Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond

By Stuart Avery Gold
Published by Newmarket Press
December 2005; $15.00US; 1-55704-682-4

"While Ping's dreams got bigger, the pond got smaller."

This simple, inspirational tale follows the journey of Ping, a frog in search of a new pond, preferably one good for long-distance jumping. Along the way he meets Owl, an insightful teacher who shares his wisdom, encouraging Ping to take an inner journey before pursuing his goal.

Ping represents everybody who has encountered a setback, needs to take a risk, or is struggling with the challenge of change -- that is to say, he is all of us. Owl is the mentor who helps him find meaning and leap to new heights. The adventure they embark on together is both engaging and revealing.

Reviews

"Stuart Avery Gold taps into the spirit of self-discovery to encourage readers to take risks."

--Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start

"Ping is a story of inspiration and perspiration, a bold challenge to stop living a confined life by trusting in and following your heart."

--Cheryl Richardson, author of Take Time for Your Life and The Unmistakable Touch of Grace

Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from the book Ping

Prologue

What matters is that you believe the following tale is true.

Personally, back at the beginning I had my doubts. And who wouldn't have some doubts when they first find out that the adventures described in these pages are, in point of fact, the transformative journey belonging to one of the pond's most enduring creatures . . . a frog.

Now for those of you who have just rolled your eyes, please don't be put off -- there is so much to learn. Despite the many bad things going on here on planet Earth, there are many good things happening too. And one of them is that there are still stories that can thrill the spirit and soar the soul.

This is one of those stories.

Long before you and long before me, long before there was the quicksilver of WiFi, broadband, streaming video, DVD, and VCR, long before there was television, movies, radio, and even books, there were stories that entertained, educated, motivated, and inspired. And while some stories passed down through the centuries were meant to soothe and calm and perhaps put the listener to sleep, this is a traveler's tale, meant to awaken the way within, showing the true purpose of the life journey is far more than a mere traveling to survive. Here is your invitation to leap at life's opportunities as shown through the heroic actions and revealing insights of one Ping the frog.

To verify this story I interviewed dozens of people, Asians and Westerners, Tibetan lamas and Zen masters, Burmese teachers and Taoist practitioners, cramming notebooks full before setting ink to paper. Some of the interviews took me to Japan, and some to China, and some to certain sages here in the United States. But alas, only a few knew
Ping's remarkable tale, and fewer still could recount it from beginning to end. After all, this took place some time ago.

But the story still haunted me and I was still hopeful, so I spent many more months conducting research until, finally, blessedly, I was able to nail down an accurate record of the facts, which is how I can come to you vouching for this story's authenticity. And whether any of my efforts were worth it, is, of course, up to you to decide. After all, if history has taught us anything, it's that some stories are for telling. And some stories are for believing.

And the story of Ping the frog?

Well, that is a story forever . . .

Author:

Stuart Avery Gold is a zentrepreneur, author, future-finder, and both imagineer and champion of imagineers. He is the former chief operating officer of The Republic of Tea and is recognized as one of the innovative gurus behind the success of the Novato, California-based company. Stuart oversaw the company's brand building, marketing, and
product development strategies.

He is coauthor of the Zentrepreneur Guides® series of books, including Success at Life; Dragon Spirit; Tiger Heart, Tiger Mind; Wowisms; and The Zentrepreneur's Idea Log and Workbook. Translated into many languages around the world, the books have been lauded by Tom Peters, Seth Godin, Al Ries, Jeffrey Fox, Cheryl Richardson, and Melinda Davis, and described by Newsweek as "a blend of business advice and spiritual teachings for the 21st century."

Currently Stuart consults with entrepreneurs and corporations and writes and speaks about success strategies for personal and business empowerment. He has lectured at numerous schools including Wharton School of Business, New School University, and Parson's School of Design, and at Fortune 500 companies including American Express. Stuart is based in Boca Raton, Florida.

Copyright © 2006 Stuart Avery Gold

For more information, please visit www.pingthebook.com.