Your Lifeonomics: Taking Action Now to Immediately Improve Your Life

Event

INTRODUCTION

We are all living in a fast-paced, fast-moving, fast-changing, and somewhat complex society compared to that of our parents and grandparents. As a result, most people globally face numerous challenges in their daily lives. Bob Marley said, Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living? The answer is often, if not always, a resounding No!

In this book, Your Lifeonomics, I am going to show you how to change your life forever to one that is filled with true happiness—happiness that lasts every waking day of your life on earth. I believe this book will shape, remodel, and transform your life to one of victory, influence, power, and prosperity. It will improve all your relationships with others and allow you to make a strong connection with your spouse or significant other, a connection that will last a lifetime. This book will also give you a step-by-step plan, filled with strong principles, that you can incorporate into your life, starting today!

Further, this book will familiarize you with current global megatrends that will continue through 2030, 2050, and beyond. It will help you be better prepared for these global megatrends so you can become successful and prosperous.

You may by now be wondering, Just who is this Thomas John who thinks he can do all this for me? Good question. I came to the United States, from halfway across the world (India), with only ten dollars in my pocket and a mega-dream. The United States is truly the land of opportunity, and the land of intense competition. Some might refer to my success as going from zero to hero, but I call it the dream-to-reality converter, fueled by faith-based, hard work. That hard work resulted in me going to Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, filling one of only two spots available each year.

In the United States, I am currently considered a key opinion leader in my field of ophthalmology. I have been named America’s Top Doctor by Castle Connolly, Ltd. (CCL); America’s Top Ophthalmologist by the Research Council of America; Chicago’s Top Doctor by Chicago Magazine; and I am ranked in the top 1 percent in the nation in ophthalmology by US News & World Report. Additionally, my interest has expanded to public speaking, and I am currently the President of a local Toasmasters Club, a position I attained in less than one year after joining the Toastmasters Club. I’m also the Vice President of Marketing in another, specialty professional speakers Toastmasters Club. I have won several club awards in various speaking contests in these Toastmasters Clubs. Apart from these interests, I am also a rock-and-roll drummer and had the opportunity to play with my group once at Universal Studios in Florida.

As an eye surgeon and cornea specialist, I am able to improve people’s eyesight on a limited, one-to-one basis, one patient at a time, in my practice here in the Chicago suburbs of Oak Brook, Oak Lawn, and Tinley Park, Illinois. Despite my current success, I want to expand it by changing people’s lives for the better, and thus, making an even greater impact. For this reason, I have written Your Lifeonomics. This book is my way to reach people all over the United States and the world so I can help make this world a better place for one and all, regardless of a person’s background, ethnicity, financial position, or social status.

I am not only sharing with you the most valuable secrets of my success recipe so you can emulate them, but I am also showing you how to apply those secrets, through this easy-to-read and follow format so your life can change immediately and forever.

Before writing this book, I shared with some of my closest friends some of the principles included here that I formulated for my own life. As a result, their lives changed for the better, and they have thanked me profusely on more than one occasion. Encouraged by these results, I set forth to write Your Lifeonomics.

Carol Burnett once said, Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. My friends, read what I hope will be for you a once-in-a-lifetime, landmark book. I know it will show you how you can change your life forever. The moment for change has finally arrived. It is Now! Who does not want a better life? You, me, well…we all do!

When you invest in the process outlined in this book, I guarantee it will change your life forever, and for the better! Believe in me because I believe in you, and together, I promise, we will make this world a better place for everyone!

The life-changing secret recipes you’re about to read have a strong foundation and proven results. Each chapter will help you beat your competition, lead a love-filled life with your significant other, and enjoy the rest of your life, free of debt, unnecessary worries, and pain. Instead, you will enjoy a life filled with prosperous happiness!

So don’t delay or you will miss your chance to change your life. Embrace Your Lifeonomics right now! Make Your Lifeonomics your life-changer!

Thomas John, MD

Chicago, Illinois

CHAPTER 1

TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN YOUR LIFE

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.

— John Quincy Adams

If you want to change your life, the first step is to take control of it. You must be the leader in your own life. Since being a leader may sound a little scary to some people, let’s begin by understanding just what leadership means and entails.

Leadership roles are multi-faceted, beginning with the family and extending to the community, township, state, nation, and even the globe. Most national and global leaders are not born leaders; they developed leadership skills and propelled themselves from one level of leadership to another with a few reaching global leadership status. Regional differences exist in leadership styles, and between Eastern and Western approaches, developing and developed countries, and dictatorial, autocratic regimes and free, open democracies.

At least two types of leaders exist: born leaders and transformational leaders. Few are born leaders. Most are transformational leaders. Transformational leaders were followers first, and then at some point, they transformed themselves through desire and tenacity, which often becomes a burning desire, to become true leaders. Transformational leadership happens when an individual acquires the required ingredients to become a true leader.

The concept of a born leader mostly originated in the work of Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist and a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Adler theorized in the 1920s that the first-born child acquires or develops, within the confinement of the family unit, a taste of power at a very young age, as he or she dominates his or her younger siblings. This type of leadership originates and germinates from the intra-family birth order and has nothing to do with genes or the individual’s genetic makeup.

Confucius, the great sixth-century BCE Chinese philosopher, teacher, and politician, once said, It does not matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop. Taking small but continuous steps, one day at a time, toward your goals and dreams is the path toward fulfilling your goals, culminating in becoming a leader. Figuratively speaking, it is in your hands.

Let me give you the bad news first; this path to leadership is lonely and deserted; it is laden with obstacles and populated with numerous failures waiting to greet you. Storms and bad weather are sprinkled along this path, presenting themselves to you when you least expect them. This road is winding, uphill, and treacherous, so prepare yourself for a difficult path if you want to transform yourself from a follower to an outstanding, impeccable, and ethical regional or global leader. Leadership requires sound determination, clear vision, passion, and courage within your heart, soul, and mind. If you are ready, then, and only then, take the plunge.

The good news is that if you stay on course, and continue to work hard each and every day, one day you will be rewarded with success beyond what you can currently imagine. Success and the fulfillment of your dreams and goals will be yours. You will have a leadership position at the level you desire, be it local, regional, national, or even global. Prosperity will follow you due to your hard work and dedication to helping others forge a better life. If you stay the course and embrace hard work, you will be rewarded and have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

I wish you all the very best in your effort to improve your life and become the leader of it. I know, since you are reading this book, that you have decided to follow this lonely path to your final destination of becoming a true leader. This transformation from follower to leader is called success. In this process, you are moving from weakness, namely, being a follower, to a position of strength, as a leader. As Zig Ziglar, the famous American author, salesman, and motivational speaker, once recommended, Try to look at your weakness and convert it into your strength. That’s success.

BELIEVING IN YOURSELF

Let me share one of my personal stories. It is a story of believing in God 100 percent. I believed fully that God would help me in my journey along this lonely path to realizing my dreams if I believed in myself and worked hard day-in and day-out to convert my dreams into reality. The ability to become a dream-to-reality converter is deep within us. Looking back, I can see that my dream was far-fetched, and if logic had entered into the equation, my dream would have been extinguished even before it began to take shape. If I had succumbed to logic, my dream would have been dead in its tracks! For years, I have preached: Develop your destiny—dream it, do it, deliver it.

In my opinion, logic has no place in faith. Instead, you have to turn a deaf ear to the naysayers. You should never worry about how your big dream will ever become a reality. You need to tap into your inner power and potential to unleash this unlimited energy that will catapult you from inertia to activity, putting you on the right track. Thus, it is your business to believe in yourself and the power of working hard.

Regarding the journey to leadership, I have always said: Focus on the path; defocus the destination. You should fully focus your energies on the journey itself each and every day. This non-stop progression will one day take you to your destination. I have always believed that: Today’s present determines tomorrow’s future.

My dream was to leave my home in India to attend Harvard Medical School in the United States. That dream slowly began to take shape, and I eventually entered this great country, the United States, with only ten dollars to my name and a huge dream backed by my faith in God. As I walked this lonely road, I realized it was even more difficult than I had initially envisioned.

I sought a Clinical Cornea Fellowship at the prestigious, world-famous Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School. There were only two spots each year, and they were customarily filled by outstanding physicians from Johns Hopkins University or home-grown candidates from Harvard. What chance did I, Dr. TJ from India, have of getting such a competitive spot? If I had listened to the naysayers, logic and negativity would have crushed my dream. Instead, I lived, breathed, and slept my dream. It became a burning desire. I worked hard during my ophthalmology residency at the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Finally, the day came when I was accepted to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School, as one of the two Clinical Cornea Fellows. The other spot was filled by my close friend, Dr. Mitch Gilbert from Johns Hopkins University, Wilmer Eye Institute. Later, I was also a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Applied Biological Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

That is my story of an almost impossible dream that originated in India and came to fruition in the United States, halfway across the world. Through hard, incessant work, competing the best I could in the academic, medical arena, and having 100 percent faith in God, I realized my dream. My immense belief in God told me that it would happen, and I knew God helps those who help themselves. This formula of faith-based, hard, incessant work was my recipe for success. I give all credit to God for the achievements in my life journey.

My dear friends, God has given us all the potential to succeed; you just need to tap into your inner potential to make your dream a reality. My personal mantra for you to remember here is: Develop your destiny—dream it, do it, deliver it.

I want you to know there are others like you who have chosen this lonely leadership path, some early in life, others later; the successful stuck to the course and reached great heights. A leader may be in any arena—politics, theatre, film, music, healthcare, law, engineering, religion, etc. Some extreme examples are Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and Oprah Winfrey—people who came from limited backgrounds and reached great heights as leaders. Some may refer to such individuals as having rags-to-riches stories. I refer to them as brave men and women whom I salute for what they have done. Their lives and achievements are true inspirations for all of us who may also choose this path to make our own dreams and goals our reality.

OVERCOMING POVERTY

Let us begin with Oprah Winfrey. Oprah’s story is relevant and an inspiration to all those who have chosen to walk the lonely, action-packed path to enduring leadership and success. Oprah is ranked as the richest African-American, with a net worth estimated at $2.9 billion. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and has honorary doctorate degrees from both Harvard and Duke. All of these would be great achievements for any individual, but especially for an individual who started her life’s journey in humble surroundings.

How many could achieve such great heights after being born in a suboptimal socio-economic environment? And how do you do so? Let us briefly examine Oprah’s background to find the answers.

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in rural Mississippi on January 29, 1954, to an impoverished, single, teenage mother. Oprah’s mother went north, leaving Oprah with her grandmother for the next six years. For any child, not having your biological parents by your side is, in my opinion, a huge setback. However, God took care of little Oprah. Oprah was blessed with a lovely grandmother who took care of her. Although living in poverty, her grandmother taught her to read at the early age of three. At age six, Oprah moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she lived with her mother, Vernita Lee. At age thirteen, Oprah left home, and she became pregnant at age fourteen after being sexually abused by a family member. Her son, who was born premature, passed away shortly after his birth.

One can see all the difficulties Oprah faced at an early age. The path to leadership and success is lonely and hard. In my opinion, Oprah succeeded because she believed in herself, had courage, and worked hard to overcome life’s setbacks. While in high school, Oprah’s success at an oratory contest won her a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. Oprah worked at a grocery store during both her senior year of high school and during college. Her sheer determination, hard work, passion, and dedication finally gained her the success that many long for, but few actually attain. As Les Brown, the world leader in motivational speaking and my mentor, said, Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. It takes courage to live your dreams. Oprah rose from poverty and a life of serial setbacks to riches. From her humble beginnings, she rose to be Queen of All Media and have a net worth larger than most of us can comprehend.

In my opinion, Oprah chose to walk the lonely, action-packed path to enduring leadership and success and reached one of the greatest heights a human can attain. Hers is a truly tremendous achievement. We all have to learn from true leaders like Oprah. She has shown us that we can all transform our dreams into reality and change our destinies. Yes, it is possible! I say to you, my readers, my brothers and sisters of this world, that God has given you this gift, namely, the inner power. Believe in yourself, and tap into your inner power, and you, too, can become whomever you truly wish to be.

I salute Oprah for being such a great human being and setting an outstanding example of human achievement against all odds, adverse environments, and events. May God bless Oprah for the rest of her life.

FOLLOWING YOUR PASSIONS

Let us now look at another extraordinary person, Tom Cruise. Cruise grew up with what has been described as limited resources. His father was an electrical engineer and his mother was a special education teacher. According to public records, his mother left him when he was only eleven years old, and following that, his father passed away. Cruise thus became an orphan, with very limited support. Yet, against all odds, his inner courage and dedication made him pursue an acting career. He was cast in several small part roles before getting lead roles. Then he rose to fame with the movie Top Gun and became a world-famous Hollywood actor. It is believed that his net worth today is about $500 million. I salute Cruise for showing us the way as a leader. His story crystalizes the fact that in this great country, the United States of America, we can rise from any background and setbacks and reach the very top in our respective fields, provided we pay the price to reach that position. Life is like a bank—you need to put in (deposit) in order to take out (withdraw). There are no free lunches in the real world.

LOOKING UP TO YOUR PARENTS

Let me share the childhood experiences that have helped me to become successful as an adult and continue to be so today. Growing up in India was fun. Like all kids, playing various games in my neighborhood was the highlight of my after-school hours. While I was always a good student, I learned the most from watching my parents’ work ethic and their day-to-day toil.

I truly believe we are born to work. Although I cannot fully prove this, we can see that if we don’t work, everything around us will slowly decay and finally return to dust. My parents were both ophthalmologists and eye surgeons. My dad was trained in the United States and the United Kingdom and then returned to India where he had a successful career. My mother