The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews

Join bestselling author Andy Andrews on an extraordinary journey through time in The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success. Blending fiction, self-help, and historical insight, this inspiring story follows David Ponder, a man facing adversity, who is mysteriously transported through pivotal moments in history to meet iconic figures like Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, and King Solomon.

Wisdom from Harry Truman (Chapter 3):

The First Decision for Success: The buck stops here. I am responsible for my future.

• Why me? Of course, why me? Is a question great men and women have been asking themselves since time began.
• … outside influences are not responsible for where you are mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, or financially. You have chosen the pathway to your present destination. The responsibility for your situation is yours.
• Your thinking dictates your decisions. Decisions are choices.
• The words It’s not my fault! have been symbolically written on the gravestones of unsuccessful people ever since Eve took her first bite of the apple. Until a person takes responsibility for where he is, there is no basis for moving on. The bad news is that the past was in your hands, but the good news is that the future, my friend, is also in your hands.

Wisdom from King Solomon (Chapter 4):

The Second Decision for Success: I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.

• Seek wisdom. Wisdom waits to be gathered. She cannot be bartered or sold. She is a gift for the diligent. And only the diligent will find her. The lazy man – the stupid man – never even looks. Though wisdom is available to many, she is found by few. Seek wisdom. Find her, and you will find success and contentment.
• The past will never change, but you can change the future by changing your actions today. It is really a very simple process. We, as humans, are always in a process of change. Therefore, we might as well guide the direction in which we change.
• … we are always and forever influenced by those with whom we associate. If a man keeps company with those who curse and complain, he will soon find curses and complaints flowing like a river from his own mouth. If he spends his days with the lazy – those seeking handouts – he will soon find his finances in disarray. Many of our sorrows can be traced to relationships with the wrong people.
• Anytime you tolerate mediocrity in your choice of companions, you become more comfortable with mediocrity in your own life.
• Only a fool refuses the counsel of wise men. There is safety in counsel. Sensible instruction is a life-giving fountain that will help you escape all manner of deadly traps. Find a wise man, a person who has accomplished what you wish for in your own life, and listen closely to his words.
• When a king begins to act like a king, it is not long before someone else is king! Serving is a way we can place value on one another. A wise man is a server.
• It is never the duty of a leader to struggle for someone else; A leader must encourage others to struggle and assure them that the struggles are worthwhile. Do battle with the challenges of your present, and you will unlock the prizes of your future.

Wisdom from Joshua Chamberlain (Chapter 5):

The Third Decision for Success: I am a person of action. I seize this moment. I choose now.

• I say to you now that this is the first time in history that men have fought to set another man free. Most of us Maine boys have never seen black skin on a man, but if it is true that all men are created equal, then we are fighting for each other. We are fighting because it is the right thing to do.
• I have deep within me the inability to do nothing. I may die today, but I will not die with a bullet in my back. I will not die in retreat. I am, at least, like the apostle Paul, who wrote, ‘This one thing I do…I press toward the mark.”
• When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act. I am a person of action.

Wisdom of Christopher Columbus (Chapter 6):

The Fourth Decision for Success: I have  decided heart. My destiny is assured.

• Truth is never dependent upon consensus of opinion. I have found that it is better to be alone and acting upon the truth in my heart than to follow a gaggle of silly geese doomed to mediocrity.
• … if you worry about what other people think of you, then you will have more confidence in their opinion than you have in your own. Poor is the man whose future depends on the opinions and permission of others.
• Getting started, getting finished – both ends of a journey require a demonstration of passion.
• Most people fail at whatever they attempt because of an undecided heart. Should I? Should I not? Go forward? Go back? Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape.

Wisdom from Anne Frank (Chapter 7):

The Fifth Decision for Success: Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.

• Sometimes I wish for it (The Clock) to speed up, and at other times I beg it to slow down. But it never hears me. It is always the same.
• Papa says complaining is an activity just as jumping rope or listening to the radio. It’s an activity. One may choose to turn on the radio, and one may choose not to turn off the radio. One may choose to complain, and one may choose not to complain. I choose not to complain.
• My life – my personality, my habits, even my speech – is a combination of the books I choose to read, the people I choose to listen to, and the thoughts I choose to tolerate in my mind.
• Pappa says, ‘Fear is a poor chisel with which to carve out tomorrow.’

Wisdom from Abraham Lincoln (Chapter 8):

The Sixth Decision for Success: I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.

• …I must confess my propensity towards self-serving behavior. Actually, it seems to be one of my life’s most constant battles. In a larger sense, however, we are being presented an enormous opportunity for change and the betterment of ourselves.
• You see, some people want just enough power to get by. Then there are other people who will acquire enough power to make things more comfortable for their families, and they’ll include other less fortunate souls in their charity if the personal growth part of the equation doesn’t become too uncomfortable. But there are a few of us who have latched on to the silly idea that we can change the world. We develop the power to ignore what is popular and do what is right. One person can attain the power to lead hundreds of thousands of people to the promised land of their dreams.
• As children, we were afraid of the dark. Now, as adults, we are afraid of the light. We are afraid to step out. We are afraid to become more. But how can we lead others to a destination we have not reached?
• Sooner or later, every man of character will have that character questioned. Every man of honor and courage will be faced with unjust criticism, but never forget that unjust criticism has no impact whatsoever upon the truth. And the only sure way to avoid criticism is to do nothing!
• If you are determined to win, you will have to surround yourself with winners. Don’t be discouraged by the people you might choose for your team who talk big but produce little. Grant is my 10th try. I just keep putting them in the boat to see who wants to paddle as hard as I do.
• The secret of forgiveness…It is a secret that is hidden in plain sight. It costs nothing and is worth millions. It is available to everyone and used by few. If you harness the power of forgiveness, you will be revered, sought after, and wealthy. And not coincidentally, you will also be forgiven by others!
• The unmistakable truth about forgiveness is that it is not a reward that must be earned; Forgiveness is a gift to be given. When I give forgiveness, I free my own spirit to release the anger and hatred harbored in my heart. By granting forgiveness, I free my spirit to pursue my future happily and unencumbered by the anchors of my past.

Wisdom from The Arch Angel Gabriel (Chapter 9):

The Seventh Decision for Success: I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.

• Circumstances are rulers of the week, but they are weapons of the wise. Must you be bent and flayed by every situation you encounter? … That is the question. Are your emotions and resolve controlled by circumstances?
• Circumstances do not push or pull. They are daily lessons to be studied and gleaned for new knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom that is applied will bring about a brighter tomorrow. A person who is depressed is spending too much time thinking about the way things are now and not enough time thinking about how he wants things to be.
• The tragedy of life is not that man loses, but that he almost wins.
• Most men ease off when the going is rough. Most slow down when the road appears treacherous. These are the times when you must feel the weight of your future on your shoulders – the throbbing, unstoppable strength of destiny coursing through your veins.
• Times of calamity and distress have always been producers of the greatest men.

Chapter 10:

• It is a fact that people follow a man who simply says, ‘Follow me.’ By taking leadership, ironically, A person deserves leadership. As you lead others to success and a life of their dreams, the life you seek and deserve will be revealed unto you.