Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken

Mike Robbins is a sought-after motivational speaker and leader of personal development workshops and coaching programs for individuals, groups, and organizations throughout North America. He is the author of the bestselling book Focus on the Good Stuff and has been featured on ABC News, the Oprah and Friends radio network, Forbes, and many others. For more information about Mike and his work, visit www.mike-robbins.com.

• Acknowledgments ixIntroduction 1Part One Why It Can Be Hard to Be Authentic 211 Don’t Step Out of Line 232 I Can’t Say or Do That 51Part Two The Five Principles of Authenticity 833 Principle 1: Know Yourself 854 Principle 2: Transform Your Fear 1155 Principle 3: Express Yourself 1416 Principle 4: Be Bold 1737 Principle 5: Celebrate Who You Are 199Part Three Authenticity in Action 2218 Living Your Authentic Life 223Resources 233About the Author 237

Robbins, the highly visible lantern-jawed motivational speaker/coach/author/guru (author of Focus on the Good Stuff), returns with a primer on authenticity: what it means, what it can do, and how to achieve it. A master of his craft, Robbins' guide is thorough, direct and carefully organized, with an understanding and enthusiastic voice. Beginning with the reasons we lose our authentic selves, Robbins enumerates the pressures to conform in family, school, religion, politics and the media, as well as the damaging messages we absorb, like "be a good boy," "calm down" and "shut up." Robbins explains how these pressures lead to self-criticism and fear, then how to overcome them through greater awareness and compassion for one's faults. With questions, exercises, action points and sound practices, Robbins provides a map to transforming fear, gaining self-knowledge and celebrating your authentic self, with a measured pace and a minimum of distraction (no sidebars, charts or breakout boxes). Readers looking for a positive, no-nonsense guide to self-actualization should find Robbins an ideal guide (Starred Review, Publishers Weekly)