First 30 Days: The Book

Excerpt: Introduction

Change is the law of life.
—John F. Kennedy

What If I Told You . . .

• . . . that the change you are currently going through could be a little easier, smoother, and less stressful?
• . . . that people who are good at navigating changes have certain things in common?
• . . . that there are proven ways to help anyone through change?
• . . . that the change you have always wanted to make not only is possible, but can be made with optimism and calmness?
• . . . that change can actually help you love your life more?

Would you keep reading?

This book is designed to help you through any life change; no change is too big or too small. This book will radically alter the way you navigate change. And don’t worry: despite the title, the book won’t take thirty days! You can read it in just a few hours.

By reading The First 30 Days, you will learn how to live life as what I call a change optimist. You will become part of a group of people who choose to see the positive in any life change. Not only will this mind-set carry you through your current change, but it will make change easier to handle when you inevitably face it in the future.

Most people have been conditioned to believe certain things about change:

• Change is hard and is something to be avoided.
• Change makes me feel alone; I’m the only one going through it.
• Change takes time, energy, and work.
• Change is stressful and involves pain.

If this is how you’re feeling right now, you’re not alone. We live in a world where change has become the one constant. Think about it: Millions of people are in the process of getting divorced or caring for a parent or child who is sick. Millions of others have recently lost a job, are trying to make financial changes, or want to start a new relationship or lose weight. And there are constant changes in politics, the environment, our jobs, technology, the law, our health-care system and treatment options, education, the institution of marriage, and the shape of the family today. There are changes in how we eat, live, buy things, and even communicate with each other. Given all these changes, it’s no wonder we cling to anything that appears stable and permanent, and then go through a tough time when that, too, inevitably changes.

For some, however, change triggers a different response, one of optimism and strength. For these people the emotional roller coaster of change can be managed; fear and anxiety are replaced with a new way of thinking; and there’s a true sense of the resilience of the spirit. They still find change hard—they are realistic— but they understand that everyone experiences his or her fair share, and, most important, that everyone comes out on the other side.

Even if you’re facing an extremely challenging change like the death of a loved one or a devastating health diagnosis, having a new mind-set about change will radically affect the way you live your life. You deserve to feel differently about change. And this book will help you get there. The First 30 Days will give you the tools necessary to initiate a change or to embrace a change that has happened to you. You will come out on the other side feeling hopeful, strong, and calm, with renewed optimism about life. This book is based on the knowledge that something good can come from any change.