September 18, 2013

Amazing Things
Will Happen
A Real-World Guide on Achieving
Success & Happiness
C.C. Chapman

©2013 by C.C. Chapman

Adapted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-118-34138-4

Key Concepts
• People should carry a small notebook at all times to
record everything from ideas, to dreams, to shop-
ping lists. This helps to focus the mind and track
goals.
• In working toward one’s goals, it is important to de-
rive satisfaction from even the smallest of achieve-
ments; taking small steps and celebrating small
successes will provide encouragement through at-
tainable victories.
• People should never shy away from asking for—or
receiving—help from friends, colleagues, or others
who can provide insight and help evaluate the va-
lidity of their goals.
• There will always be naysayers—or “seagulls”—
who create self-doubt and uncertainties. It is im-
portant for people to recognize seagulls and allow
them to express themselves, rather than provide
them with the arguments they seek.
Business Book Summaries® September 18, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • www.ebscohost.com • All Rights Reserved
• Saying “I can’t” is another way of saying “I won’t
invest the requisite time and effort.” Most goals
involve a certain amount of risk, and people must
learn to calculate and even embrace it.
• The key to enjoying a happy, successful life is the
ability to slow down and “idle” on a regular basis
in order to recharge one’s batteries. Idle time can
be highly constructive as it allows the brain to rest,
roam, and even subconsciously focus on new ideas
and problem-solving.
Introduction
Amazing Things Will Happen by C.C. Chapman
is a guide to achieving happiness and success—two
goals that cannot be reached without passion and
belief in one’s convictions. While a lifetime of hard
work may produce successful results, people must
learn to help others and trust their own instincts in
order to reach true success and see “amazing things”
Amazing Things Will Happen C.C. Chapman
happen. According to Chapman, people must be
“good humans,” remember to be kind to others, and
share everything they have learned in order to live a
good life.
How to Be a Passion Hit
A “passion hit” is someone who has found his or her
life’s one true passion and has discovered a way to
turn that calling into a livelihood. Those who are truly
successful are the ones who are the most passionate.
While people are constantly faced with life decisions
of all sizes, it is important for them to recognize the
importance of choosing to live their own dreams.
Some choices can come naturally and instinctively;
such as the ones that come from the gut—a “feeling”
that cannot be exactly defined. Sometimes these feel-
ings are ignored because of the fear that other people
may react negatively; however, it is important to
heed and trust one’s gut, even when it means taking a
direction that was not originally planned. Of course,
it is best to take stock of one’s finances and personal
commitments before making such a move in order to
determine potential positive and negative outcomes.
People require a constant degree of personal and pro-
fessional satisfaction in order to enjoy their lives. It
is essential, therefore, that they develop the ability
to recognize the point at which that satisfaction is
absent. When people reach the conclusion that it is
time to move on in their lives—not that they just had
a bad day at the office—the first step is to inform close
friends and family and ask for their help. While some
will offer help gratuitously, others must be asked
directly to provide it. Either way, it is best to always
evaluate both the advice received as well as the advi-
sor.
The Power of Writing It Down
Even in the world of computers, smart phones, and
tablets, there is something very powerful in making
hand-written notes in a notebook. A notebook can be
used to record everything from grocery lists to ideas,
dreams, or goals. The inability to hit the “delete” key
forces the writer to consider his or her words and
thoughts carefully. A three-word exercise—similar to
a pro/con decision list—can help focus thoughts and
goals without any concern for their plausibility. The
result of this process is the development of certain
themes. The next step in the focus process is select-
Business Book Summaries® September 18, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • www.ebscohost.com • All Rights Reserved
ing three words from these themes that exemplify the
goals one will work toward achieving. Writing the
words where they will be seen every day underscores
one’s commitment to the goals. Sharing the three-
word goals with friends can empower them to check
from time to time to determine one’s progress.
The turkey pot pie, a relatively simple yet satisfying
dish, provides an excellent metaphor for achieving
these goals. While many people regard the turkey pot
pie as overly simple and certainly unworthy of Gour-
met magazine, it is nonetheless something most people
enjoy. The point is that even the simplest of goals can
be satisfying and should be pursued if one finds them
desirable, regardless of others’ opinions. Furthermore,
while it would be wonderful if everyone could devise
a great new invention, one can derive a great deal of
satisfaction from less flashy feats. It is important for
individuals to remember that major accomplishments
are achieved by relatively few people; but far more
enjoy turkey pot pies every single day.
Of course there will be people who regard the turkey
pot pie as being beneath them. These people are
known as “seagulls,” people who tend to make a lot
Further Information
Information about the author and subject:
www.cc-chapman.com
Information about this book and other business titles:
www.wiley.com
Click Here to Purchase the Book
Related summaries in the BBS Library:
Own Your Success
The Power to Choose Greatness and Make Every
Day Victorious
By Ben Newman
Happiness at Work
Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success
By Jessica Pryce-Jones
Amazing Things Will Happen C.C. Chapman

of noise and—even worse—fill others with self-doubt I Can’t

and uncertainties. Managers, colleagues, and clients It is natural for people to recognize their limitations;
often fall into the seagull category, as do parents and however, these can often be expressed as excuses.
partners. People can either allow the seagull’s criti- The lesson to be learned here is that the most success-
cisms to foster insecurities, or they can deflect seagulls ful people are those who stop making self-imposed
by considering both the nature of what has been said roadblocks. Among those roadblocks is the simple,
and the character of the person who said it. In either two-word statement, “I can’t,” which gives people
case, it is best to allow seagulls to express themselves an excuse for failure. The fact is that there is little
as they often will not leave until they have had their they cannot accomplish with sufficient time and
say. It is important, however, for people to recognize effort. “I can’t” is usually another way of saying, “I
that everyone who makes criticisms is not necessar- won’t,” as in “I won’t put in the necessary time and
ily a seagull; some may be caring individuals who are effort.” Chapman recommends that people use their
helpful in testing decision-making processes. These notebooks to help identify and write down all their
decision-making processes are often made easier by individual impediments to success. They should then
dividing goals into smaller increments that provide a identify everything it will take to eliminate each of
series of individual achievable victories. Like the pot those roadblocks. People will often find that the only
pie, a small accomplishment can be very satisfying. true impediment to success is themselves.
Making progress toward one’s
goals becomes easier when dis- Trust your gut. Learn to embrace that feeling and go in the
tractions are minimized as much direction it tells you even if it isn’t the direction you were plan-
as possible. It can be helpful for ning on going.
people to schedule time at least
once a week during which goal planning takes pre- Chapman suggests people take to their notebooks
cedence over diversions and obligations. A change of again, this time to write down five relatively simple
scenery—which can be as simple as going for a walk— “I can’t” tasks they would like to accomplish. Below
or an escape from daily routines can be extremely each task, they should list the four or five obstacles
valuable in focusing one’s mind. that stand in the way of accomplishing them. The
result of this exercise is a to-do list that can be priori-
tized and completed fairly quickly. An advantage of
this approach is the focus it provides; working on too
About the Author many projects simultaneously will inevitably cause at
least one task to suffer.
C.C. Chapman is the founder of the Cleon Foun-
dation, whose mission is to make the world a The pursuit of one’s dreams usually involves some
better place through creativity. Whether on stage measure of risk, and the level of that risk tends to
delivering a keynote, in a conference room con- increase with age. Supporting one’s lifestyle and
sulting with some of the largest brands in the family during middle age is far more daunting than
world, or through any of his online channels, he taking a financial risk as a young, commitment-free
always inspires and motivates others. Chapman single person. It is important to note that risk fright-
is considered to be one of the premier thought ens everyone, and everyone who has achieved success
leaders in creative social media and an innova- has faced it. Those who embrace it, however, are the
tive marketing expert. He is an advocate of the ones who will achieve greater successes.
belief that through being a good hardworking Having advised that people must embrace fear and
person, anyone can achieve their dreams. He invest their most undivided efforts, Chapman also
shares these stories on his popular web series, suggests that people must consider giving up on a goal
Passion Hit TV. if it becomes completely clear that it is not achievable.
Among the downsides of quitting, of course, is never
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Amazing Things Will Happen C.C. Chapman
knowing whether success might have been achieved
through one more effort or strategy. Faced with the
decision to quit, people should make the move as
quickly and decisively as possible in order to avoid
inevitable consequences.
While there will always be tasks that people dis-
like doing, there are still others that they completely
despise. Creating a better life requires that indi-
viduals determine which of these can and cannot
be delegated to others. This is a frightening decision
because it involves a certain amount of trust in the
person to whom these tasks are assigned. If unbur-
dening oneself of such work can truly save someone’s
sanity, of course, it may well be worth the risk. Chap-
man again turns to his notebook strategy, suggesting
that people write, itemize, and prioritize the business
and personal tasks that they dislike the most. While he
recognizes that monetary considerations often come
into play in such situations, Chapman advocates find-
ing ingenious solutions, such as bartering or trading,
to avoid having to part with limited resources.
Risk scares everyone. Those who embrace the
forward are the ones who will find success.
Chapman cites an African proverb that says, “If you
want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go
together.” In other words, people’s prospects for suc-
cess are greatly enhanced through collaboration with
others. While asking for help can be awkward, true
friends would prefer to be asked than to witness a
friend’s failure. Chapman suggests that people make
a list of their friends and the skills they may be capa-
ble of offering. The key, however, is to ask for help
rather than assuming that friends and colleagues will
automatically recognize that their help is needed.
The Road Less Traveled
Many people dream for years about going on vari-
ous adventures or trying new activities, but they
talk about these things as if they were impossible
to accomplish immediately. In this situation, Chap-
man advises that people must make a solid plan and
follow it through to its conclusion. They must stop
merely talking about it and collecting their dreams on
a to-do list. Citing as an example people who would
rather collect fine wine than drink it, Chapman urges
Business Book Summaries® September 18, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • www.ebscohost.com • All Rights Reserved
readers to enjoy the wine—and, by extension, life—
today. Dreams are meant to be realized. Successful
people tend to be those who remain adventurous,
and as Robert Frost wrote, “take the road less trav-
eled.” While many people go through life without
truly experiencing it, embracing their wanderlust and
accepting life’s detours invariably makes people hap-
pier in the long run.
Everyone has had bad days and bad experiences with
managers, clients, partners, and others who drive
them crazy. However, individuals must realize that
these types of people are never going to change or dis-
appear. The best way to survive such situations is to
act like a duck. A duck does not care if it starts to rain;
it is already wet, of course, and rain just rolls off it
without effect. Following this strategy as a human can
be more difficult, especially depending upon one’s
level of passion for the issue at hand. This approach
is analogous to knowing when to quit and when to
stand and fight. Sometimes it is better to be the duck
that realizes that it is incapable of stopping the rain.
Corollary to the duck analogy
fear and push is Chapman’s admonition that
people’s lives will be improved
by recognizing that everyone will
not share their beliefs and values.
This fact does not mean that they should always be
compelled to argue about beliefs on politics, religion,
sports, or other topics. The best response when faced
with arguable messages is to remind themselves, “to
each his own.”
As people reach a certain level of success, they invari-
ably will become perceived as a source of wisdom
and advice. While it is often flattering, it is essential
for people to learn how to say “no” to some requests
that may take time and energy away from their own
work. By the same token, however, they should try
to provide help to as many people as possible; this is
the essence of karma and the backbone of Chapman’s
concept of the “small-town mentality.” Regardless
of one’s background and experience, it is important
to adopt small-town traits, such as simply saying
“hello” and initiating pleasant conversations with
strangers. Other small-town customs that are helpful
in personal or professional situations include learn-
ing people’s names, building a positive reputation,
Amazing Things Will Happen C.C. Chapman

helping others in need, and becoming involved in may find this sort of serendipitous magic when it is
community activities. least expected.

Workshifting It is unfortunate that most people are often corrected

Among the skills that contribute to an individual’s
success is whether he or she embraces technology.
Though hardly a new concept, computer literacy is an
inescapable feature of the workplace, despite whether
that place is within a cubicle or a home office. Chap-
man recommends people make a list of the work
functions that must be performed at the office and
others that can be accomplished by “workshifting,”
working anywhere in the world by utilizing tech-
nology. It may be difficult to convince managers to
accept the workshifting model until they recognize
that many typical workplace distractions—as well as
commuting time—can be eliminated.
Happiness in the workplace and
elsewhere is sometimes depen- If you give to those around you, good things will come back to
dent upon bending a few rules.
These are usually the types of
you. Sometimes you won’t be able to map events directly to pre-
rules that exist only because vious ones, but every so often it’ll happen. And when it does, it
they were implemented long ago is an awesome feeling!
and were never revisited. While
bending rules in one’s favor is advisable, people must
remember that, like the rubber band, there is a point
at which rules can be stretched to the point of snap-
ping. If rules are doing nothing more than stifling
people’s success, it is time to stretch them.
While workshifting is possible through the use of
technology, there is also a downside to this phe-
nomenon: people become distanced from actual
engagement with others. This is often in contradic-
tion to the small-town mentality Chapman advocates.
In order to experience amazing things, it is essential
for people to live beyond their virtual social net-
works. As Chapman expresses it, “Handshakes and
hugs will always trump ‘likes’ and shares.” Everyone
should occasionally separate from technology and
enjoy a drink, a meal, and the old-fashioned cama-
raderie that predated technology. Taking the idea of
socialization a step further, it is important for people
to visit places and conferences where they are apt to
become reunited with friends or meet others who
might become acquaintances or business partners.
The point is to remain open to the possibility that one
or reprimanded for minor offenses but seldom praised
for any level of success. Returning to Chapman’s
notebook method, people should mark down every
minor thing that they have accomplished in the past
few weeks and follow it with a list of ways in which
those accomplishments were celebrated. While the
celebration can be very small and simple—anything
that provides some momentary pleasure—the result
can be highly encouraging. Still, despite people’s best
efforts, failure inevitably happens. Fortunately, how-
ever, people are judged more by their resilience than
their failures. People should not seek failure; instead,
they should accept that it will happen and then learn
from it.
A Happy Life
It is a sad truth that everyone will have doubters,
skeptics, and haters in their lives, regardless of what
they do. If people have none of these forces in their
lives, it means that they are not stretching enough.
In the online world, a “troll” is someone who posts
deliberately provocative messages in order to cause
disruption and argument. Unfortunately, trolls also
exist in the real world, and they thrive on attention;
the more attention they receive, the more insults they
throw. An “asshat” is a misguided person in a leader-
ship position who erroneously believes that whatever
he or she is doing is correct. Having received some
measure of notoriety and power, asshats let it go their
heads and make irrational decisions. “Ankle biters”
are similarly annoying people who have none of an
asshat’s power, as much as they crave it. They con-
stantly disagree and challenge others opinions and
insist on having their say. Like the asshats and trolls,
ankle biters thrive on others’ reactions and must be
ignored.

Business Book Summaries® September 18, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • www.ebscohost.com • All Rights Reserved
Amazing Things Will Happen C.C. Chapman

Having a happy, enjoyable life also depends largely something within Chapman’s brain and led him in
on one’s ability to slow down and “idle” regularly. new life directions.
Idling in this case means unplugging from the world
Contents
for at least 15 minutes at a time in order to recharge
Acknowledgments
one’s batteries. This, after all, is the purpose of taking
vacation and personal days. People must remember, You Choose the Path to Follow
however, that the beneficial effects of idling will be
Preface
completely erased if they spend that time checking
email or voicemail every few minutes. Contrary to Short on Time, But Still Crave Amazing Things?
some opinions, idle time can be highly productive as
Why a Guide?
it allows the brain to roam and focus subconsciously
on ideas and problems. Introduction: My Journey So Far

People cannot succeed without the help of others;
therefore, it is essential for them to recognize others’
contributions. A simple “thank you,” either spoken or
written, can never be overused, even in response to
the smallest act of kindness. Giving to one’s commu-
nity or a charitable organization is an excellent means
of displaying gratitude. While donating funds is an
easy way to support charities, it is often more helpful
and appreciated when people give their time, skills,
and expertise.
Life gets messy and sometimes dangerous, so it is
important for people to let loose; to take the road
less traveled, flout convention, and have fun. People
must remember to play in the rain, both literally
and figuratively, and to enjoy life. Chapman advises
everyone who reads this book to follow his example
by continuing to work hard every day; only then will
they accomplish their goals and see amazing things
happen.
Chapter 1: How to Be a Passion Hit
Chapter 2: Trust Your Gut
Chapter 3: Take Stock
Chapter 4: Knowing When to Move On
Chapter 5: The Power of Writing It Down
Chapter 6: The Three-Word Exercise
Chapter 7: The Magic of Turkey Pot Pie
Chapter 8: Don’t Let the Seagulls Get You Down
Chapter 9: Simplify, Focus, and Attack
Chapter 10: Everyone Has Excuses
Chapter 11: No More Saying, “I Can’t”
Chapter 12: Stop Talking; Start Doing
Chapter 13: Risk Can Be Scary; Embrace It and Move
Forward

g g g g Chapter 14: Quitting Is Always an Option

Chapter 15: Know What You Hate and Then Don’t Do
Features of the Book It

Estimated Reading Time: 2–3 hours, 180 pages Chapter 16: With a Little Help from Our Friends

Anyone in a sales or marketing position looking to Chapter 17: Life Is Too Short for Bad Wine
succeed in life and business would benefit from read-
Chapter 18: Be a Duck
ing C.C. Chapman’s book Amazing Things Will
Happen. By using real world examples of people who Chapter 19: To Each Their Own . . .
are “passion hits” and sharing anecdotes about their Chapter 20: Forget Skipping Pebbles; Throw a Boul-
lives, Chapman explains how important it is to be der!
passionate and to live one’s dream. This book can be
read from cover to cover or digested a chapter or two Chapter 21: Living the Road Less Traveled
at a time. Included at the end of the book is a lengthy Chapter 22: Focus on the Flame
appendix listing “Dangerous Books” that sparked
Business Book Summaries® September 18, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • www.ebscohost.com • All Rights Reserved
Amazing Things Will Happen C.C. Chapman

Chapter 23: Learning to Say No

Chapter 24: Have a Small-Town Mentality
Chapter 25: Workshifting
Chapter 26: Rules Are Like Rubber Bands
Chapter 27: Beer and Coffee
Chapter 28: Hallway Magic
Chapter 29: Celebrate Success of All Sizes
Chapter 30: Learn from Failure, But Don’t Seek It
Out
Chapter 31: Don’t Let the Asshats and Ankle Biters
Get You Down
Chapter 32: Can You Idle Well?
Chapter 33: Giving Back and Gratitude
Chapter 34: Play in the Rain
Chapter 35: The End and the Beginning
Appendix: Dangerous Books

g g g g

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Copyright of Amazing Thing Will Happen is the property of Great Neck Publishing and its
content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the
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