Thursday, March 19, 2020

29 Lessons to Create Greatness in Individuals, Teams, and Organizations


A few years ago, I was asked by a charter school to create a series of lesson plans to assist in the development of positive character traits and leadership attributes in their students. I spent hundreds of hours developing 29 lessons, which have now been successful used by the charter school for many years. I have also use these lesson plans in my home with my own children. I am now making these lessons available for free to be used in any home, school, church, association, etc. Here is a link to download 29 Lessons for Character and Leadership Development as a PDF.

Please share the PDF with families, schools, and organizations. The 12 character attributes highlighted throughout these lessons are as follows:

Responsible: The story of my life is not written by what happens to me, but by what I choose.
Humble: I am teachable and continually seek learning and growth.
Courageous: I act even in the face of difficulty and pain.
Optimistic: I see and expect goodness.
Hardworking: I exert great effort to accomplish my goals.
Servant Leader: I serve and lead by example.
Integrity: I am honest. I live by moral and ethical principles. I honor my commitments. My word is my bond and a sacred treasure.
Persistent: Success is a process. I try until I succeed.
Independent: I do the right thing without being told.
Loving: I treat others with kindness and respect. I help others who are in need.
Grateful: I recognize and express appreciation for the assistance and kindness I receive.
Innovative: I look for ways to improve the lives of others in my family, my school, my community, my nation, and the world.

“As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.” 
–Benjamin Franklin

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

The Way of Aloha: Molokai


The Way of Aloha: Moloka‘i is now available on Kindle. The audio book was released on Audible yesterday. The hardcover book is available for Prime shipping.

For the first 10 people to post a review of The Way of Aloha: Molokai on Amazon, I will send you code to download one of my audio books for free on Audible. Please send me an email (aloha@cameronctaylor.com) to let me know you posted a review and which of my audio books you would like.


Aloha and Mahalo, Cameron

Sunday, June 23, 2019

4 Libraries that Changed the World


"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.”
–Socrates

Christopher Columbus
History is clear that Columbus had very little, if any, formal schooling; however, he was an avid reader. Columbus recognized the power of books and amassed a large personal library. Columbus made provisions in his will for his library to be maintained and preserved to bless future generations.

After Columbus’s death, the responsibility for the care of his library was given to his son, Fernando. Fernando shared his father’s love of books and used a sizable portion of his income to buy books to add to his father’s library. At the time of Fernando’s death in 1539, the library numbered over 15,000 volumes.

After Fernando’s death, the library passed into the care of the Cathedral in Seville, Spain. The library has been an inspiration to students and scholars for centuries. You can still visit the Cathedral in Seville today and see the handwritten notes of Christopher Columbus inside these books that provided him with the knowledge and inspiration for his great enterprise that changed the world.[i]

Benjamin Franklin
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”[ii]
–Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a prolific reader and writer. In his autobiography he wrote, “From my infancy I was passionately fond of reading, and all the money that came into my hands was laid out in the purchasing of books.”[iii]

In 1731 Franklin created America’s first circulating library. Franklin wrote of his creation, “These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans, made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelligent as most gentlemen from other countries, and perhaps have contributed in some degree to the stand so generally made throughout the colonies in defense of their privileges.”[iv] The Library Company of Philadelphia, which had 375 titles in 1741, has now grown to over 500,000 books with thousands visiting the library each year.

By the end of his life, Franklin had amassed an impressive personal library of more than four thousand books.[v] A visitor to Franklin’s home in 1787 said he owned, “the largest and by far the best private library in America.”

Franklin’s libraries played a significant role in his contributions as an author, businessman, inventor, philanthropist, and civil servant.

George Washington
“A knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.”[vi]
–George Washington

George Washington was teachable and spent time each day reading. Washington’s step-granddaughter, Nelly Custis, wrote to one of Washington’s early biographers saying, “It was his custom to retire to his library at nine or ten o’clock, where he remained an hour before he went to his chamber. He always arose before the sun, and remained in his library until called to breakfast.”
The inventory of Washington’s books made at the time of his death shows that his library numbered about nine hundred volumes.[vii] Washington’s study of military books was foundational to victory in the revolution war.[viii] His study of leadership was vital to the successful founding of the United States of America.

The Wright Brothers
“The greatest thing in our favor was growing up in a family where there was always much encouragement to intellectual curiosity.”
–Orville Wright

Bishop Wright, Orville and Wilber’s father, maintained a large library in their home. When Orville and Wilber became interested in flight, they read all of the books in their home library on flight in nature. They then read a handful of books on flight at the local public library. When they had exhausted the local resources, Wilbur wrote to the Smithsonian Institution asking for more information on flight.[ix]

On December 17, 1903, Orville, age 32, and Wilber, age 36, achieved their dream of a controlled, powered flight. The flight covered a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds—about half the length of a 747 jumbo jet. The creation of the world’s first successful airplane began with reading books from a family library.

Final Question
What one book would you recommend people have in their library?

Cameron C. Taylor is the author of more than ten books, including the international bestsellers 8 Attributes of Great Achievers andAttributes of Great Achievers, Volume 2. His books are available in bookstores worldwide and on Amazon. 



[i] Samuel Eliot Morison, Admiral of the Ocean Sea (New York: MJF Books, 1942), 49-50.
[ii] Complied by Rev. Frederick S. Sill, A Year Book of Colonial Times (New York: E.P. Dutton and Company, 1906), 15.
[iii] Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1921), 11.
[iv] Edited by E. Boyd Smith, Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1916), 136.
[v] Andrew M. Allison, The Real Benjamin Franklin (Washington, D.C., National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1987), 249.
[vi] George Washington, The Life of General Washington: First President of the United States, Volume 1 (London: Office of the National Illustrated Library, 1852), 101.
[vii] Appleton P.C. Griffin and William Coolidge Lane, A Catalogue of the Washington Collection in the Boston Athenæum (Boston: The Boston Athenæum, 1897), vii.
[viii] Jay A. Parry and Andrew M. Allison, The Real George Washington (National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1991), 414-415.
[ix] “The Unlikely Inventors,” Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Retrieved June 18, 2019 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wright/inventors.html.

Friday, February 8, 2019

8 Attributes of Great Achievers, Volume 2 released on Audible today

My book "8 Attributes of Great Achievers, Volume 2" was released on Audible today. This is the first time it is available as an audio book. I think this is my best book - many fascinating stories. I cry each time I read the first chapter of the book on the courageous rescues of Irena Sendler. The chapter on the invention of the television is one of my all time favorites. Philo T. Farnsworth and his wife, Pem, will inspire you. You will also learn about Neef Grigg and his invention of the Tatar Tot. Happy listening!
https://www.audible.com/pd/8-Attributes-of-Great-Achievers-Vol-2-Audiobook/B07NF6J9N7?qid=1549646203&sr=1-2&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=WB9N0VV1B16Y948FJS4Z&

Friday, July 27, 2018

The Way of Aloha: Lanai now available on Audible

My newest book “The Way of Aloha: Lanai” has been very well received by readers. 96% of Amazon reviewers have given it 5 stars. I had the impression a few months ago that I needed to complete the audio book of “The Way of Aloha: Lanai.” I felt there would be people we would reach with the audio book that we would not reach with the printed book. The unabridged audio book is now available on Audible.
Audio Book: The Way of Aloha: Lanai

The unabridged audio book “Twelve Paradoxes of the Gospel” is also now available on Audible. 
Audio Book: Twelve Paradoxes of the Gospel

Saturday, June 23, 2018

8 Attributes of Great Achievers now available on Audible


The unabridged audio of my book "8 Attributes of Great Achievers" is now available on Audible. My books "The Way of Aloha: Lanai" and "Twelve Paradoxes of the Gospel" will be available on Audible soon.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Be Yourself and Don't Worry

I was asked to speak to a group of youth on the topic "Be Yourself and Don't Worry." Here is a link to a MP3 of the presentation: 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/j5pswbf9eauut8e/17901-FIN-Be-Yourself-and-Dont-Worry-C-Taylor.mp3?dl=0


“Envy blinds you to your own giftedness and uniqueness.
God didn’t make you to be like somebody else.
God made you to be you.” Rick Warren