Book excerpt: Looking down the barrel of a gun is a bad time to realize that your people skills need work. But this is where Steve found himself early in his career. Just when he thought he had the world by the tail, along came a 70-year-old lady packing a pistol and attitude. Believing he was trespassing, she decided to resolve the situation with lethal force. It's remarkable how fast your viewpoint can change with the right motivation. There are critical factors that impact everything in and around your life. The trick lies in recognizing these factors and utilizing some easy tips that can define whether the outcome of many of life's situations will be ordinary or simply amazing. Here's what no one ever tells you -- with the right playbook, it's not that hard to achieve. By taking action and making adjustments in yourself, your friends and how you work in business, you can open the door to a whole new world that you never knew existed.