Excerpt: '5 Principles for a Successful Life: From Our Family to Yours'

May 13, 2009 — -- A symbol of Republican power in the '90s, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is back in the spotlight. The accomplished politician, writer and speaker took a break from his conservative campaign to share a new project with "GMA."

Gingrich worked with his daughter, Jackie Gingrich Cushman, to write a book in which they shared their simple secrets for a successful life. The book, "5 Principles for a Successful Life: From Our Family to Yours," pulls lessons from Gingrich's 50-plus years of experience along with prominent figures that have been an inspiration to the Gingrich family.

Read an excerpt from the book below and then head to the "GMA" Library for some more good reads.

Principle 4: Enjoy Life

Pleasure in the job puts perfectionin the work.—ARISTOTLE

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, many of us neglectour earliest passions in favor of pursuing unsatisfyingwork or short-term, empty goals like "making it tothe weekend." We forget that it is entirely possible—and necessary for truly fulfilling work—to incorporatewhat we love into our daily routines.

For example, my early interest in animals and zoosled to my first experiences with public policy. I was tenyears old, and after watching a matinee of two animalfilms in a theater in downtown Harrisburg, I noticed asign that said "City Hall" and pointed through an alley.My grandmother had told me always to do my duty, andI decided my duty was to try to get a zoo for our city. Ipromptly walked over to ask how Harrisburg could getits own zoo. A kind park official (who, I learned later,had dated my grandmother forty years earlier) took thetime to show me the records for the Harrisburg Zoo,which had existed in the 1930s. He explained that cityofficials had closed the zoo during World War II because of rationing, and he challenged me to personallyconvince city officials that Harrisburg needed a new zoo.He then called my grandmother and said he was sendingme home in a cab, but I had to come back Tuesday to thecity council meeting. The next Tuesday, I was right therewaiting for the meeting, and the following day's editionof the Harrisburg Patriot-News featured a story on a certainten-year-old boy championing the immediate constructionof a local zoo. I was hooked on both zoos andcitizenship from that point on.

Years later, while representing my Georgia district inCongress, I again had the opportunity to use my passionfor zoos by contributing to my hometown Zoo Atlanta'sfund-raising efforts. My passion—helping the zoo acquireexotic, beautiful animals like Boma, the black rhino;Yang Yang and Lun Lun, Chinese giant pandas; andeven Komodo dragons—was part of my life as a citizenand as a public official.

I've always thoroughly enjoyed using my work tohelp protect animals and the environment—not only because I am personally intrigued by the incredible diversityfound in nature but also because I believe thatwe are called upon to be stewards of the natural world.We have an obligation to preserve and protect it for futuregenerations of all kinds of animals, which is why Iplayed a key role in saving the Endangered Species Actduring the late 1990s, and why, more recently, I wroteA Contract with the Earth with Terry L. Maple, directorof the Palm Beach Zoo. In the book, we call for a bipartisanapproach to environmentalism, so that all Americanscan work to protect the fragile species diversity onour planet.

These are just a few examples of how and why I havetried to help animals thrive in their natural habitat,where they are protected from outside threats. I havebeen blessed with a career that has allowed me to focusmy energy on the things that are most important to me.Yet it is always important to remember that, regardlessof your particular job or background, you must use yourown talents and strengths to make a difference in the lives of others.

After focusing on citizenship for forty plusyears, I am convinced that helping those aroundus is vital for truly enjoying life; a selfish existence isan empty one, and when we are using whatever meanswe have to do the most good we can, then we are reallyliving.

Text copyright 2009 by Newt Gingrich and Newt Gingrich and Jackie Gingrich Cushman.