Stop Saying You're Fine: Discover a More Powerful You Hardback - 2011

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Stop Hitting the Snooze Button

Gain Power by Taking Action

There are some days when you just feel more powerful. You force yourself to get up early and break a sweat before everyone else wakes up. That sets the tone for the rest of your day. Your coffee tastes especially good, and the commute doesn't suck. At work, you go the extra mile on a project and come off looking like a hero. Afterward, you meet some friends whom you haven't seen in months, and have a couple of drinks on an outdoor deck in the cool summertime air. Someone hands you tickets he couldn't use. You embrace spontaneity and go see a great show. Afterward, you drive home by moonlight, have great sex, and drift off to sleep on a cloud.

We've all had days when we feel excited about our lives. We feel young, confident, and alive. Everything clicks. We feel like we're going somewhere, like we have momentum. We become more powerful versions of ourselves.

The powerful you is always there waiting and you can tap it anytime you want, if you know how. It's the part of you that loves discovery, curiosity, challenges, exercise, connecting with other people, checking off goals, taking action, heading somewhere, and talking out loud. It is a force inside you that wants to grow, move, and expand.

At the same time, there's an equal and opposite force that works inside you to hold you back. You were born with resistance. It's an inner, evolutionary bias to take the safe bet, the sure thing, the known path. Whenever you're feeling bored, bummed, or broken, resistance is winning in your life. Resistance loves surfing the Web, vegging out in front of the TV, sticking to routine, not picking up the phone, hitting snooze, avoiding confrontation, making excuses, rumination, and isolation.

Resistance will keep you in place; the powerful you will push you ahead. You will always feel tension between these two forces, between your current life and your desire for more. The direction you choose is entirely up to you. Every single day of your life, you have the choice to stay where you are or move your life in new directions. The question is, Will the powerful you awaken and start taking action, or will you wait just a little longer and delay the joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment you deserve?

Media reviews

"Why is it so hard to do the things that we know will make us happier? In Stop Saying You’re Fine, Mel Robbins gives funny and sharp advice that's not only thought-provoking, but also action-provoking."
--Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project

"Mel Robbins is one of the most entertaining and compelling voices today.  Read at your own risk. Mel will obliterate your excuses and leave you inspired, empowered and on fire."
--Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success magazine and bestselling author of The Compound Effect

“Mel Robbins has the guts to tell you why your brain is your biggest problem – but only if you listen to it.  Here, she tells you how to power through and get what you want.   I, for one, am listening.”
—Chris Brogan, President of Human Business Works and co-author of the New York Times bestseller TRUST AGENTS

"In STOP SAYING YOU’RE FINE, Mel Robbins draws on everything from cutting-edge research to countless real-world case studies to create a wonderful program for anyone who's ever wanted to stop wishing and start doing.”
—Marci Shimoff, New York Times bestselling author of LOVE FOR NO REASON and HAPPY FOR NO REASON

“Quit whining, stop saying you’re fine, and just snap out of it.  Easier said than done, of course, which is why this roadmap is so remarkable.  It’s jam-packed with concrete steps to pave the way.”
—Tory Johnson, Workplace Contributor for “Good Morning America” and CEO of Women for Hire

“STOP SAYING YOU’RE FINE nails a national problem: our tendency to try and be strong and stay the course--when it's the course we have to change, and strength is not working in our favor! In this no-nonsense book, every page demolishes the excuses we all make for not moving ahead with out lives, and gives us solid practical assignments that help us be better, happier, more fulfilled. Robbins is wonderfully inspiring and helpful, but also hugely entertaining -- moving forward doesn't have to be dull or depressing!  You’ll be surprised how her small suggestions can create life-changing new directions. STOP SAYING YOU’RE FINE deserves to be a best seller.”
—Pepper Schwartz, PhD, Professor of Sociology, University of Washington, and author of PRIME: ADVENTURES AND ADVICE ON SEX, LOVE, AND THE SENSUAL YEARS