Wake Up Calls: Making the Most Out of Every Day (Regardless of What Life Throws You) - Hardcover

Lunden, Joan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 007136126X ISBN 13: 9780071361262

Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 2000

Synopsis

Drawing on her own experiences as well as the wit and wisdom of others, the author offers advice on goal-setting, self-esteem, change, stress, relationships, parenting, aging, and other topics.

About this title

Reviews

For those in need of a self-help book full of aphorisms by a former talk-show host, this is for you. As her fans will know, Lunden, formerly cohost of Good Morning America, has been down this road before; her first foray into the self-help field, A Bend in the Road Is Not the End of the Road (1998), covers similar territory. Why Lunden, happily married for the second time, the mother of three lovely daughters, and, as she proudly proclaims, the president of the Women's Supermarket Network (which will allow her to talk to shoppers from giant screens above the aisles) feels she can champion those battling adversity is not quite clear. Over the years, however, she has filled notebooks (apparently tons of them) with such sayings as "Never build a case against yourself" or "There is little traffic on the extra mile"; these nuggets are scattered profusely throughout the book along with pearls of wisdom from inspirational motivators such as Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar. Lunden seems to save family photos as conscientiously as she does sappy quotations, and she fills up her book with a healthy selection of them. The pictures are innocuous enough, but Lunden's writing is utterly banal. (The other contributors, Robbins, et al., do this kind of thing far better than Lunden does.) Still, Lunden retains a following from her television days, and she is certain to be making the talk-show circuit when this book hits the stores. Be prepared for the inevitable. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1 Attitudes Are Contagious Is Yours Worth Catching? You ve got to get up every morning with determination if you re going to go to bed with satisfaction. George Horace Lorimer It seems that no matter how much you reflect, meditate, eat right, and breathe deeply from time to time you still wake up on the wrong side of the bed! Do you have mornings where you just feel out of sorts? I know I ve had mornings like that and sometimes for no good reason. When I was hosting Good Morning America, this was, of course, a much bigger problem for me. One of our stage directors, Patty Sheenan, always sensed when Charlie Gibson or I was having a tough morning. That was when she would look us square in the eye and say, You can start your day over at any time. I always appreciated that gentle reminder. It s reassuring to know that I can control how I feel and what I do on any given day. The way I choose to see the world creates the world I see. Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life. John Homer Mills The good news is, that the bad news can be turned into good news when you change your attitude. Robert Schuller An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity. Sir Winston Churchill Positive thoughts are extremely powerful. It was no accident that I started writing this book with a chapter on positive thinking. I ve interviewed many writers over the years who have shared their thoughts on the misery of writer s block. While empathetic, I now realize that you can t really know what a person is going through until you have experienced the same situation. Now I was questioning whether or not I could inspire others. Could I possibly even make someone laugh? I needed positive reinforcement to put me on the right track: Doubt: Who am I to write a book?

Positive Reinforcement: Today, I have something to contribute.

Doubt: These quotes move me, will others care?

Positive Reinforcement: Today, I have the opportunity to share my thoughts with others. Doubt: How do I share the chaos called my life?

Positive Reinforcement: Today, I find the humor in the emotional experience called life. Doubt: Will this book make a difference?

Positive Reinforcement: Today, I let go of my insecurities and trust in my abilities. Doubt: How long will I have to stare at this blank page?

Positive Reinforcement: Today, I will commit to filling a page (even if I throw it out tomorrow). Ok, now I feel better .Everything we think affects our spirit, our attitude, and our ability to participate in life. In fact, it has often been said that what we become is what we think about most of the time. There is no danger of developing eye strain from looking on the bright side of things. Unknown The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. Martha Washington Some people look at the world and say why? Some people look at the world and say why not? George Bernard Shaw We need to pay close attention to the menu of thoughts and images that runs through our minds. If we choose positive thoughts and images, they then become our inspirations. Conversely, negative thoughts become our demons, our tormentors, and our roadblocks. Two men looked out through prison bars; one saw mud, the other, stars. James Allen Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal: nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson Life is ten percent what you make it, and ninety percent how you take it. Irving Berlin I ve come to think of a positive attitude as an inside job. Just as we nurture our physical bodies with the right vitamins and nutrients, we must nurture our minds with good thoughts. I know that there are certain songs that can instantly put me in a positive frame of mind. I keep a Carole King CD in my car at all times, just so I can turn up the volume to hear You ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face, and show the world all the love in your heart. Then people gonna treat you better. You re gonna find, yes, you will, that you re beautiful as you feel. This is my sure-fire way of putting a smile on my face it works every time!

Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 007136126X
• ISBN 13: 9780071361262
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 230