The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace E-Book

Cy Wakeman

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 271

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

The key to understanding how your manager calculates your real value—and how to boost it

More than anything else, you need to understand exactly how your employer evaluates you, and your annual performance review doesn't tell the whole story. In The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace, Cy Wakeman shows how to calculate how your true value to your organization by understanding your current and future potential against your "emotional expense"—the toll your actions and attitudes take on the people around you. With Cy's clear, straight-to-the-point advice, you can confront and reduce your emotional costliness, become an invaluable member of your team, and even learn to love your job again.

• Reveals a formula for measuring your current performance, future potential, and the biggest detractor, your emotional expense
• Shares real-world advice for quickly boosting your value and becoming a highly-valued, sought after employee and teammate
• Builds on the lessons in Reality-Based Leadership, Cy Wakeman's first book for leaders and managers

The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace is the essential guide for boosting your value, owning your career, and becoming the kind of employee no organization can afford to lose.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Praise for The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction: The New Rules of the Game

The Reality-Based Revolution

What Happy High-Performers Taught Me

Chapter 1: Your Current Performance

Performance Reviews in Theory

Performance Reviews in Reality

How Performance Reviews Go Wrong

How You Can Rise Above the Confusion

How to Rate Your Current Performance

Got Your Number? Now Raise It!

Chapter 2: Your Future Potential

When You Want to Quit

From Pain … to Vision

How to Rate Your Future Potential

Got Your Number? Now Raise It!

Chapter 3: Your Emotional Expensiveness

Rating Emotional Expensiveness

Emotional Expensiveness Is Costing You

Rate Your Emotional Expensiveness

Chapter 4: Rule #1: Your Level of Accountability Determines Your Level of Happiness, so DON'T HOPE TO BE LUCKY. CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.

Learned Helplessness: The Opposite of Personal Accountability

How Accountable Are You?

Chapter 5: Rule #2: Suffering Is Optional, so DITCH THE DRAMA!

The Third Column

A Bad Case of the Shoulds

Would You Rather Be Right, or Happy?

The Monster Under the Bed Is in Your Head

The Facts Will Set You Free

Stay in Your Lane

Let Your Sane Response Determine the Outcome

Steering Clear of Other People's Drama

What Comes Next?

Chapter 6: Rule #3: Buy-In Is Not Optional. YOUR ACTION, NOT OPINION, ADDS VALUE.

Five New Realities You Can't Afford to Ignore

Wholeheartedness: The Antidote to Fatigue

Focus on the Big Picture

Chapter 7: Rule #4: Say “Yes” to What's Next. CHANGE IS OPPORTUNITY.

The Three Stages of Change

Chapter 8: Rule #5: You Will Always Have Extenuating Circumstances. SUCCEED ANYWAY.

Excuse #1: My Boss Is a Jerk

Excuse #2: My Coworkers Are Difficult/Bullies/Rude/Indifferent/(Insert Adjective Here)

Excuse #3: My Team Is Really Dysfunctional

Excuse #4: The Culture at My Company Is Hostile/Toxic

Call to Action: Put the New Rules to Work

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Index

Praise for The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace

“Cy Wakeman's new book is for every member of the workforce who wants to elevate his or her performance to a higher level. The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace provides invaluable tools for converting the energy spent on feelings of frustration, complacency, and hopelessness into fuel for finding happiness and achieving your fullest potential. Cy's philosophy and tools have been invaluable in helping our leaders learn to embrace accountability, and the positive response from employees has been overwhelming.”

Alyson Guthrie, chief human resources officer, Crowell & Moring

“One of my biggest disappointments as a CEO is the significant number of good employees we have lost because some incident changed their attitude almost overnight. It is great to finally have a book that helps employees understand how management views them and that they can totally control that perception. The greatest benefit to The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace is that it teaches us all how to be more accountable in our own careers. Every college student should read this to prepare them for the real world and how to thrive in it.”

Mike Rydin, president and CEO, HCSS

“In The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace, Cy Wakeman reveals that the key ingredient to both high performance and happiness is simple: personal accountability. With a no-holds-barred approach and practical tools, Wakeman helps employees discover a newfound sense of happiness and control in their work.”

Kim Ferrarie, senior vice president, human resources, Air Liquide

“Cy Wakeman's newest book is for every member of the workforce who wants to elevate his or her performance to a higher level of greatness. The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace provides tools for converting any disengagement you are feeling toward your current company into powerful action to re-engage and achieve your fullest potential. We are using Cy's philosophy and tools in our leadership development programs, and the response has been overwhelming! I highly recommend this book if you are ready to challenge yourself to let go of any blockers that are preventing you from being your best.”

Ken Myers, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, Hospira, Inc.

“The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace is an essential guide to facing the real challenges you deal with every day and seizing the opportunities they represent, instead of feeling victimized. Cy Wakeman shows how you can adopt a no-nonsense approach to owning your career and becoming the kind of employee no organization would want to lose.”

Ed Bjurstrom, general manager, Gilead Sciences

“The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace is spot on! It provides a suite of tangible tools that empower employees to take control of their work life. We all want to determine our own destiny, how we contribute at work, and how we feel about it. This book is key to moving forward! The messages Cy provides are easy to understand and apply across environments.”

Shannon Bell, executive coach and organizational development consultant

“If you are an employee or you have employees, The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace is a must-read for thriving in today's marketplace. Cy provides simple steps to developing a culture where employees are contributors and drivers of your basic operating principles, and she provides tips on how to enhance business results by creating relationships that are meaningful and success-filled for employees, coworkers, and your business.”

Cindy Williams, organizational development specialist, Bayer CropScience

“The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace is a gem for anyone holding a job, and for those who evaluate the work of other people. Totally engaging, funny at times, and an easy read. This book is packed with questions to ask yourself and guidance toward the best, most productive answers to drive success for yourself, your coworkers, and your business. Cy has hit this one out of the park!”

Gordon Whitten, serial entrepreneur and innovation expert

Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass

A Wiley Imprint

989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741— www.josseybass.com

Cover design by Faceout Studio

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax [phone], or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax [phone], or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read.

Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax [phone].

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Not all content that is available in standard print versions of this book may appear or be packaged in all book formats. If you have purchased a version of this book that did not include media that is referenced by or accompanies a standard print version, you may request this media by visiting http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit us www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wakeman, Cy.

The reality-based rules of the workplace : know what boosts your value, kills your chances, and will make you happier / Cy Wakeman.— First edition.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-118-41368-5 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-58555-9 (ebk);

ISBN 978-1-118-58567-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-58570-2 (ebk)

1. Success in business. 2. Job satisfaction. 3. Organizational behavior. 4. Office ox{politics.} I. Title.

HF5386.W158 2013

650.1— dc23

2012046244

In honor of my incredible dad, the greatest storyteller on earth.

What I would give for just one more dance . . .

In loving memory of my amazing mom, who knew all along I would become a teacher.

Thanks for teaching me all the greatest lessons in life and, “Let's keep thinking, shall we?”

Introduction

The New Rules of the Game

Every day, those of us lucky enough to be employed march off to work. You know, the place with the atrocious coffee? Where an accidental “Reply all” can keep the rumor mill going for weeks? Where everyone is preoccupied with what they will have for lunch, even though the options rarely change? Where you have endless meetings and three types of colleagues: the geniuses who think like you, the jerks who don't, and the idiots—nice though they may be—who have been promoted past their intelligence? Where you have brainstorming sessions with your bagels, passive aggression with your birthday cake, and where pizza is associated with celebrating big wins in a way that it hasn't been since your Little League days. How's work working for you? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it could be better.

The employed have never been less satisfied with their lot. Nearly 68 percent of Americans report that their employers have taken steps such as putting a freeze on hiring or wages; laying off staff; reducing work hours, benefits, or pay; requiring unpaid days off; or increasing work hours.1 Tough economic times have left fewer people to do the same amount of work. Jobs you used to love have become overwhelming; jobs you never loved have become intolerable. Success seems like an impossible dream as you strive to do more with less. You've seen good people get laid off and you've seen good jobs outsourced to cheaper workers. So many people are confused, complaining, blaming, angry, under-responsible for their own affairs and over-responsible for what isn't within their sphere of influence. Employees have come to believe that suffering is now part of working life, and you are suffering more than ever.

It has become normal for work to suck.

Because I travel to more than two hundred companies per year to work with their employees, I see this dissatisfaction firsthand. Many employees feel unrecognized, under-rewarded, and taken advantage of. They want me to understand the scale has tipped—and not in their favor. Their jobs have officially become undoable by the average human being.

What if you could go to work feeling energetic and excited, regardless of any external circumstances? You could go into work today and have fun, be productive, and return home at peace, with energy left over for your family and friends. You could be valued, appreciated—even a favorite at the office. What if you and your boss were allies, and you loved your job again? What if the things that are currently making you unhappy simply lost their power over you?

All this is possible, and more. How do I know? Because thousands of employees have come into my sessions feeling dejected and undervalued, even hopeless, and left with an entirely new perspective. They have awakened to a different way of approaching their reality. They have become calm, creative, results driven, and reality based. They have been able to influence their colleagues, their bosses, and their teams. They have freed themselves from anxiety and resentment. They have turned their long list of excuses into an even longer list of proud accomplishments and results. Not because they work harder, or are in denial, or have surrendered to the “man,” but because they changed their mind-sets.

I am here to tell you: You are not a cog in a machine—far from it. You have more control than you think. That's the good news. The bad news is, you and you alone are causing your own suffering. What most of you have lost touch with is that it isn't your reality that is causing your pain and frustration. It's the worn-out methods, techniques, and mind-sets with which you are approaching your reality. I'm here to tell you that your suffering is optional. I can help you get back on track so you can find bliss in your work again, while becoming more valuable to your organization than ever before.

When you feel vulnerable, even defensive, it's all too easy to blame the economy, political leaders, your boss—everyone except the one person you can control: yourself. You do not have to give up your chance at happiness and fulfillment in the name of productivity. If you tend to your own happiness and get wholehearted in your work, then you will be extremely productive. Your effort will make a difference. What's more, your coworkers and your organization will love you for it. Instead of being resentful and keeping score, you will free your creativity and become a highly valued and sought-after employee.

Your speculation, worry, and perspective on the world are nearly always harsher than your world itself. Unfortunately, imagination plays a huge part in creating that which you fear. You may be stuck in a self-fulfilling prophecy that keeps you in survival mode and holds you back from reaching your true potential. Many of you have become resigned to the idea that happiness depends on what happens to you, when in fact, it is all about what you do. I'll show you how you may be unintentionally sabotaging your own results, how to stop, and how to make sure that the work you do is contributing to the bottom line and being noticed by the people who count. You must not wait for others to improve your quality of life. You have it within you to get what you want. But first, you have to embrace Reality and play by its rules.

The Reality-Based Revolution

Einstein famously said that no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. For twenty years, as a consultant to top executives and organizations, I have been teaching people to shift their focus from wishing for their circumstances to change to understanding that the ultimate freedom comes from seeing their circumstances differently, and from that place of neutrality, choosing how they will react to what happens around them.

My first book, Reality-Based Leadership, introduced leaders to the attributes they must develop in themselves in order to lead well. In that book, I showed them how to think constructively instead of destructively and surprised them with the news that their best people aren't always who they think they are. They learned why they should “work with the willing,” putting most of their effort into cultivating the employees who are truly accountable and produce the best results, when most tend to do the opposite, giving their time and energy away to people who resist their efforts.

After Reality-Based Leadership was published, I hoped leaders would be satisfied. For a while, they were. People came up to me at my seminars with dog-eared copies, stuffed with page flags and Post-it notes, which showed me how actively they used the book. Their enthusiasm was catching within their organizations, and I was thrilled to see their results. But soon, they began to tell me there was something missing.

Leaders had worked hard to change their mind-sets and to become Reality Based, having noticed that when they accept and work within certain basic principles, they excel, and when they don't, they end up stressed and exhausted. They had worked on their management style, absorbing the message that they should focus their energy and coaching on their best people. But how did these “best people” that I tell leaders to focus on get to be the best? Was it an accident of birth, a skill certain families imparted and others did not? Unfortunately, no one is born accountable, self-reliant, self-mastered, and resilient, yet these are the qualities that count, the ones that will fill you with confidence and afford you the chance to choose your own destiny, no matter what your field of endeavor. Fortunately, anyone can develop them. But how?

What Happy High-Performers Taught Me

My Reality-Based philosophy has been honed by hard-won, hands-on experience in a variety of arenas, including manufacturing, banking, government, high tech, and health care. I first began to develop it when I was working as a counselor, helping clients overcome their challenges, find happiness, and regain a sense of confidence and efficacy in their lives. For many people, work was a huge source of stress and unhappiness, and I helped them to see that it didn't have to be that way. Work isn't something to dread or survive. It can be a place where you live your passions and truly make a difference.

I went on to study the two types of high performers: the happy high-performer, who reports feeling content and stress-free at work while producing top results, and the unhappy high-performer, who delivers good results but is riddled with stress, full of complaints, and generally dissatisfied. Through extensive interviews with two hundred happy high-performers, some commonalities emerged, most notably, that they reported high levels of engagement, a common measurement of happiness at work.

These curve-breakers had in common the core belief that they each made an impact on their circumstances and could choose their own course—in short, they were highly accountable. They seemed immune to factors that completely derailed others, like change and uncertainty, indifferent or ambivalent leadership, and unpredictability. As I studied them, I realized that the bottom-line value they added at work was high. They gave great performance without drama or excessive demands on those around them. It became clear that their success was not due to superior job opportunities, great bosses, coworkers, or luck. Their companies didn't necessarily give them the tools they needed to do their jobs or anything extra in the way of support. Their attitudes were what set them apart.

So how could more people join their ranks? I surveyed more than fifty thousand employees to investigate the relationship of engagement to accountability. For years I had been hearing that only engaged workers produce top results, so if you want to get top results in an organization, you have to make sure employees are happy. (In other words, remove their obstacles and give them better circumstances. Make their lives easier.) What I found out ran counter to this conventional wisdom. My research showed that the main difference between happy employees and unhappy employees was their own level of accountability, not their circumstances. Accountability was driving both engagement and results. People who were highly accountable were both happier and more successful than others, regardless of their circumstances.

Based on these findings, I began to formulate the Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace—the five rules that will allow you to join the ranks of the happy high-performers. This is the book that leaders have been asking for, and it will show you exactly how to become one of the best, most highly valued members of any team. It will also give you back your life. You may not believe it yet, but by the end of this book I will show you that what works for you is also in the best interests of your company, and vice versa. Work can be joyful and fulfilling as well as productive, and by using Reality-Based techniques to face your challenges, you can turn the job you already have into the job you want. Instead of waiting for someone else to develop your talent, you can take back control and start planning a future that you can contemplate with joy. You'll become immune to the bullying, drama, and attitudes of others. You'll become a favorite at work rather than worrying about who is being favored. You will attract opportunity and come to realize that regardless of your position, power, or place on the organization chart, you have far more influence than you ever knew. You'll stop asking yourself, “Is it worth it?” and start asking, “Am I worth it?” If you follow the Reality-Based Rules, your answer to that question will be a resounding, “Yes.”

Know Your Real Worth

If you read Reality-Based Leadership, you'll find lots of new ideas and fresh looks at concepts that I first introduced in that book. In The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace, I make my proven approach applicable, not just to managers and team leaders, but to every employee at every level, including job seekers. The biggest difference between the two books is that this book is not about coaching others—it's giving you the tools to coach yourself. These tools will free you from dependence upon anyone else for your own success. The book is organized around a new metric that will do more to help you measure and increase your value at work than any performance review or evaluation: the Employee Value Equation. If you are one of the many people who feel unsure of where they stand at work, or in the job market today, I promise you that by the end of this book you will have clarity. You will know how you measure up in the current realties of the workplace and what your worth can be in the very near future.

Someone once told me, as I prepared to leave my day job to go into business for myself, to think about my decision carefully, because when you are the business owner, you earn exactly what you are worth. To me, that is an extraordinarily empowering concept: to earn what you are worth. To get honest feedback from the marketplace about how you measure up and the amount of value you add. That is what I offer you in this book, risk free. Until now, you have just had a few sources of feedback and a performance review number. I'm going help you arrive at a much more reliable and true measurement of your value and then show you how to maximize it to give, and get, what you are worth.

In just a few short weeks, through a major shift in mind-set and a few new behaviors, you can completely change your own level of happiness and engagement in your current job, with the same boss, and even the same team of coworkers. Happiness is at your fingertips, yours for the taking. All jobs can be great jobs. All bosses can be exactly what you need. You can have success any time, anywhere.

People who take my teaching to heart have told me how it makes them feel. They use words like, immune, bulletproof, strong, in control, rejuvenated, sane, and free. Reality-Based people are full of confidence about their futures. They are continually in touch with me, telling me how this material has changed their lives both at work and at home.

I receive a lot of responses from people eager to share what has worked for them and hoping to inspire others to try it for themselves. Throughout the book, drawing on experiences from this diverse group, including executives I've coached, employees who have attended my monthly webinars, and people who've approached me after keynotes, I tell stories of people who are out there putting my Rules into practice every day. By reading about a challenge overcome at work; an unforeseen benefit of Reality-Based thinking; a transformative experience; a motivating push in the right direction, you'll get inspiration for your own transformation. In addition, I share some personal stories. In my work with clients, I am always candid about my own flaws and difficulties. We are in this together, and I believe that part of good coaching is being able to admit to struggles and challenges of my own. I was not born with the competencies I teach in my seminars and books—and that's what makes me an effective teacher.

Consider this book your roadmap to the higher ground. In order to get there, you have to start from where you are now, and the first step is measuring your current value. In Part One, I introduce the New Value Equation, a self-assessment tool that will show you where you stand. Just as almost every organization has adopted a core strategy of improving its value in the marketplace to gain market share, win over customers, and sell its products and services profitably, you too must deliver sustainable value at a low total cost. This emphasis on value is driving new conversations and new requirements in all organizations—and requires curve-breaking performance from ready and willing employees on a daily basis. The problem is, by the time these conversations filter down to employees, the message is not as explicit and direct. Employees are profoundly affected by these changes, and you need to know how they affect the ways in which you will be measured, rewarded, and employed in the future. The New Value Equation will give you the ability to calculate your true worth, regardless of economic fluctuations. You can choose to become one of the people that your boss and your company want to invest in, listen to, and promote.

Your true value as an employee is not dependent on larger economic conditions—good or bad. It is based on the value that you bring to your organization, the market value of your work, and the return on investment that you deliver, both economically and emotionally, now and into the future. Nearly all of these factors are within your control. When I work with organizations, many employees tell me their main issue is that they don't feel valued. I share the secret with them—that the fastest way to get valued is to add a ton of value. You must get clear about the value you truly bring to your organization, using the New Value Equation:

Your Value = Current Performance + Future Potential −

3 × Emotional Expensiveness

The three factors that make up your equation—Current Performance, Future Potential, and Emotional Expensiveness are the subjects of Chapters One to Three.

Chapter One answers the question, “How am I doing today?” Most employees are used to getting feedback on their performance in the form of yearly performance reviews. But in many companies, those reviews have lost their meaning, and the connection of your number to your company's success is likely tenuous at best. For many employees it has become a source of distress, and it is not moving individuals toward happiness or organizations toward the results they want. I show you how to cut through the confusion and assess your current performance in a meaningful way.

Chapter Two helps you answer the question, “Am I ready for what's next?” While a lot of lip service is paid to Performance, Future Potential is one factor that not many managers are talking about and even fewer employees are focused on. Your attention has most likely been focused on surviving the present, and that's understandable, because for many, the present feels painful enough without looking ahead to an uncertain future. But the truth is, some of your pain (more than you may think) is the direct result of ignoring your responsibility for—and need to work on—your Future Potential. You must proactively grow—not wait for someone else to develop your potential or tell you what you need to learn—in order to become a high-value contributor.

In Chapter Three, I introduce the third and most crucial factor in the New Value Equation: Emotional Expensiveness. This is a factor that almost no one talks about but everyone senses. It is the single most important factor in the New Value Equation, the one that determines whether our Performance and Potential add anything meaningful to the bottom line, and whether others feel that working with us is worth the effort. When I put a name to this factor, which has long been nameless, there is sometimes an audible sigh of relief. Emotional Expensiveness has a high impact on your rewards and job security even though it is rarely overtly discussed. I'd like to change that and give you words to discuss it and strategies to deal with it.

At the end of Part One, I show you how to calculate your Value Equation so that you can get started. Ideally, you will end up with a positive number, but a zero in this context counts for a lot, because most people I work with start out in the negative digits. No matter what your number is today, on the new playing field, you have a chance to become one of the top people in your organization—a highly credible, valuable, even indispensable employee who delivers results no matter what the circumstances and adapts to change quickly and without drama. The good news is that the same behaviors and mind-sets that will raise your number and add the most value to your company will bring you the ultimate happiness in your life. That is a great discovery. Your happiness is not mutually exclusive to the organization's needs and wants. In fact, they are one and the same.

After you have calculated your value in Part One, I show you how to maximize it, playing by the new rules. In Part Two, I explain the five Reality-Based Rules to live by if you want to increase your happiness and your value dramatically:

Chapter Four: Rule #1. Your level of accountability determines your level of happiness, so don't hope to be lucky. Choose to be happy.

Chapter Five: Rule #2. Suffering is optional, so ditch the drama!

Chapter Six: Rule #3. Buy-in is not optional. Your action, not opinion, adds value.

Chapter Seven: Rule #4. Say “Yes” to what's next. Change is opportunity.

Chapter 8: Rule #5. You will always have extenuating circumstances. Succeed anyway.

You'll find out what each rule has to offer you and learn strategies to put them into practice. If you work through the exercises in these chapters, and take my message to heart, you will transform your relationship to work forever and for the better. Stress is your wake-up call that you need to adjust your thinking and question your beliefs. Your journey will be straightforward, but not easy. I want you to have the ultimate freedom, not to be beholden or dependent on others, not to let circumstances stop you from doing what you set out to do. You'll spend a minimum of two thousand hours at work this year. You can spend that time feeling insecure, resentful, and at the mercy of ever-changing circumstances beyond your control. Or you can feel peaceful, free, and in charge of your own success. I urge you to embrace Reality, choose freedom, and own your future like never before.

Many of us spend our lives wishing that, for once, it would be “all about me,” when the truth is that it really is all about you, but not in exactly the way you might have hoped. A word of warning before we start: I am about to ruin your misery. You will no longer be able to see yourself as an innocent victim of your circumstances, but as their co-creator—a participant, whether active or passive, in everything that is happening in your world. If you want happiness and success in your life, the following pages will show you how to claim it.

Notes

1 American Psychological Association, Stress in America 2009. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress-exec-summary.pdf

Part One

The New Value Equation

In Part One, The New Value Equation