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Author Bradley chose to take a bold, positive approach to life after a multitude of setbacks. His book offers a step-by-step approach to problem-solving, including developing a determined mindset and the attitudes needed to sustain that mindset, despite the barriers that may be put in one's path. His introduction depicts his early difficulties, such as losing his mother at age twelve and then experimenting with drugs and crime. He began writing in prison, acquiring the motivation to break free from his negative patterns. His strategy starts with setting goals for genuine change. It is vital to break out of the habit of merely thinking about basic survival. The nurse becomes a doctor, and the receptionist becomes a nurse, not by dreaming about it but by taking active steps toward the possibility that lies ahead.
Motivation is one important phase for change, but motivation requires discipline. Every day, in mind and in body, a person must prepare inwardly and outwardly for the desired outcome, despite the discouragements that may arise. If there is a failure, one must take it as a lesson on what not to do next time. Being knocked down, Bradley asserts, can increase motivation. One should make active alterations in daily routines and send positive mental messages. These actions forge sincere commitment, another necessity. Even if a person believes that s/he has achieved everything (the house with the white picket fence, as Bradley describes it), there can be new areas for self-exploration and achievement. The constant re-imaging of goals means continual self-improvement. One must study the skills needed for the steps upward, self-evaluate, and remember the end game. A person should also seek help when needed, go beyond one's comfort zone, and remember that all people are inherently endowed with everything they need to succeed.
Bradley has composed this highly stimulating guide after schooling himself on the practices he recommends for others. He recalls a situation in which he was called on to lead a workshop on motivation. He was nervous, but once he heard the first input from one of the participants, he found he had the ideas and words within him to forge ahead. He uses plain, forceful language targeting all who need these changes but have not found a voice that can truly speak to their issues. And he advises his readers to develop their own communication skills because inevitably, once someone succeeds, they will become a powerful example for those around them. He helpfully provides space in one section for making a list of new skills that the reader would like to acquire. He constantly exhorts his audience to use energy and enthusiasm at all times and to start this regimen at once. He suggests promising to keep newly formed commitments every day for thirty days, or even for five. One won't accomplish everything on one's first day, but continued resolve will help as one gradually attains the pre-set goals. Based on his own hard-won experience, Bradley's strategies are designed not only for individual readers seeking new approaches to life's difficulties but also for groups working together to foster an active practice of self-motivation.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review