Start Where You Are

by Gardner, Chris

• ISBN13: 9780061537110
• ISBN10: 006153711X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-10-08
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

Ever since the story of his transformation from homeless, single and struggling father to millionaire became known the world over, Chris Gardner --whose life story both inspired the movie The Pursuit of Happyness and became a #1 New York Times bestseller by the same name--has been inundated with two questions: How Did You Do It” and How Can I Do it Too?” Gardner's power-packed, transformational reply is the basis of this long-anticipated book.As a departure from standard self-help tomes that promise overnight riches and exclusive secrets for success, Gardner avoids any tilt toward magical thinking by staying with real issues and solutions impacting individuals in all walks of life. If you've had the rug pulled out from under you, or have been dealing with the loss of a home, a job, a health or financial crisis, or simply can't find the motivation to pursue new challenges, Start Where You Are abounds with life lessons that offer hope and provide a road map for starting anew. This is also the book for anyone ready to launch a personal, professional undertaking, or break generational cycles that hem in their potential.Taking stock of his own credos, including The Cavalry Ain't Coming,” Find Your Button,” and Seek the Furthest Star”-- Gardner's 44 life lessons are earthy, soulful, and always accessible. With an array of stories from the author's own life, as well as from those he has known or admired, both famous and not, Start Where You Are has arrived just in time to embolden and encourage all of us, even in our era of great global change, reminding us of the infinite resources we already have in our collective pursuit of happyness, and spurring us on in only one direction - forward!

Table of Contents

Author's Note	p. xiii
Overture-C'mon In	p. 1
Start Where You Are: Universal Lessons for Pursuit	p. 9
-Without a Plan, a Dream Is Just a Dream (the C-5 Complex)	p. 14
-We All Have the Power of Choice	p. 24
-The Cavalry Ain't Coming	p. 30
-Start with What You've Got in Your Hand	p. 37
-Baby Steps Count, Too, as Long as You Go Forward	p. 41
-Stop Digging Your Potatoes	p. 46
-What Would the Champ Do?	p. 52
-Say "Peace Be Still"	p. 56
-Even Lewis and Clark Had a Map	p. 62
-Find Your Button	p. 69
The Thorny and Golden Past: Personal Lessons Drawn from the Past	p. 75
-Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Yesterday?	p. 82
-In Your Library of Resources, Value All Experience	p. 88
-Draw the Line of Your Life	p. 95
-Whose Child Are You?	p. 100
-Check Out Your Own Version of Genesis	p. 104
-Who's Who in Your 'Hood?	p. 107
-The Red or the Yellow Bike?	p. 112
-Sometimes You Gotta Give Up Christmas	p. 116
-No Test, No Testimony	p. 120
Hitting the Anvil: Marketplace Lessons for Success	p. 127
-The Law of Hard Work Is No Secret	p. 134
-Core Strengths Forged on Your Anvil	p. 142
-Wizards Begin as Blacksmiths	p. 148
-Are You Bold Enough to Go Back to Basics?	p. 155
-Supply and Demand Ain't Rocket Science	p. 164
-Truth Is a Hit	p. 170
-Learn the Ropes First, Then Conquer Rome	p. 175
-Who's Who at the Office and in Your Spheres of Influence?	p. 180
-It Takes as Much Energy to Bag an Elephant as It Does a Mouse	p. 186
-Share the Wealth	p. 190
Your Empowerment Zone: Life-Changing Lessons for Mastery	p. 195
-Seek the Farthest Star	p. 201
-Seeing Ghosts, Reading Signs	p. 206
-Opportunities, Like Pancakes, Are Best Served Hot, but Sometimes You Gotta Set the Table Before You Can Eat	p. 212
-Stay Open, but Don't Wing It	p. 216
-Mo' Money, Mo' Options, Mo'Problems	p. 223
-Money Is the Least Significant Component of Wealth	p. 229
-Conscious Capitalism: A Personal and Global Primer	p. 234
-Make Your Dream Bigger Than Yourself	p. 238
Spiritual Genetics: Spiritual Lessons for Connecting to Your Higher Power	p. 243
-Embrace the Best of Your Spiritual Genetics	p. 247
-Breaking Generational Cycles	p. 253
-Your Divine Inheritance	p. 259
-God's in the Details	p. 263
-Passing the Torch, Raising the Bar	p. 268
The Good Old Everyday: Ordinary Lessons for Happyness	p. 275
-Don't Postpone Joy	p. 277
-Claim Ownership of Your Dreams	p. 282
Takeaways: Get 'Em and Go	p. 287
Acknowledgments	p. 299
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