INTRODUCTION
Life is full of difficulties that swarm in their thousands to disrupt our peace and sanity. To not seek redress and help is to stay trapped in the toxic glut of life’s vicious cycle. How do you find positivity in a world that ceaselessly judges and seeks to drown you out? Do you unhinge the bathroom’s faucet and ride on the tides of the brewing flood that begins to drown out your very grip? The life of the flotsam is not one bit enviable, yet, year in year out, we’ve seen bodies float and truncate, onshore and offshore. Is diving headlong into the closest river the way to fight those demons enclaved in your head? Will suicide really ease your pain and free you from all the guilt? Is death the only way out of depression? This book will not judge you; instead, it places in your hands the keys needed to fight the demons in your head, the ones resident in your mind, the ones which make your body, soul, and spirit not live out the best of their potentials. This book is written for you. It’s time to live your very best without the power of those closet demons. Practical and effective—behold the 100 Steps.
We all aspire to do, be, and have great things. Yet most of us simply haven’t created the successful life we want, yet. We complain that we don’t have enough money, romance, success, or joy in our lives. We point fingers and blame outside problems that “happen” to us and make life more difficult. But what we need to understand and keep at the forefront of our minds is that greatness exists in all of us. It is simply up to us to pull it out of ourselves. Regardless of personal circumstances, economic climates, and access to resources, it helps to maintain faith in the fact that we each are more powerful than we think. We all can create the life we want. We just need to learn how to do it. Is there an exact “formula”? No, but there are certain common features that successful people exhibit and that anyone can practice. They are what can jumpstart your success and attract what you want in life. You’d be hard pressed to find any high achiever who doesn’t live by the 100 Steps.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to make drastic changes to notice an improvement in the quality of your life. At the same time, you don’t need to wait a long time to see the measurable results that come from taking positive action. All you must do is take small steps and take them consistently. The most effective way to meet any goal, 100 Steps notes, is through a series of tiny changes. Most people are in a constant pursuit to improve their lives. Changing your habits, outlook, and everyday living can go a long way to making your life more like you want it to be. The foundation of self-confidence, and ultimately happiness, is hard work. But when there is a lot work to be done, it can be overwhelming – causing you to either give up before you start, or to go in head first without a plan and fail. Big shifts and goals require thoughtful reflection about what you want and what is standing in your way. After you know those things, you can formulate a plan to address them.100 Steps gives you practical steps that guarantee improvement in all areas of your life.
“I hope the millions of people I’ve touched have the optimism and desire to share their goals and hard work and persevere with a
positive attitude.” – Michael Jordan
100 Steps x-rays the anomaly in society, work, family, relationships, and life in general; it seeks to help find lasting solutions and it tilts the balance to favor positivity. A life brimming with positivity is open to infinite potentials. Such life harbors no barrenness, but instead bubbles with productivity. In a hundred tested and guaranteed steps, the book shows you how to add more color and fun to your life. It addresses the all-too-common weights that distort the balance in the life of every average individual. These one hundred steps are guaranteed, and if you apply the principles recommended in this book, things will begin to fall into place. If you want to alleviate stress or get rid of it completely such that it no longer rears its ugly head fifty miles near your radius, this book will give you the ingredients and blueprint to live a stress-free life. Do you want to be happy amidst the turmoil around, amid the many choking forces that reach up your nose and strangle your breath? Or like the large portion of the world craves, is all you want success? This book covers all you need to win in life and win fair and square. No recommendation in the 100 Steps is inimical; every piece of advice and law in this book is ethical and not harmful. This is a book that was written to give you all of the answers and the one key to unlock your potentials in a world that has, it appears, connived to complicate your existence.
“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” – Tony Robbins
The book is divided into six parts spanning twenty chapters. Each chapter holds information that will radically transform your life. It is a collection of facts, years of research, and years of study, intentionally collated into actionable nuggets that you can read and apply. It is not written in complex words and jargon, but written in everyday English so that anyone can read and understand.
The first part tackles the concept of general difficulties and the myriad of demons people face. It attempts to seek, redress, and permanently solve the issue of recurring failure activated by triggers that are uncontrolled. It addresses the many ways by which we can deal with the harrowing assaults of negativity and negative thinking. It teaches how positivity via affirmations is one of the ways out. It touches on the various mechanics of thoughts and how through guiding our thoughts, we can bring about a positive transformation to the many things that challenges us. It also touches on belief systems and the analysis of belief systems, and it gives us a fresh set of eyes to look at things. It is an expository chapter that introduces us to practical solutions, addressing the many problems and showing how easy it is to solve them. Seventeen points are raised in this part, and they are all elaborate and lucid.
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson
The second part talks about work-related issues and the ways to tackle them effectively. How do we deal with work pressure, work stress, and the fear that accompanies the thoughts of being laid off? How do we deal with that boss and colleague who appear to always antagonize our very existence? How do we deal with the gossip and office politics that tend to soak us in its unhealthy froth? This part enables us to always look on the bright side. It addresses points ranging from constructive criticisms to the need for vision in the work place. This part spans fourteen points. Face your fears: we all have things that we fear. I am not just talking about “monsters under the bed,” but scary, “real-world” fears, like speaking in public. Letting these fears get the better of you leads to stress, anxiety, depression, and more negativity. Face your fears, and positivity flows.
“When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That’s when you can get more creative in solving problems.” – Stephen Covey
The third part deals with family and personal life. The life of any man is a sum of what goes on in his personal space and closest environment. Family is a setting that is not easily avoidable by many people; sometimes our family members can be our biggest nemeses. We sink the most because they mean so much to us and yet still hurt us. This part addresses the issues that arise due to conflicts and gives you the techniques to deal with them. In fourteen steps, we examine points ranging from making the right association to looking at the big picture. This part also touches on such things as avoiding the blaming route. The attitude of others can benefit us only if we look through their point of view.
Part four is written to help you experience and take advantage of the humongous benefits and healthy values inherent in fun and relaxation, teaching concepts such as meditation and going on vacations to taking a break from the mundane nightly routine of sitting on the couch every other night without experiencing the life out there on the streets. We are encouraged to treat ourselves to spas and beaches, to go on dates, to visit the dance floor, and to hit the gym to stay healthy. We are also encouraged to listen to music, whether upbeat or jazzy, and do something that heals our soul. It’s powerful how much music heals the soul. Exercise. Exercise is well known to release “happy” hormones. Simply exercise every single day, even if it is just a bit of healthy walking, and you will feel more capable and positive.
“You are the sum of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled,