TWO RIVERS OF THE MIND

A leadership trainer and life coach offers a distinctive perspective on making choices.

In his debut book, Bourg examines what he perceives as “the two rivers of our minds.” It’s not as esoteric as it may sound. The author teaches readers how to choose a life of happiness and abundance over one ruled by detrimental “fears, acts,” and “beliefs.” He creates a fictional character, Captain Bon, who guides the audience on an adventurous journey to self-discovery. “Self” is the key word here. While the tale is ostensibly about Bon, a tugboat captain, the author invites readers to craft starring roles in their own stories. Bon dispenses his knowledge on a wide array of topics that can either help or hinder happiness and growth, among them: procrastination; habit forming and breaking; decision-making; imagination; strategic thinking; visualization; persistence; determination; and self-confidence. Bourg’s message emerges as Bon pursues his dream of traveling to Mount La Felicidad. His challenges and decisions along the way are drawn from some carefully curated life experiences of the author and others. Some of the book’s most instructive moments come when Bourg actively steps into the tale and speaks directly to readers rather than using his alter ego to illustrate his principles. Some may find that Bon (which means “good” in French) and La Felicidad (“happiness” in Spanish) make the concepts lighter and easier to digest; others may consider the literary device distracting or gimmicky. Regardless, the book provides valuable insights, such as the author’s 10 success principles and 10 success pitfalls. In addition, Bon’s seven truths about life include looking at existence through the uncorrupted eyes of a child. Lessons learned from Bon’s battle against his lifelong foil, Señor Doubter, are stirring. Bourg devotes a full chapter to Bon’s strategic choice: figuratively dividing himself into three entities (designer, engineer, and CEO), each with his own role in promoting success. The author half-jokingly acknowledges that the concept may cause some to question Bon’s sanity. But Bourg suggests that many accomplished people already live “their lives this way” even though they may be unaware of it.

An inspiring and educational read for open-minded success seekers.