Combining personal vignettes with sage advice, Rob Davis demonstrates in his book how the saying, What Goes Around, Comes Around, connects to many other sources of wisdom and most importantly to our everyday lives. As an avid student of comparative philosophy and an adult involved in business, raising a family and competing in various sports, he came to recognize how true that saying is.

As a child, he often heard the expression, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” Then as an adult, he saw in numerous situations, how the results we reap do come from the actions we sow. It was some time until he realized that “sow” referred to the planting of seeds and had nothing to do with needles and thread. Also, that “reap” referred to how successful or disappointing the resulting harvest would be.

One example Davis used referred to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme the notorious financier who had built what appeared to be a thriving business until being exposed as a fraud who stole many $Billions, including from widows, orphans, and charities. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his choices.  Though he is trying for early release based on his age and poor health, his chances for a reduction of that sentence or a pardon are unlikely.

But suppose, Davis asks, that early on in his deception, say six months to a year, Madoff had come clean, called together those involved, and “fessed up?” While there surely would have been  consequences, they would not likely have been anywhere near as severe as he and his family ended up experiencing, including losing both his sons and leaving his wife to deal with the aftermath.

The lesson here is that the longer one lets a deception continue, the deeper the pit they dig for themselves when the light does finally shine on them, with no more lies that work or places to hide. Madoff’s sentence was one that assured he would die in prison. Has he done something between his incarceration and now to mitigate that? Not that I know of, but if so we’ll find out and will have plenty of opportunities to discuss it no end! The thing that counts and the lesson of the entire “Madoff Misery,” is what we have learned by watching it unfold. Ok, you first!

Much of the book’s theme rests on the significance of choice. When it appears that we have no other option in a given situation, the right choice may seem like the most difficult thing to do. Here, Davis cautions us to set our sights on the high road to not lose the opportunity for a positive outcome. It is very human to not do so but very consequential to understand why one should! The challenge arises from the  fact that there is a principle at play here that we are not  properly educated about until it may be too late.

Still even bad choices can lead to positive consequences, depending on how quickly they are recognized, acknowledged and reversed. A friend and running buddy described by Davis wrecked his car after having a few too many drinks at a cocktail party. His driver’s license was suspended for three months, along with the requirement to attend weekly classes. Despite the problematic consequences, his friend turned this self-created slip-up into a stellar example for his children, by accepting the consequences and making the best of it.

Some of Davis’ vignettes are about his own life, such as the time he was kicking himself for not living up to his commitment to help a friend who had organized a charitable fund-raising event. The result, led Davis to start www.HFC.org in 1989. Fast forward and HFC is now a global non-profit organization supported by the alternative investment industry with the mission or preventing child abuse and providing clinical treatment to those who have been victimized. Davis would no-doubt tell you that his slip-up also led to his greatest career achievement!

His book concludes with what he calls, “Thoughts to Live By,” Positive statements to dwell on such as – I Choose Happiness, I Cooperate for the Greatest Good, I Take the High Road, and I Expect to Be Happy.

His philosophy as expressed in his book, makes effective use of humor, humility, and a hefty helping of logic! Drawing insight from personal parables, Davis has constructed a manual of straightforward and sensible life skills designed for those who genuinely want “What Goes Around” to yield the most positive possible outcomes!