Books to hush naysayers with
A marketer by profession, Ken Lerona has spent over 10 years working for the country’s top companies and conglomerates. With his experience in promoting fast-moving consumer goods, retail and leisure, telecommunications, and now, real estate, this 36-year-old marketing communications manager seems to be at the peak of his career. But his journey to success wasn’t an easy feat. Lerona recalled how, as a young professional working and living alone in Manila, he sometimes struggled to make ends meet. At times when his salary was no longer enough to buy him a decent meal, he had to survive with water and a White Rabbit candy as his energy source.
As he looks back at the follies of his youth—the laziness, pride, rebellion, and lack of planning—the gentleman knows better now. One of his personal advocacies is to inspire people by using social media as a tool and by serving as an inspirational speaker in various conferences. He also works for Arthaland, the listed “green building” developer.
He shares four of his favorite self-help and inspirational books. On the list is “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, a reminder that life is all about winning.
“Sun Tzu’s philosophy is relevant today. As a business and marketing professional, this is my goto book to remind me to know myself, my challenges (enemy), and the terrain (the market).”
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a classic that’s been translated into more than 250 languages, is also for keeps, said Lerona. “The part that I love is when the Little Prince showed his drawing to the adults, who never realized that it was an elephant inside the boa constrictor. We must never lose our sense of imagination,” said Lerona.
Another choice is “Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” by Dan Ariely. This 2008 book challenges readers’ assumptions about making decisions based on rational thought.
The fable in novella form “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach is another recommendation. For Lerona, the story of a seagull learning about life, flight, and self-perfection, reminds its readers “to never listen to naysayers, however difficult life can become, and however different others think you are.”