The Power of Courtesy

By Karma Peters

DID YOU KNOW THAT COURTESY COSTS NOTHING, BUT BUYS EVERYTHING?

You certainly knew that already!

But what you may not know are the countless and effective tactics that highly considerate people use to show respect to others, get what they want, and thrive in nearly everything they undertake. Through empirical research, personal testimonies and everyday observations, I have seen that exceedingly chivalrous people typically are flexible and always signal a greater openness to finding a middle way in every situation.

Let me tell you how they do it.

The book contains a helpful Discussion Guide. Through burning questions, the book gives extensive advice on how to use the discussion guide, how to inform decisions related to the topics at hand, and how to best read it – alone, in reading groups, with your partner, or as part of learning activities, among others.

>>> After reading this book, you will know how to:
Use contextual awareness to your benefit
Show measured care to anybody you come across
Communicate effectively and appreciate the value of patience
Transform empathy and sympathy into telepathy

>>> Who will benefit from this book?
You.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karma Peters
• Release date: Jan 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310484131

Karma Peters

I wish to remain anonymous because the ideas I convey in my books are far more momentous than my humble person. Consider me nonexistent – a myth, a modicum of human folklore, a thinking iota in our collective wisdom.Just delve into my books, learn a thing or two...and, if you like the content, try to improve your life (and others’ lives). I don't aim to be a personal-growth guru, a healer, a celebrated self-help pundit, an attention-hungry author. In our publicity-obsessed culture, we don't need another such figure.I see life through the lens of passion and compassion; promise and compromise; happiness; and unwearied altruism, the kind you project when you stare at a newborn and know right away that only you can help him or her fulfill the untapped, God-given potential each of us has.We have that inner passion – so why not use it, enhance it, modify it, channel it while we are here on Earth? As an author, philosopher and life coach, I write books that inspire, motivate and teach you how to reconnect with your inner energy and ignite your outer potential.In an earlier life, I learned the ropes of financial management, organizational effectiveness, strategy, marketing and investment banking, first earning an MBA in Finance at Rutgers University and then working in various roles in the financial-services industry in New York and New Jersey. These positions ultimately enabled me to see how infinite goodness manifests itself in humans, producing pure bliss in unexpected moments and places – and how, unfortunately, sometimes our worst angels lead us to blaze unfortunate and troublesome paths for ourselves and others.These days, I wake up each morning to the sweet, hopeful music of life, and sleep to the adorable, buoyant melody of tomorrow – living one day at the time, enjoying simple moments, appreciating the chance to exist, and feeling grateful for the serendipity of human love.

Book preview

DID YOU KNOW THAT COURTESY COSTS NOTHING, BUT BUYS EVERYTHING?

You certainly knew that already!

But what you may not know are the countless and effective tactics that highly considerate people use to show respect to others, get what they want, and thrive in nearly everything they undertake.

Through empirical research, personal testimonies and everyday observations, I have seen that exceedingly chivalrous people typically are flexible and always signal a greater openness to finding a middle way in every situation.

Let me tell you how they do it.

The book contains a helpful Discussion Guide. Through burning questions, the book gives extensive advice on how to use the discussion guide, how to inform decisions related to the topics at hand, and how to best read it – alone, in reading groups, with your partner, or as part of learning activities, among others.

>>> After reading this book, you will know how to:

Use contextual awareness to your benefit

Show measured care to anybody you come across

Communicate effectively and appreciate the value of patience

Transform empathy and sympathy into telepathy

>>> Who will benefit from this book?

You.

Résumé

A courteous approach helps you project composure, using gestures that are either substantive or symbolic, depending on the person, the situation and your mindset.

Courtesy blends humility, patience and empathy, helping you always commit to a pathway to compromise, irrespective of the situation.

Highly considerate people have a knack for understanding contextual awareness – the way people, nature and flora all interact at a specific moment – and use it routinely to respect others and work productively with them.

Through 10 specific sections, from communication to empathy to humility to spiritual faith, this book gives you the keys to a more considerate, more fruitful and richer life.

The book is part of a series, "The Wheel of Wisdom," in which I explore topics as varied as love and romance, self-esteem, occupational success, personal bliss, effective communication, fear management, human relationships and spirituality.

The Wheel of Wisdom reflects knowledge I accumulated through personal research, wisdom literature, everyday observation and the testimonies of hundreds of people encountered on my life journey – young and old, novice and experienced, religious and agnostic, optimistic and gloomy.

Like each book in the Series, I’ve made this tome a quick read, easy to understand and filled with as many inspirational jewels as possible.

I hope you will find it as pleasurable to read as it was for me to write.

*Important*

Readers have sent me considerable correspondence lately – most of which revolved around a few recurrent themes – so I thought it was more effective to write a quick note to clear up lots of queries about Karma Peters’ books.

The vast majority of the emails and letters is inquisitive and supportive – thank you, beloved readers! – but a few are outright condemnatory.

Time permitting, I’ll continue to personally answer each email or letter I receive from a reader.

However, this little recap aims to address some of the questions, concerns and brickbats I’ve seen in reviews, private correspondence, blogs and public forums.

Let me introduce you to my 5Cs, a collection of short references to help you better understand this book – and my other books.

The 5Cs sum up my life vision, explain my writing style and will effectively help you set your expectations as a reader.

1. Conversation

Each of my books is a conversation – call it couch conversation if you like. My writing style is conversational, not a Harvard lecture or Ph.D. dissertation replete with statistics and intellectual esotericism.

I write as I talk, and talk as I write. I cover subjects that are inherently complex and serious, but do so in a simple, straightforward way. I don’t dumb down the discourse, and neither do I think my readers are children or cerebrally challenged adults – topics like death, relationship management, personal happiness and fear management, you would agree, are not subjects that rank high in children’s literature.

I often cover these topics in a playful manner, peppering the content with humor and pseudo-theatrical vivacity, while keeping up, of course, with editorial rigor and bringing intellectual mass into the debate.

Don’t be surprised, therefore, if you see phrases such as Do this or do that, I want you to laugh now, or Yeah, I’m talking to you, dear reader.

Most readers like my writing approach: simple words to explain complicated subjects.

However, I occasionally get flak from a few people who qualify my scriptural style as juvenile, a lecture to a soon-to-be high school grad or pedantic.

I’m aware of the criticism, and accept it.

As long as most people understand and can use the content of my books to improve their lives, I’m okay. Anything else doesn’t hold relevance for me.

2. Conciseness

I typically cover long topics in short sections, to give the reader time to breathe, understand and digest the content of my books.

Slicing down a convoluted chapter benefits the reader, who then processes the material faster and finds the courage to finish reading, say, a 200-page in three or four hours.

Most readers like that approach, and I’ve received numerous positive comments, such as refreshing read, fast yet deep read and this author doesn’t talk down on me, and this is a good thing.

That said, I’ve also been criticized for writing too short and too simple content, penning a book that doesn’t quite have what it takes or presenting stupidly simple material.

I’m aware of the criticism, and accept it.

As long as most readers understand and appreciate my writing approach, I’m okay.

3. Communication

I generally discuss several subtopics in each book, and sometimes refer the reader to another book I’ve written if I think that book covers a subtopic more comprehensively.

For example, if I talk about love in a personal-success book, I may refer the reader to a book I’ve written about love and relationship management, in case he or she wants to deepen the conversation.

Most readers relish that approach and have thanked me for introducing them to my other books.

However, some people have inveighed against that practice, calling it blatant advertising and saying the author promotes his or her books between chapters.

I’m aware of the criticism, and accept it.

(For your info, in my books I also cite work