INTRODUCTION
Nobody is immune to making poor life choices. Regardless of age, sex, race, status or position, we all have thoughts and feelings cuing our decisions. Sometimes for better. Sometimes for worse. The challenge is, until we come to terms with the essential relationship between our Self and our Mind, we remain victims of our own mental impulses.
As a man who once lost both family and fortune through his own poor choices, I know the weight of personal responsibility can be difficult to bear. I also know there is simply no other way to succeed than to become personally responsible for your own health and happiness. This book describes a reliable, 7-Step method for you to improve any unwanted behavior. It can be used to break bad habits, overcome addictions, achieve personal goals…anywhere there are mental barriers to success, it can help you find your way.
While the development of this method was several years in the making, with
contributions from too many people to credit, there is one experience worth mentioning for the sake of anyone still struggling...
Once, while attending a private seminar, I observed a curious interaction between a
skilled psychologist and a well-known celebrity. The psychologist was considered an expert on human behavior who had helped many different people overcome their addictions. The celebrity was a young and famous actor, looking to overcome his alcoholism. While each of them was clearly motivated to stop the young man’s drinking, it was obvious to me there was one thing standing in their way. A story. Specifically, a story the young man had convinced himself was true. His story was that nobody could ever help or understand him, unless they knew exactly what he was going through.
After refuting all possible lines of help, the young man finally jumped up and yelled “Have YOU ever had a drinking problem?” When the psychologist responded “No” the young man decided that proved his point exactly. Angrily, he get up and left the room. Of
course, by that time there was nothing more anyone else could do. The young man was certain he was right. Unfortunately, desperately needing to protect the certainty of his convictions prevented all further communication with other people. People who could see things he simply wasn't seeing.
Many years later, when I finally began to write this book, I had to make a decision
about the amount of personal detail to include. I knew I would have to weigh the value of my family’s privacy, against the value of whatever I had to say and my ability to communicate those things effectively. I also knew that many readers would be starting from a similar place that young man was in. Unable to move forward without a clear answer to the real unspoken question “Can I really trust you?”
If you are ready to face an addiction, here is your essential challenge: To get back to
a place of trust. Trust in yourself, trust in someone else, trust in your higher power, whatever it may be that will help you go the distance. Have a look for yourself and see if that makes sense. What might trust have to do with the solution to your current problem? At the very least, in order to be free of an unhealthy situation, you must have the ability to trust your own judgment and confidently stick with your decisions. The challenge ahead of me is to show you how to do that. As I have already done it for myself and many other people, in this book I have
decided the best course of action is to go ahead and tell you something of my own story while guiding you through the process.
I have chosen to demonstrate each of the 7 steps by using either personal or professional examples of various people who, using the principles in my book, have conquered their addictions. At the very least, this will present solid evidence for you to confidently assess the information provided. It will also give you assurance that I can relate to where you are coming from. Once that is out of the way, once you know that you can trust both yourself and me at least a little bit, then we can focus on getting you where you truly want to be.
Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you there is a chance that your
decision to heal may actually anger, hurt or offend some of your friends and family. That will offer you some clues about who you can trust to help you. Who has your best interest in mind, and who would rather keep you down for reasons of their own. As you become stronger within yourself and start setting boundaries for how you want to be treated, people who have grown accustomed to seeing you a certain way may not like the changes you are making. At the same time, other people may surprise you with the amount of love, support and encouragement they have to offer for you.
Either way, there is no point being a victim of anyone’s fears and desires. Especially
your own. Now it is time to find your way. To figure out how to clearly assess your options, determine a healthy course of action, and confidently stick with your decisions.
