Making a Difference: Life Skills You Can Learn from Sports, Academics, Work (and Failure)

(Paperback)

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE is one man's journey around the globe to find his purpose in life. While delaying "adulthood" as long as possible, author Cecil Nazareth, CPA, CA, MBA, taps into his faith, the "immigrant hustle" and inner strength to realize his superpower is helping others succeed, whether on the athletic field, in the classroom, in the workplace or ultimately in life.

As a young man growing up in India, his Olympic dreams dashed, several failed Chartered Accountancy exams behind him, overshadowed by successful siblings and feeling the rest of the world is moving on without him, Nazareth takes a chance job in Dubai and then moves to the United States without a job, connections or a plan. From working in a flea market to sweeping floors in New York City's Diamond District to being rejected by over 500 accounting firms before landing his first job, Nazareth's story is one of resilience and inspiration as he connects the dots between athletics, academics and work to find his true calling. After numerous false starts, Nazareth starts two successful accounting practices, becomes an esteemed college professor, coaches numerous elite field hockey players and is hired as a professional instructor by many of the same accounting firms that rejected him as a young man.

In this age of life hacks, participation trophies and helicopter parents, Nazareth shares simple but impactful techniques for a successful career and a more fulfilling life:
1. The incredible power of writing things down
2. Making your money work for you 24/7
3. Treating work as a privilege, not as an obligation
4. Showing gratitude for what you have vs. lamenting what you don't have
5. Being accountable for your actions-doing the right thing when no one is watching
6. Becoming a lifelong learner
7. Using failure to your advantage
8. Overcoming prejudice and discrimination

Reviews

"A passionate teacher, Cecil Nazareth has a thriving CPA practice and yet makes the time, busy season or not, to teach our students. He not only covers the substance of the courses but also shares invaluable career and life advice."
- Stan Veliotis, Chair, Accounting and Taxation Area, Fordham University

"A passionate teacher, Cecil Nazareth has a thriving CPA practice and yet makes the time, busy season or not, to teach our students. He not only covers the substance of the courses but also shares invaluable career and life advice."
- Ambassador Sanjay Verma, Member, Union Public Service Commission of India. Former Secretary West, Ministry of External Affairs of India

"This book will give you valuable insight and life lessons to implement in your life."
- Viren Rasquinha, Olympian and Captain, Indian men's national field hockey team
"Professor Nazareth has been one of the greatest professors that I have been fortunate to learn from. He works relentlessly to see his students succeed and learn from his teachings and life experiences. Few teachers have met his compassion, knowledge and charisma in class. He has been a mentor and someone I look up to with high regard, and I am proud to have worked with him."
--Nicholas Tiso, former student

"In his latest book, Cecil has adopted a medium of imparting knowledge and skills which very few have done before. Cecil draws on lessons he learned not only from his successes and failures from his academic and working life but from his sporting endeavors. While focusing on successes could be deemed a fairly common medium of instruction, the highlighting of failures makes the reader think more deeply to absorb the message. A really remarkable effort by Cecil!"
--Peter Menezes, B. Tech. IIT, Kanpur MBA IIM, Ahmedabad

Author Bio

As a young man growing up in India, his Olympic dreams dashed, several failed Chartered Accountancy exams behind him, overshadowed by successful siblings and feeling the rest of the world is moving on without him, Nazareth takes a chance job in Dubai and then moves to the United States without a job, connections or a plan. From working in a flea market to sweeping floors in New York City's Diamond District to being rejected by over 500 accounting firms before landing his first job, Nazareth's story is one of resilience and inspiration as he connects the dots between athletics, academics and work to find his true calling. After numerous false starts, Nazareth starts two successful accounting practices, becomes an esteemed college professor, coaches numerous elite field hockey players and is hired as a professional instructor by many of the same accounting firms that rejected him as a young man.