop presented by the author. With this book, Bouchard has made his visions, beliefs and simple methods available to everyone. This book was a gift to me and I've now passed it on to others!

Plain, conversational language, riddled with common sense explanations and examples, this is a book worth reading for anyone with thoughts of accessing more personal power, more success and in turn more satisfaction and happiness. It's a great, practical read.

What a refreshing change from the myriad of "self-improvement" books out there! Jim's "voice" is much like his philosophy - down to earth, easy to digest, and action-oriented.

His "triangle" theories made great sense to me...His "Power Triangle" discusses the importance of "Balance, Focus and Timing" (and equal attention to all three components) as necessary tools for personal success. He then explores how to achieve this through his next triangle chapter - "The Kung Fu Triangle". (Jim brings years of martial arts practice and teaching to this book, and those influences are found throughout...a unique element that makes this book such an enjoyable read.)

The Kung Fu Triangle offers "Motivation, Discipline and Time" as the means for developing true potential and success. Again, Jim mentions the importance of the balance between all three components as key. Such a simple concept, but as he also says... "simple, but not easy!"

If you're looking for a positive, accessible, "roll up your sleeves" approach to personal development and success, this is your book!

Right up front I'd like to point out that I am a long term student of Master Bouchard so you can take that into consideration when reading this review. With that said, however, I think I can provide some good insight to help you make a decision about this book.

As a professional teacher we often get motivational type books provided to us from time to time. Most of them are written by a Phd and seem hastily written. They often seem like the publisher decided they need a self help book and went looking for somebody to write one. I'm sure you know the ones. Not that there is anything wrong with those books but the major element that is often missing from them is life experience. That's a bit of a clue to me that the authors of those books are not really following their own ideas. I can attest that from my knowledge of Sensei Bouchard, he has lived every bit of this book that he brings to you. His path has had it's own curves like everyone else's but it's how we handle those things that make the difference.

This book by Mr. Bouchard is grounded in his own experience. The philosophies and methods he talks about, are all shown through his own personal quest to find these kinds of answers in his own life through successes and failures. This approach carries a lot of weight with me because, even though the ideas may be purposely simple, using them and developing them in your life have never been that simple for me at least. It is nice to not only read about the ideas, but to read how they were applied in life.

I think the book itself provides a very unique perspective within this genre of writing. It's not often that we hear a martial arts Master contribute on topics outside of the martial arts but the discipline, focus and investment of time it takes to become a Master are the same ingredients for success in everything. This book is worth your time to read.

Let me quote the author directly from a review I left for Marsha Petrie Sue's 'CEO of You' book (another piece of trash), which he responded to with, in part:

"To save you some time, I do present some painfully obvious themes such as taking personal responsibility for your own success. You may also find that I'll promise you can do anything you want with your life; but it is ultimately up to you to get there."

Do I really need to point out the reasons why you shouldn't buy this book, or has the author just done a pretty good job of that himself? If you can count the number of stars I've left, you can probably guess my answer to that question.

For the truly curious, here's the author's other brainstorm from that review comment:

"...I do teach simple, sometimes even obvious life lessons which do bear repeating from time to time. Of course, no book or seminar has the power to change your life; that work is left to you"

Again, judge for yourself. I'm not going to leave a scathing review of this guy's book because I admittedly haven't read it and don't plan to do so. I've read Marsha's aforementioned steaming pile of manure and despite having received the book for free, I still feel it was a waste.

As for Jim's book, you have all the proof right up there, staring you in the face. If you want to flush the $20, go ahead and order this book or Marsha's or whoever else's. Your dollar, your call.