Customer Reviews

Once Upon a Cow: Eliminating Excuses and Settling for Nothing but Success

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So many self-improvement books pander to our emotions. We read them and are charged with an emotional high that usually lasts for somewhere between an hour and a week, then it's gone. We may retain a few tid-bits that we can throw out there every now and then that are useful, but for the most part, the reading public goes unchanged. In ONCE UPON A COW, business coach and speaker Camilo Cruz gives you actionable steps to put into immediate motion to bring about the changes you so desperately want to make in your life.

I myself am a leader, coach and mentor. I work diligently to stay on top of life, stay motivated and elevate others, but I quickly identified areas of weakness in my own life, the excuses I've used to hide behind, and ways to take positive action.

We develop our excuses (cows) at an early age. We use them, nurture and protect them, and even refine them until they are no longer excuses but a part of our own little reality. We finally wake up one day and realize we've led a very mediocre existence. We don't understand why, or even how it happened. Dr. Cruz will show you how to fix it.

This is a brilliant book. It is very entertaining with a good mix of anecdotal examples to prove the author's points, and it is a very quick and easy read. I stumbled across this totally by accident and am really glad I did. I highly recommend this one. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to my first ballroom dance class that I've been putting off for 3 years now. Life's too short to make excuses.

This book is inspirational and provides a practical guide to overcome barriers to achieve personal dreams. The author makes us to realize that perhaps our own way of thinking and attitude towards life are the only reasons we don't succeed.

When would you think that killing an only cow that provides support to an entire family is a good thing! Well, when you read the book you come to the conclusion that perhaps the cow was the roadblock that kept the family "save", unchallenged, and in the mediocrity.

A good-inspirational book, and easy to put into practice!

This book was a great quick read! Once Upon a Cow reminded me of "Who moved my Cheese?" Simple, straight forward and a great lesson: We must not allow excuses to rule our life. It is incredible how easy it is to pick up all of these excuses and justifications. I was particularly inspired by the story of Roger Bannister.

As a general rule, I am pretty cynical about the self-help / self-improvement genre (due largely to the self-promoting people behind the books, CD's, infomercials, etc.). However, I want to pass along a recommendation for the book "Once Upon a Cow." The substance of these kinds of books is gauged by the impact they have on the reader. "Once Upon a Cow" was recommended to me by a Vistage member of mine who stopped smoking and lost 43 pounds after reading the book. That got my attention.

Once I began to kill my own cows (trust me, you have to read the book), I passed the book along to clients of mine who I thought were "settling" and giving excuses for their lack of success (the economy; their bad luck; the lack of information; the brain-dead competition; etc.) or had reasons why they couldn't do something they know they should do (I'm naturally shy; I'm not wired that way; you don't understand how difficult my business is; it's my fatal flaw - everyone has them, etc.).

The author, Dr. Camilo Cruz, has written more than thirty books and sold over one million copies. Until now, the lion's share of his books have been published in Spanish, and he has a large, loyal following in Latin America. He is now tackling the U.S. market. Dr. Cruz formerly taught college quantum physics and thermodynamics, but writing and speaking have been his passions over the last twenty years.

The book begins with a parable, and it includes a graphic, memorable image that has a powerful application when it comes to identifying - and eliminating - our own excuses, justifications and limiting beliefs.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of PETA, I encourage you to read the book, and begin killing your cows!

This book gives the reader an excellent view of their lives from the outside looking in. I didn't even get half way through the book before I began changing the way that I handled situations that life presented. If you don't begin viewing life's challenges differently after reading this book you are simply determined to live in denial. Great read

This is a very good book, it really teaches you about life, I highly recommend this book

The product arrived in the condition that was stated (used but good) and I am happy with the purchase and the buying experience.

This book was an easy read and had a great impact on me. If you're even thinking about getting this book, throw out any excuses you might have and buy it. There are so many thought provoking questions that will help you in so many ways. I highly recommend it.

After reading the book I realized I had fallen victim to some cows. I have made the decision to face my fears and be the person I really am.

I really appreciated the real-life examples in this book. So many books tend to have broad generalizations about difficulties and challenges that we face and they don't often have precise, applicable, realistic ways to approach them.

Most people will find themselves in this book - and most likely in some unexpected ways. People are masters at finding ways not to do all the things we proclaim to have as goals: get fit, go back to school, find a new path. This book book points them all out in detail! You will find yourself smiling as you see yourself in some of the examples. The book has a humorous, easy-to-read tone that will inspire you to dump those excuses in the trash for good.