Life in the wild teaches us invaluable lessons. Extreme situations force us
to seize opportunities, face up to dangers and rely on our instincts. But living
a purpose-driven, impactful life can be an even greater challenge…
In “A Survival Guide for Life”, Bear Grylls shares the hard-earned
lessons he's learned from some of the harshest environments on earth. How do
you keep going when all the odds are stacked against you? How can you inspire a
team to follow you in spite of obvious danger? What are the most important
skills to learn if you really want to achieve your maximum potential?
Bear's instantly inspiring tales from his adventures in all four corners of
the globe include his personal life lessons you will never forget. We're all
capable of living life more boldly and of having more fun along the way.
Here's to your own great adventure!
Reader Review
"…On the basis of its title `A Survival Guide for Life' seemed to be a
perfect Christmas present for my grandson (coming up 11 years old), and
certainly it is inspiring and inspirational – but it is not what
I expected – it does urge venturing outdoors, adoption of practical skills
and tackling mountains, and Bears refers to Scouting and to SAS/Commando
experiences, but `A Survival Guide for Life' is more about firing readers with
enthusiasm as a form of treatise on life challenges and motivation.
Topics covered include commitment, courage, perseverance, tenacity, working
hard, overcoming hurdles, kindness and caring with emphasis on fun and laughing
at oneself. In the first chapter Bears encourages readers to think big and find
their dream – their own personal Everest. He goes on to warn of
`dream-stealers' and to beware of obstacles – but to make the first step, be
passionate and positive, and to follow goals wholeheartedly. He employs numerous
metaphors linked to mountaineering – taking things a step at a time,
leadership and team spirit, assessing the risk:reward ratio, not carrying
unnecessary baggage, acknowledging retreat is not failure etc. In giving advice
about how to cope when things aren't going well he also relies on homilies and
stories concerning family and friends plus Biblical quotes and comments from his
heroes including Winston Churchill, Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong.
The final chapter is on humanity and humility and there can be no doubting
Bear Grylls as genuine. His writing endorses him as a likeable person with
narrative that oozes enthusiasm and humour, and I credit him with speaking from
the heart and having genuine faith – but his book is for older children and
adults – at Christmas I'll be giving my copy of `A Survival Guide for Life'
to my grandson's dad!" D. Elliott
Author Biography
Bear Grylls' prime-time TV adventure series is one of the most watched shows
on the planet, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion viewers in over
200 countries. Bear has authored eleven books and, as a former member of the UK
Special Forces, was made an honorary Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. He
continues to lead record-breaking expeditions to the world's extremes, and
these missions have raised over GBP1.5 million for children's charities. In
2009, Bear took over as the youngest ever Chief Scout to the Scouting
Association, acting as the figurehead to 28 million Scouts around the globe. He
lives with his wife, Shara, and their three sons, Jesse, Marmaduke and
Huckleberry, on a Dutch barge in London and on a small remote island off the
coast of Wales.
CONTENTS
- Have a dream
- Don’t listen to the dream-stealers
- Just begin…
- Chase the goal, not the money
- Be the most enthusiastic person you know
- Say yes
- To be brave, you first must be afraid
- ‘Them that stick it out are them that win’
- That little bit extra
- Never give up
- There is no education like adversity
- Know yourself
- You can’t become a horseman until you’ve fallen off a horse
- Pack light
- Shedding the heavy unnecessary
- Worry worries
- Tents don’t repair themselves
- Paddle your own canoe
- Don’t assume
- Dreams require sacrifice
- Failure isn’t failure
- Commit to ‘fail’
- Honour the journey, not the destination
- Beware the three Gs
- Seek out the five Fs
- The wind and the sun
- To get, you have first to give
- Experts should be on tap, not on top
- Instinct is the nose of the mind – trust it
- Storms make you stronger
- Humility is everything
- Laugh at yourself
- Keep good company
- Find a good guide
- Seek out motivation
- We all struggle with motivation sometimes
- Be kind
- No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care
- Money is like a river: it has to flow
- From those to whom much is given, much is expected
- Never work again!
- Stop ‘trying’!
- Change your vocabulary, change your attitude
- Let the mountain give you strength
- No plan survives first contact with the enemy
- Three key qualities …
- Be a volunteer
- Ask a busy person!
- Go to Fiji … every day!
- Keep grounded
- Scouting principles to live by
- Learning courage
- Use time wisely
- Take care of your possessions
- The risk : reward ratio
- Tentative is no power
- Every time you surprise yourself … you inspire yourself
- Do not judge someone by their status
- Creature comforts are only temporary
- Don’t dwell on mistakes
- Get out of your comfort pit
- Two ears, one mouth
- Let others shine
- Lead by example
- Fuel well, train regularly
- The will to win means nothing without the will to train
- Give it away!
- Cheerfulness in adversity
- When you’re going through hell, keep going
- Sometimes an ember is all you need
- How you speak about others speaks loudest about yourself
- Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude
- When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade
- Crisis = danger + opportunity
- Light can only shine through broken vessels
About the Author
Also by Bear Grylls
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