Dash

I love the title of this book. I had heard the poem called"The Dash", which is about a man giving a eulogy, and hespeaks of the dash as the time between the date of birth andthe date death on a tombstone. In fact, I distinctly heard it for the first time at a funeral for a fireman killedin the World Trade Center, and the lines of the poemresounded with me. The poem wants you to pause andconsequently think about how you spend your life, and thebook, in its own way, aims to do the same.What I found intriguing about the book, beside the title, isthe author's background. Eric Aronson comes from what manywould describe as a dysfunctional household and a troubledyouth. He suffered sexual abuse at a young age andunfortunately lost his mother at the age of 13. As a teenagerhe found it difficult to fit in and he was finally convictedof a felony and sent to prison. As he describes it "lifegave him the ultimate timeout" - a time to evaluate his lifepriorities. This book is a manual for what he has learnedand with so much time on his hands, he seems to have learnedhis lessons well. Eric Aronson has literally turned his lifearound and has become a life coach and a motivationalspeaker.

Though his philosophies may seem simple, they ring with atruth - the truth of someone who has been there and back.He states that "most of us drift down the beach alittle ways, being moved by the undercurrent of life, toobusy to notice we have gone off course from our originalgoals, beliefs and desires." We live in a very busy world,inundated by work, cell phones, deadlines and pressures andfor the most part don't take the time to think about ourlives.

While reading his principles (D- determination, A -attitude, S- success, H - happiness) the reader cannot helpbut continually think, "If he can overcome his personalobstacles, so can I." So in a way the book succeeds in being empowering. The book is a compilation of quotesstories and insights, hopefully some of which will speak toyou. I especially like the quote from Thomas Edison "If weall did the things we are capable of, we would literallyastound ourselves."

This book aims to put a dash in your step, a dash in yourthoughts, and a dash in your heart. If you enjoy self-helpbooks, which I do, then you'll enjoy this one.