Detailed Book Information

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STICK TO IT!
The Power of Positive Persistence
Yes! Press. 1993, 1995
Price: $11.95
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Book information:
Excerpts from STICK TO IT!
Introduction
This is a thoughtful book, and a special one. What makes it special
is you, the reader, and how you will choose to apply these ideas. Whether
you bought this for yourself, or received it as a gift, you will decide
how best to approach each reading. You are probably a busy person with
many demands on
your time, but this book is designed with that in mind. Each essay or
quotation is just a small, single thought, yet they do hold the promise
of something larger; that all depends on you.
I have attempted to present my ideas in a light and simple manner,
but you will find worthy lessons if you take the time to look for them.
While this is original material, many of these thoughts will seem familiar.
No doubt, youve thought about these concepts before, and faced
similar experiences, but perhaps my approach will offer a new perspective.
You know as well as I, that a thoughtful and consciously considered
life is richer, fuller, and inherently more satisfying than an unconsidered
one. Each item in this book represents a small, separate dimension of
life; intricate components that make up the whole of existence. Each
is worth examining in depth.
I hope you will read, reread, reflect upon, and revisit the ideas that
touch your heart. My hope is that this book gives you numerous ideas
and insights to explore, expand upon, and apply in your life. I also
hope the message, STICK TO IT! will encourage you to persist as you
live, learn, grow, and face new adventures and challenges. Read and
enjoy!
It All Begins With Attitude
Much has been written about the importance of attitude, and most of
us realize that our attitude affects the kinds of decisions we make
and the actions we take. Some people tend to see the positive side of
a situation while others view the negative.
How about you? How has your attitude affected the kinds of decisions
youve made in your life, and the relationships youve established
and maintained? I am convinced that life is 80% attitude and 20% technique;
if your attitude is in the right place, youll make the right decisions.
If you have a positive
attitude, the right words will come out of your mouth.
We all know that, basically, we get out of life what we expect and,
of course, our attitude influences our expectations. What expectations
do you have about yourself and your world? What attitude adjustments
might you need to make in order to improve your outlook?
If you want to be more positive, start using positive words rather
than negative ones. Smile more. Make it a habit to compliment others
rather than criticize. And look on the optimistic side of a situation.
Develop an attitude of gratitude. Celebrate what you have, and help
others look on the
bright side as well. You know that what you give out will come back
to you. Attitude: its the perfect place to begin!
A crisis is simply an opportunity to practice
what you preach.
Fear: Its Nothing To Be Afraid Of
We all have things were afraid of. Fear is a common and basic
emotion. We may fear rejection, embarrassment, abandonment, failure,
and maybe even success. Yes, there will always be things we fear, but
to what extent will we let it influence us? You can let fear control
you, or you can control your fear and take action anyway. This distinction
is important because fear can literally immobilize us. We might use
it as an excuse to give up, or worse, to not even try.
When I started college, after having dropped out of high school not
once but twice, I was terrified. I had no idea if I could succeed and
dreaded the possibility of failing one more time. Just walking onto
the campus was intimidating, and part of me wanted to run away. But
I attended class every day, studied hard in spite of my fears, and graduated
with honors. I learned that achieving something new requires stretching
your capabilities; that one can only build self-confidence by first
laying it on the line.
To experience success, you must first place yourself in a situation
where failure is one of the possibilities. It feels great knowing you
faced your fears squarely and took action in spite of how you felt.
Youve done this before, and you can do it again. Keep reminding
yourself that every time you risk failure, you are also risking success!
When we act out of fear we often create the very
outcome were trying to avoid.
Its All In Your Mind
You may already know that you talk to yourself and conduct lengthy
internal dialogues about virtually everything that happens to you. Without
saying a word aloud, you continually interpret events. You judge, appraise,
compliment, or criticize yourself and others every day. Its called
self-talk.
Is your self-talk constructive or destructive? Start listening to what
you say to yourself. This is important because it is your thoughts that
create your reality. If you think things are awful, horrible, and you
just cant handle it, you will feel like a victim of circumstances.
If, on the other hand, you view a situation as admittedly difficult
but, with effort, ultimately doable, you encourage yourself to be a
victor. Put simply, how you talk to yourself is entirely up to you.
You can create healthy, encouraging self-talk or you can make yourself
miserable; its your call.
For it is not what actually happens to you, its how you define
it internally that counts. If you realize you are engaging in negative,
defeatist self-talk, replace it with positive, hopeful dialogue. If
you find yourself feeling inadequate or incapable, tell yourself that
you can do it. Because you can. Even if your life does become temporarily
disrupted, positive self-talk can help you put it all back together
again. Its all there; in your mind.
Your mind is the key through which you unlock
all your potential.
Switching Channels
When youre driving down the road and a song comes on the radio,
if its one you hate, what do you do? Switch stations? Thats
a common practice when listening to the radio or watching TV, but how
about in life? Do you exercise the same option when things pop into
your mind or do you allow yourself to be victimized by whatever comes
along? When negative or undermining thoughts stream into your mind,
you dont have to let these insidious thought waves take over.
You can switch "mental stations."
Your self-talk patterns affect how you feel and act; the thoughts you
create and repeat over and over again shape your self-esteem and emotional
well-being. And you can consciously choose the specific program you
want to hear. You can literally select the thoughts you want to focus
on.
I can attest that my self-talk is markedly different today than when
my self-esteem was low and I allowed negative thinking patterns to dominate.
Things changed drastically once I realized I could reset my "mental
dial".The next time an undermining or negative thought comes into
your head, consciously replace it with a positive one. Your ability
to switch mental stations guarantees youll keep your thoughts
on the proper wave length. Stay tuned!
Choose to live consciously and deliberately; some
people cruise through life on automatic pilot.
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