How to Rule the Whole Freaking World

How to Rule the Whole Freaking World

Reader Comments (65)

  1. Saw Seth’s blog about this but didn’t get around to buying the book, now just read your post Sonia and I thought ‘I really do need to buy this book, it’s the right thing to do’ . So I did.

    Funny really, I get a marketing lesson-reminder on the importance of repetition of message, whilst at the same time hopefully help two people much less fortunate.

    🙂

      • Ha ha ha! I totally echo what Andy says! And one thing I did want to mention Sonia, the whole thing of knowing we’re rich…my dear son who is now a Junior in college reminds my wife and I of this. We recently had been struggling financially – and complaining about it. My son very philosophically said “just be thankful of everything we’ve got compared to the kids in Nicaragua (my wife is from Nicaragua and they had recently come back from a trip to Nicaragua where the poverty is bone-crushing). That really put things into perspective and made me realize my whining and complaining was more like that of a spoiled child. Thanks Sonia for putting things into perspective!

  2. Excellent post!

    I’ve been watching a lot of 9/11 anniversary documentaries this week and when you see how people are living in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan etc. you really start wondering what we’re all complaining about in North America.

    I can create a digital product, sit down… push a button and “shazam” I’ve made ten grand.

    That’s more money than most of those people will ever see in a lifetime.

    Think about you have right now…and…give back a little to the world.

    Patrick

  3. it is pretty shocking to see pictures the depict where the distribution of wealth is around the world. I lived in Malawi for 6 months so i got to see first hand the devastation of malaria and AIDS. This is an awesome project!

    • I agree — I really like concrete projects like this (SmileTrain and Heifer would also be great examples) that translate donations into something we can think clearly about. If a problem is too big, we don’t feel we can really do anything, but buying two mosquito nets … cool, that we can relate to.

  4. We sponsor a school in Uganda and things like Malaria nets etc make a huge difference. Buy the book, read it and help someone at the same time. Life rarely gets better than that.

    What a great way to highlight this with your post Sonia 🙂

    • And the book is really good. Even taking 2 or 3 ideas from the book and implementing them will produce great changes in pretty much anything we’re working on.

      Just cool all around. 🙂

  5. Great post Sonia. I started seeing things about this project yesterday but got side tracked and didn’t get it done. You’re words made it impossible for me not to take action right away.

  6. You can’t just let a guy happily procrastinate, can you? It’s not as if people are DYING or anything.

    Oh, wait a minute. They are…

    😉

    Thanks for the reminder, Sonia. Going to go buy it now.

    Glad you posted this.

  7. Guess i better so pick up the book Sonia. Don’t want to be one of those @#%^ Americans that everything is just for me, I have a heart. Beside I don’t want to know that i was the reason for someone dying. I have enough screw ups for a life time, I’m trying to learn to shorten that list. LOL
    I am very blessed and what I call wealthy an not just because I have this PC.
    Thank you for making me aware.
    Blessing,
    Debbie

  8. Okay, Sonia. Between you and Seth, I got *suckered* in. I just bought the book.

    Just another day in the life of me. Saving lives. Yawn.

    😉

  9. Just saved two lives. Thanks for putting the brakes on me long enough to do something meaningful.

  10. Great timing, I also read Seth’s post and didn’t get around to buying the book.. well after seeing your post I’ve bought the book! I’m heading off to Cambodia in 1 week, Malaria is very prevalent there, so it’s pretty good timing and a good reminder of how rich and blessed we are in the western world!

  11. Ahhhg. You got me Sonia. Right in the heart. I am soo far into debt trying to get a writing career going.. but yet, I STILL went and bought the book, so magnificent – nay, legendary – was your call to action. 🙂

    • One of the best ways I found to deal with feeling poor when I was in one of those broke spots was to give a donation to someone who needs it a lot more than I do. 🙂 You’ll see, it’s a good investment in yourself as well as giving out to others.

  12. Hook us in with what we want to hear, lead us along for a while, deliver a couple of well placed punches to the gut, and then give us something different (and better) than we could have hoped for. Nice writing.

    I hadn’t looked at Seth’s blog in a few months (misplaced priorities, anyone?), but this was the morning I decided to check it out again, and of course I bought the book. Paperback, because I stand a better chance of reading it that way.

    Thanks for taking on the cause of sharing the book and the opportunity to make a difference.

    The model itself is also worth studying. It’s simultaneously turning both the usual business of being an author and the usual business of charitable donations on their heads.

  13. Hey! You woke me up at 04.48am (UK time) with your email. Thanks. I couldn’t stop reading so I got up and bought the freaking book. It’s gonna be a good day because I feel I did something meaningful (and I got a book I really needed). Again, thanks.

  14. Well I loved this reminder too about our wealth. Went to buy the book but my Amazon is co.uk and they dont seem to have this book available (as Kindle to download) in the UK market. Any clues anyone on how I can buy this in the UK?

  15. You’ve hit the nail on the head with this one. In my life I have seen others on the endless quest for more, more money, more power, more influence…..And the truly happy people recognize how good they have it (no matter what their circumstances) and derive real pleasure from helping others. I challenge the readers of this blog to figure out a specific and concrete way to quit worrying about themselves and go help someone else out. Eradication of malaria is a good start for the day!

    “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have”- Sheryl Crow

  16. You had me at “They think their kids are beautiful when they’re sleeping.”

    My heart is already constricted and leaden from today’s news of death of a co-worker, the impending anniversary of 9/11, my son’s leaving home this week to make his fortune, and a desperate e-mail letter from Rich Stearns, CEO of World Vision, about impending catastrophe in Somalia.

    So yes, I clicked. But I don’t feel better yet. Maybe tomorrow.

    Thanks for the masterful post, though.

    • I’m so sorry for everything you’re facing. Some days are so hard. Thanks so much for clicking.

      The Starfish Story, trite and overused at it might sometimes seem, is one that helps me when I feel overwhelmed with how much pain there is out there. You make a difference.

  17. I love the starfish story – thanks for reminding us of it.

    Your comments about our endless striving reminded me of a story my husband, who was from Alabama, used to tell. One time when he was lost he stopped and asked a farmer how far it was to the next town. The farmer answered, “Go as fer as you can see and then again.” Which is pretty much what we all do.

  18. Absolutely, while we don’t we might not be rich (as the top 2% of the US supposed owns 50% of the US wealth, crazy right? xD), we do have it very well compared to underdeveloped countries. Access to heat, water, electricity, and food are all things we should cherish. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t push for more, but always remember where you came from.

  19. I may be daft today, but what are you trying to say with this? I see a lot of words but can’t see the message. Maybe you should taper you writing juice somewhat and give us the pulpbits.

    • The message is to always value what you have, not just seek to be a glutton throughout life. The difference is awareness, awareness of you and other geographical parts of the world.

  20. Yeah we do forget how wealthy most of us are in a non monetary sense alright. We moan every day about first world problems like our coffee not being hot enough or the bus being a couple of minutes late!

  21. Before opening a fortune cookie I had wished for it to give me good luck financially. The fortune cookie read “You Are Already Wealthy”. It had me thinking for a long time then I realized how true it was.

    We are here now with unlimited power to do anything that we want by using persistence and determination.

    • And that is what sometimes feels the MOST frustrating- all this abundance and opportunity and potential to be of service in the world, but we’re only just now starting to build structures – thanks to this wonderful web – for folks to be able to really get creative and give our own gifts, rather than be limited to supporting charities with cash.

  22. Thanks for sharing this Sonia, even though it feels like I spend 24 hrs a day online I missed the launch.

    Your points are so true. I believe a year in Africa should be compulsive for us pampered developed world dwellers. Malaria is a great one as it’s so easy to prevent. I’ll buy this one and then I hope they’ll write another book to benefit HIV too.

    Thanks for using Copyblogger and your influence to make a difference. That’s huge:)

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