| Ch. 1 |
Never Giving Up... Lessons of being resilient, recognizing personal strengths and weaknesses, and demonstrating grit. |
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| Ch. 2 |
Making Your Own Choices... Encouragement to never again relinquish our most powerful right—the right to make our own choices—in the face of peer pressure. Negative examples of those who do give in and "hand over the controls" help to reinforce this invaluable message. |
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| Ch. 3 |
Living With A Grateful Heart... An attempt to change one's habits of thought and encourage what is commonly referred to as the attitude of gratitude. Specific strategies, life examples, and personal payoffs are also detailed for the reader. |
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| Ch. 4 |
Looking Inward... Illustrates the benefits of responsible habits, as well as the pitfalls of irresponsible ones, with real-life examples. Plus, basic tips are provided so as to build up one's own levels of responsibility.
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| Ch. 8 |
Knowing What You Stand For... A challenge to the reader to get in touch with what he or she truly believes in, and act accordingly. Also included is the critical message that when faced with tough choices, those who have already reflected on what they stand for can "fall back" on their values. |
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| Ch. 15 |
Thickening Your Skin... A revealing of why it is others don't like us and/or treat us badly at times. Also revealed is the often-overlooked fact that we each have a choice as to how to respond. |
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| Ch. 18 |
Doing Your Part... Reinforces the ideal that making an individual difference does indeed matter so as to counteract the indifference and bewilderment associated with our world's environmental problems. The next generation is then encouraged to unite and take a start-small-and-build-from-there approach. |
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| Ch. 21 |
Being A True Friend... A critical reminder that in order to have good friends, one must be a good friend. Also discussed are the qualities of "false friends" and sensing when to let a friendship end. |
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| Ch. 24 |
Learning Something From Everyone... Introduces the somewhat radical notion that something of value can be taken from every single person and interaction—even the negative ones. The reader then discovers that approaching life with such an outlook assures him of continuing to grow and evolve into a positive, reflective, open-minded individual. |
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| Ch. 27 |
Harnessing The Power Of Goals... Ahh, waking up with purpose...it's the only decent way to live. Goals are established as the ticket to effecting positive change in one's life—and the setting of them as something that anyone can choose to do. Specific
student examples of goals are also shared, complete with "hows," "whys," and "if I don'ts." |
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| Ch. 28 |
Taking It One Step At A Time... Spotlights the ideals of self-discipline, persistence, and ambition. |
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| Ch. 29 |
Succeeding In -And Through- Sports... The overriding message: Those who choose to get involved with sports—irrespective of ability level—grow and evolve in special ways. Indeed, participation in sports inspires greatness well beyond the field of play. |
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| Ch. 30 |
Respecting Your Money... Conveys specifically how to become responsible, intelligent, and shrewd with one's money, while reminding the reader of those all-important things in life that are priceless, e.g., relationships, being true to one's self, standing for something. |
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| Ch. 34 |
Handling Life's Curveballs... Explores the difference between being knocked down by adversity, and being knocked out by it. Also shared are personal options related to life
curveballs—e.g., divorce, moving, health problems—and the message that adversity actually shapes and makes us stronger. |
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| Ch. 35 |
Staying Active... Compelling information regarding why one should choose to get off the couch and onto one's feet. |
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| Ch. 36 |
Getting Involved With The Arts... Teaches about the enormous personal benefits associated with getting involved with the arts and later challenges the reader to apply his or her talents to the cause of helping others. |
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| Ch. 38 |
Handling Life's Pressures... Makes the point that for all the formidable pressures in
life—and there are many for teens—there exist just as many ways to release them. The reader is encouraged, with specific strategies, to take a proactive approach. |
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| Ch. 45 |
Thinking With Purpose... An altering of the old catchphrase "you are what you eat" to a far more accurate "you are what you think." |
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| Ch. 47 |
Building Up Your Own Levels Of Self-Esteem... Reinforces the critical need for self-esteem with a behavioral comparison between those with strong levels (the "highs") and those with weak levels (the "lows"). Specific strategies for raising one's own
levels—all of which tie into other advisements we've previously covered—are then shared. |
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| Ch. 49 |
Following Your Dreams... Encourages the reader to dream big and not allow others' cynicism to impact one's resolve. Specific advice pertains to watching out for those who prove dreams come true, a breakdown of the personal attributes required to make them come true, and the profound benefits reaped by those who do
dream—irrespective of outcome. |
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