Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print‐on‐demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e‐books or in print‐on‐demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Nurse, David, author.
Title: Breakthrough : a sure‐fire guide to realizing your potential, pushing through limitations, and achieving things you didn’t know were possible / David Nurse.
Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2022] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021039323 (print) | LCCN 2021039324 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119853930 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119853954 (adobe pdf ) | ISBN 9781119853947 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Leadership. | Problem solving.
Classification: LCC HD57.7 .N866 2022 (print) | LCC HD57.7 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/09—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021039323LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021039324
Cover image: Paul McCarthy
Cover design: Getty Images | Eyematrix
To my wife, Taylor, the biggest breakthrough of my life was marrying you. And every day keeps getting better and better!
To Jon Gordon, the brother, the mentor, the amazing light you are to the world. Thank you beyond words!
FOREWORD
by Jon Gordon
This past year I was named one of the top ten speakers in the world and had four books on the bestseller list at different times. Friends and colleagues reached out and commented on my breakthrough success. For many others, it looked like an overnight success. But if you know anything about success and breakthroughs, you know they don't happen overnight. They happen after years of hard work, dedication, and a commitment to living and sharing your passion and purpose.
Speaking of breakthroughs and purpose, I believe the greatest breakthrough of your life is finding your purpose. My purpose is to encourage and inspire as many people as possible, one person at a time, to create a more positive world. I say one person at a time because it starts within each one of us and for many it's not easy to be positive. I'm proof of this. Positivity doesn't come naturally to me.
My breakthrough actually began with an ultimatum from my wife, Kathryn: if I didn't change, she would leave me. It jumpstarted my work and my entire life, but not overnight. I didn't have a system to follow or a path planned out. I had a whole lot of trial and error. I had to construct my own system and process for breakthroughs. What I landed on, what worked best, was, in essence, the breakthrough formula David elaborates on in this book.
It took me awhile to accept that I need to work on my breakthrough every day. My breakthrough into positivity is as much a daily practice as brushing my teeth. I don't always look forward to it, but I know it is essential for my health, my marriage, and my career.
Early in my breakthrough, I wrote my first book, The Energy Bus, in a three‐and‐a‐half‐week fit of inspiration. It wasn't an instantaneous bestseller. I kept working on the breakthrough process every day and after five years, it finally became a bestseller. Now, fifteen years later, it still appears on the bestseller lists.
Since The Energy Bus, I've published a total of twenty‐four books, and twelve have become bestsellers. It's a testament to the power of my breakthrough and the service I can provide to a world that needs positivity. It's an even greater testament to the people I work with. Without the ultimate team around me, I couldn't do anything that I do today—from my publishers at Wiley to my editors and advanced readers, and each and every person who reads my books. And, of course, to my beautiful wife, Kathryn, and my amazing family. The greatest breakthroughs don't just happen alone. They happen in cooperation with the team you have around you. If I didn't surround myself with great people who support me and are willing to challenge me, none of this would be possible.
One of the most rewarding parts of my life is being part of other people's breakthrough teams. I believe we are all called to be mentors and share what we have learned to help others grow. When I met David Nurse four years ago, I saw something rare in him. But truth be told, we didn't become fast friends. I needed to know he was on an actual mission for a bigger purpose. I kept my distance.
Despite my reservations, David would text me to check in, to see how I was doing, to just ask if there was any way he could serve me or help me with anything. He never asked anything for himself, just offered to give. After a while, I was too curious to keep my distance. Who was this guy? And why did he keep staying in touch?
I took David out for dinner, and I knew immediately what made David so different. Positivity. Optimism. They come naturally to David. They pour out of him, and it's infectious to be around. From epic three‐hour tennis battles, road trips to NBA games to watch our friends coach, or just eating great food together and trying to solve the world's problems, I am proud to help David grow his mission. His natural positivity also helps refine and shape who I am. Iron sharpens iron.
David is a breakthrough waiting to happen. His gifts allow him to bring out the best in others. David is a great leader, a powerful author, and a person on a mission to show people how to experience their personal breakthroughs. Once you open yourself up to his system, you won't just experience a breakthrough. You will be the breakthrough.
Life is a series of breakthroughs, from breaking through in our marriages and finding true unconditional love with our spouse; breaking through in our faith and discovering a true personal relationship with God; and breaking through in our careers, harvesting the fruit of all our relentless labor. It can never be just given to us, and it sure doesn't happen overnight. Those of us who are committed to breaking through usually go through a lot of trial and error to reach a single point of clarity. David's mixture of drive and optimism helps him construct the universal formulas that help you experience regularly occurring breakthroughs. In reading this book you will see and understand exactly what I'm talking about.
The life you have always wanted to live is waiting for you to break through. Let this be your breakthrough moment.
FOREWORD
by Taylor Kalupa
I know every career relies on breakthroughs to flourish, but Hollywood actors are as dependent on them as comic book superheroes. You can be the most talented, most captivating, best‐positioned person on the planet, but you just don't have a career until you catch the attention of an agent, a casting director, or a unicorn.
I caught my first Hollywood breakthrough opportunity starring in Dave Navarro's “Rexall.” Though I was only ten, I joined a long list of stars who were introduced to the world in music videos—a club that includes household names like Matthew McConaughey, Eva Mendes, and Courtney Cox. I remember standing in line at Disney World shortly after it premiered on MTV; multiple teenagers and adults stopped me to tell me they recognized me. And kids at my elementary school excitedly ran up to me at recess to say they saw me on TV the night before.
But breakthroughs are bigger than just opportunities—getting a shot at the biggest stage