Stepping forward with Shiv Khera

We caught up with Shiv Khera an Educator, Business Consultant, Entrepreneur and Author at the re-launch of the revised edition of his best seller in its genre “You Can Win”. He is a motivational speaker, inspiring and encouraging people to achieve their true potential. His other books include “Living with Honour”, “Freedom is not Free” and “You Can Sell”.

Many events have influenced me. When I left India after the Coal mines were nationalised I moved to the US. Since I was not very well educated I worked odd jobs washing cars, selling vacuum cleaner and life Insurance. I joined a program by Dr Norman Vincent Peale as a student. That was a turning point in my life. Gradually as life started changing for me I started teaching leadership and motivation in the Maximum security Prison in USA. And then I took it to the corporate world from there.

It was amazing and a tremendous learning experience. Some had given up hope, some were determined to change and some said they would try. The ones who say ‘Try’ are actually non-committal. They keep the prison doors open and are ones called repeat criminals. There are no half attempts in life. You either do it or you don’t. There were people who implemented things and changed their fortunes for better. I get letters, mails, phone calls and messages from people who have been helped through my sessions and those are my biggest incentives. These responses are what keep me going.

You could call them self help books because they certainly help one. They are life changing because the books I have read like “The Power of Positive Thinking” have changed my life. The most important thing to know is how do you do it? When we share our stories we inspire. People start to think on the lines of when they could do it so can I. If you look at anyone who has succeeded, the difference between the winners and losers is Willpower. Mohammad Ali said “We need skill and will, both to succeed but between the both will is what will help you keep going after a hit.”

I share things that I have learnt from people wiser than me. And sharing is my way of expressing gratitude to my teachers by taking the message forward to future generations. Because the principles of success go back centuries and have not changed much over the years. You reap the dividends of success you only pay a price when you fail. People say success is difficult, you can try failing and tell me whether that was easy.

By and large, the emotional appeals are identical all over the world. There are cultural differences but I believe these differences are superficial. Meaning of a gesture may vary but Integrity and cheating are given same meaning in New Delhi or New York or Beijing.

Most important thing is people have to relate to the book. My books have a practical aspect that they can implement in their respective lives and see the results for themselves.

My last book was “You Can Sell”. It talks in term of, in life results are rewarded, efforts are not rewarded. It is a universal book because anybody who has a product, service or an idea is selling something. In a job interview or a proposal for marriage or a politician giving a speech to get votes, each and everyone is selling. So success in life depends on our ability to sell.

Eventually people have to come back full circle and take up reading. Can you imagine the disaster if people start becoming a neuro-surgeon without studying. There is no substitute to studying. The delivery system may have changed from hard paper to e-books but reading can never be forgotten.

“Achieve more in less time” is my next. It may be out by September this year.