Awesomeness is not only a frame of mind; it is a way of being. It is an attitude. It is a journey that, along the way, becomes a lifestyle. Ultimately, awesomeness is a destination. Awesome people have, well, an awesomeness about them. The word “awesome” is an adjective, defined as “causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear, as in “an awesome sight.” More recently, the word “awesome,” used as slang, has come to mean “very impressive” or “terrific,” as in “a job well done.” This book is designed to take “awesome” to a new level, by introducing you to “awesome” as a verb!
The great news is that every one of us can get to “awesome,” because awesomeness is already in us. Every day can be awesome. That doesn’t mean that we will always be happy, that we will never feel sad or that only good things will happen to us. It does mean that we can experience awesomeness every day of our lives, regardless of our circumstances. Unfortunately, so many of us have experienced bumps on the road of life that have disconnected us from the incomparable feeling of awesome. After so many difficulties, we can become so disconnected from awesomeness that we forget it even exists.
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Each of us is able to tease out and identify those things that make us awesome. We can develop each characteristic of awesomeness by doing every step in this book until one day we realize that we’ve become who we want to be, and that we’re living the life we want to live. Somewhere along our journey toward the destination of awesomeness, we can brush the chips off our shoulders, and see ourselves in a whole new light as the awesome people we are—the awesome people we were always meant to be!
When that happens, no longer are we the unawesome ones left unchosen for the team. No longer must we stand at the sidelines as spectators, watching others play the game of life. No longer must we sit at home while others advance to ever-greater degrees of awesome.
This book identifies the 10 key characteristics that make people awesome. As you read these characteristics and their descriptions, you’ll see yourself. You’ll see that you have had awesomeness inside of you all along, and you will likely see areas that you can work on to become even more awesome.
Along with each of the 10 characteristics of awesomeness, you will find practical guidance for developing those characteristics and for applying them in every area of your life. This advice is broken down into 10 steps that will help you develop, strengthen, and hone each characteristic. The great thing is that every step of the journey to awesome is an easy, free, and simple way that you can nurture the characteristics of awesomeness, and in so doing transform yourself and the quality of your life. The 101st step to becoming your best self follows the last step of the 10th characteristic. This one last step will place you at the threshold of your ultimate destination of awesomeness!
Reading about each characteristic and taking each of the steps toward realization of the characteristics of awesomeness that are outlined in this book is the price of admittance to the destination of awesomeness. Is it work? Yes. Is it worth it? You better believe it! It’s well worth the investment!
If you follow the steps of this journey from beginning to end, you will discover that you are truly awesome and, more importantly, you will know why you are so. You’ll recognize and value the combination of characteristics that make you awesome, and you will be confident in your own awesomeness. No, you won’t become arrogant. You will become comfortable in your own skin—content with yourself in a way you may have never been.
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So, get ready, suspend any doubt or skepticism, and let’s embark on the journey to your destination of AWESOME!
—Excerpts from the Introduction by Rhonda Sciortino
Copyright © 2016 by Hatherleigh Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.