Review: The Greatest Miracle In The World

By Bigg Success Staff
12-20-07

Book Review

The Greatest Miracle In The World

Og Mandino is one of our favorite authors here at Bigg Success. He’s most known for his best selling book, The Greatest Salesman in the World*, where he tells the story of poor boy named Hafid sells his way to a life of great riches.

However, our favorite Og’s book is The Greatest Miracle in the World*. When you need a boost, this book will serve you well.

Og remains true to his great story-telling form in this book. He combines his real life world as editor of Success magazine with a fictional character, Simon. Simon is a sage old gent, who keeps an apartment near Og’s office.

The book describes a series of conversations at Simon’s apartment between these two men. Here’s a sneak peak inside the book at an early conversation between Og and Simon.

The Ragpicker
“’What do you do, Simon? Do you have a job?’

The old man hesitated for a several moments. Then he smiled again, spread his hands in a self-effacing gesture and said, ‘I am a ragpicker, Mister Og.’

Simon reached across, placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. ‘By definition, Mister Og, a ragpicker is one who picks up rags and other waste materials from the streets and junk heaps to earn a livelihood. I would imagine that sort of ragpicker has almost disappeared from the American scene during these years of nearly full employment, but we could see them again if conditions change.’

‘I doubt it. Our crime rate seems to be telling us that we’ve discovered faster and easier ways of laying our hands on a buck – like mugging, armed robbery, and burglary.’

‘I’m afraid that what you say is true, Mister Og. Still, in this day of soaring prices for paper and metals, I would imagine that a ragpicker or junk man could do quite well for himself. However, I am not that sort of ragpicker. I seek more valuable materials than old newspapers and aluminum beer cans. I search out waste materials of the human kind, people who have been discarded by others, or even themselves, people who still have great potential but have lost their self-esteem and their desire for a better life. When I find them I try to change their lives for the better, give them a new sense of hope and direction, and help them return from their living death … which to me is the greatest miracle in the world.’”

4 rules to make your life a miracle
The book leads up to a final message from Simon. In his last words to Og, he outlines four rules to make your life a miracle.

• • Count your blessings.

You possess every skill, every talent, and every requirement to do great things with your life. Be thankful for it.

• • Proclaim your rarity.

In the history of the world, there has never been anyone just like you. There never will be. What is such a treasure worth? You are priceless! Don’t devalue yourself.

• • Go another mile.

Excellence is what is required from someone as rare as you. Mediocrity will not suffice. Give more than is expected of you.

• • Use wisely your power of choice.

Note the word “power” – there is power in our choices. Power for good or evil. Power to grow. Power to wither. Power to create or destroy. Will you choose to make your life a miracle?

One final note – this book does have religious connotations. If that’s going to offend you, you’ll miss out on a great book, we say somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Seriously, though, there are great lessons in this book no matter what your religious beliefs are, or even if you just don’t buy into religion at all.

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