Product Description

Given the chance, most people prefer to think in ways that make them feel confident, relaxed, secure, positive and optimistic. So what's stopping them? The simple answer is learned behaviours, usually from negative influences in their life. We all learn by imitation, so if our childhood was marked by criticism from parents and teachers, we tend to develop exaggerated powers of self-criticism. Nothing we do is good enough, and we talk ourselves into believing that nothing ever will be. This cycle of negativity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that saps our will to change things for the better. Gillian Riley's inspirational book gets to the roots of willpower, explaining how it develops and how it can be increased. She offers strategies to overcome negative thoughts and build motivation, thereby improving confidence and self-esteem, two vital components of willpower. These in turn will help you to: - Affirm your sense of self-worth and ability - Improve relationships - Overcome addictive behaviours - Inspire and encourage others - Achieve your dreams - Enhance your life

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #148380 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Gillian Riley runs the extraordinarily successful Full Stop course, which has a 75 per cent success rate with students (based on those still not smoking a year later). She also works with clients on overeating problems.

Customer Reviews

Adds a valuable new dimension to perception of willpower
This book can actually be summed up in a couple of sentences: Willpowercomes from recognising you have a choice. A choice to stop doing but moreimportantly - a choice to do. And this is the crux of the matter - toomany of us say "Oh, I can't do this and I must not do that.'
Truewillpower comes from saying: "I could do that IF I WANTED TO" but I choosenot to. There is real peace in realising that just because I want to stopdoing something does not necessarily mean I am denied it. Otherwise thelaw of rebellion comes in - the more I CAN'T have it, the more I wantit!
If there were a downside to this book for me it would be that the authorfocuses on the obvious habits to give up - smoking, overeating and so on.There are many more habits than that! But she has done us all a realservice in identifying some of the possible components of willpower, andas usual the most useful information (above) is often the mostparadoxical. Although not Eastern wisdom the principles remind me of suchstatements as:
"Give it up to get it back" and "non-attachment"
I do reccomend this book although if you want a more cognative approach tothinking about willpower I would go for something like The Secrets ofPersonal Mastery by Michael Hall.
All the best
Douglas