The Real Rules of Life

by Druck, Ken

• ISBN13: 9781401939717
• ISBN10: 1401939716
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-05-15
• Publisher: Hay House Inc

Summary

We are brought up to believe a certain set of rules: The early bird gets the worm. Slow and steady wins the race. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Good things happen to good people. Keep your faith, work hard, and all your dreams will come true. But then we grow up. We learn that life isn't really fair. There are no fairy godmothers, and not everything works out in the end, no matter how good we have been or how hard we've tried. Why, then, are these myths perpetuated? Because cliches and over-simple recipes for living provide a soothing way to manage our daily lives without confronting the harsh reality that some parts of our lives are out of our control. For several decades, Ken Druck has been willing to stand up and write about what we have hidden from ourselves for so long: we need to confront life as it is, not as we want it to be. We cannot magically wish things into reality. We cannot expect happiness or success to manifest from daily affirmations. By embracing the realrules of life, we discover life's terms and learn to balance them with our own, preventing costly psychological debts and developing the life skills, underlying wisdom, and emotional freedom essential for fuller, richer lives. This book will resonate with what readers know to be true about how life reallyis. Readers will discover themselves in vibrant teaching stories from the front lines of Dr. Druck's pioneering work with individuals, families, communities, leaders, and cutting-edge organizations. They will push the refresh button on long-held myths and limitations, turning them into empower truths, redirecting their lives in much more effective and purposeful ways, and reinvigorating the pursuit of their dream.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
Life is Not Fair: It's More Than Fair	p. 1
Around Every Corner: Keeping an Open Heart	p. 13
There Are No Deals: Life's Real Terms	p. 23
Running from Reality Takes Energy: Truth as Courage	p. 29
Life is Designed to Break Your Heart: Managing Love and Intimacy	p. 35
It is What it is: Dancing with Reality	p. 45
There Are No Quick Fixes: It Takes What it Takes to Mend	p. 53
Listening is Love: How to Really Listen to Strengthen Relationships	p. 63
Closure is a Myth: Healing is a Lifelong Process	p. 77
Control is an Illusion: Knowing When It's Time to Let Go	p. 87
Joy is a Muscle: Putting More Joy into Your Everyday Life	p. 93
A Breakdown Can Be a Breakthrough: Authentically Navigating a Crisis	p. 103
Real Value has No Dollar Signs: Self-Worth and the Currency of Love	p. 115
You've Gotta Have Skin in the Game: Taking Risks, Investing Yourself	p. 123
Taking Honest Inventory: Overcoming Our Blind Spots	p. 129
Life Can Be Messy Business: Making Peace with Chaos	p. 141
The Value of Being Real: Intimacy and Connectedness	p. 147
Losing it is Finding it: Don't Shoot the Messenger (of Emotions)	p. 155
Ain't No Fairy Godmother: The Courage to Move Forward	p. 163
You Have Far Less and Far More Power than You Know: Balancing Control with Surrender	p. 173
"Home Free" is a Bill of Goods: Stop Waiting for Perfect	p. 183
Let it Be: Mastering the Art of Allowing	p. 197
Your Life is Your Birthright: Live it as Though	p. 203
About the Author	p. 211
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