Table of Contents
Foreword: An Act of Kindness Will Glennon ix
Foreword: Optimism is Viral Jim Cathcart xi
Welcome David Mezzapelle xiii
1 Embrace Change 1
The Road Back Recipe Robert Hammonds 4
The Power of Believing Auson Nancye 7
How Shaker Never Left Us Norman Wain 10
How to Address your Biggest Fear Liisa Kyle 13
The Fight for Sight Melody Goodspeed 16
Learning to Dance in the Rain Vaneetha Rendall 20
Autism and Inner Strength Anne Bennett-bready 23
Good from the Bed Ernest Field 26
The Fear Button Sally Gates 29
The rest of the story Janet Bales 32
Angles Among Us Karie Millspaugh 35
1 Appreciate Those Around You 39
A Love Story Fred Moore 43
The Magic List Hayley Foster 46
Our Brady Bunch Christina Callhan 50
Family is Everything Charles Markman 53
Friendship Runs Deeper than Floodwaters Christine Henchar Reed 56
Father's Day Rememberance Michael Carlon 59
How to be Grateful for Your Spouse's Ex Claudette Chenevert 61
Francis Thomas Collins 63
What Are You Really Forgiving? Susyn Reeve 66
3 Savor Every Moment 71
48 Suzanne Miller 74
Our Friend, "Mom" Courtney Smitheman 78
31,125 Days Peter Wallimann 81
Last Night I Had a Dream Dr. Colleen Georges 85
To Hold Their Hands Fred Gill 88
Coffe Cake George Hogan 90
My Very Own Miracle Edith Bergman 92
Deadlines Take On a New Meaning JC Sullivan 94
Hello, Nana, Can You See Me from Heaven? Colleen Melissa 97
Love Trumps All Becky Woodbridge 100
Tsunamis and Rainbows Sonia Trejo 103
Being Held in Comfort Veneeta Rendall 106
The Perfect Whistle Diane May 109
4 Take a Lesson from our Yourh 113
Positive Pocket Rebecca Zerbo 117
Prom Drive Allison Frattaroli 120
superheroes Do Exist Meunda Petroff 123
Get Your Head and Heart in the Game Joyhn Hooks 126
The Year the Goldbergers Had a Christmas Tree W. M. Goldberger 128
My Younger Teacher Dr. Emile Allen 132
Pulling Our Bad Dreams Arthur Scalzo 135
OpporTuning Barry Lindstrom 138
My Friend, Saint Nicholas Lee Shilo 142
No Child Is Born Prejudiced LeeLively-Garcia 145
Defining Adulthood in the Absence of childhood Kimberlee M. Hooper 147
5 Believe in Yourself and the Value you Possess 151
Biking Against All Odds Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah 154
Darkness to Light Teri Catun 158
You Never Know Where the Path May Take You Henry Wiseman 162
The case for Entrepreneurial Optimism Richard Masterson 164
The Journey, Not the Path Eric Benson 167
The Power of Positive Feeling in the Workplace Dr. Donald E Gibson 170
Allowing the Way Nancy Koenig 173
Be a Career Venturer Bharath Gopalan 176
Forging a New Path Merry Nachemin 179
Conrage from Optimism David Mezzapelle 181
6 Service the Engine 185
Optimism Spans Generations Barbara Woodworth 189
My Six Months with Florence Nightingale Estelle Berk 193
The Healing Power of Opera yntha Makris 196
My Biggest Loser Patrick Mickay 199
Courage Does Not Always Roar Jennifer Cutler Lopez 201
Spinning David Mezzapelle 205
Eight Lessons Cancer Taught Me Jackie Saad 207
Healing: You'll Never Thughr Me Monsignor Robert Wess 209
Healing Is ON Its Way Sophie Skover 212
Lose Weight-Not Your MMind LeeLively-gercia 214
My Fragility Is My Strength Sónia Trejo 216
Medicine and Optimism: The Story of Art Barbara Gelston 219
Second Adolescence Barbara Rady Kazdan 222
7 Reclaim Your Personal Power 225
The End of Resistance Shane J. Repmann 229
Second chances Lejunue Buggie-dent 232
Help from a Cab Driver Ester Nicholson 236
A First step in the Right Direction Gay Cartier 239
Are You in Love, or Love Addicted? Jed Diamond 241
Recovery Deborah Littlejohn 244
Yes, I Believe Jerry Kelly 247
My New Guiding Angel Larry Glenz 249
Love Away Cigarettes Nancy Koenig 253
The Gift of Clarity Jerry Kelly 256
8 Find YourSelf in Service to Others 261
My Shining S.C.A.R.S. Krystian Leonard 264
Jerry Segal: Unbowed and Unbeaten Richard J. Anthony 267
Goodwill Has No Price Roger Cannon 270
The Elevator Speech Joel Heller 273
The Value in Shared Good Fortune Alana A.Malizia 275
The Magic of Mentoring Navid Nazemian 277
Why the Top Isn't Lonely Kimberlee M. Hooper 279
The Lightbulb Went Off JC Sullivan 281
A Life Lesson from Tonga Steve Uible 284
Homeland Cambodia Natalie Weinrauch 287
9 Stay Inspired 291
Finding Strength Lance Stranahan 294
The Guru Appears Bharath Gopalan 297
Revelation at 18,500 Feet Becky Woodbridge 299
Life on Wheels Jordan Lowe 303
The Power of Sports Salvatore Trifilio 306
A Surprise Pearl of Wisdom Marian Heath Axley 309
What Does Your "Happy Fork" Look Like? Amy Spencer 312
It's Not about the Giraffe Sharon Dunbar 315
10 Have an Attitude of Gratitude 319
Unexpected Gifts Paul Lipton 323
An Ordinary Life William Sweet 326
Life's Pleasures and a smile Arnold Sarrow 329
The Noise Kerry Flynn Moeykens 331
Finding the Good in the Bed Backy Woodbridge 333
Mind the Gap! Gratitude-Accountability-Persistence Susan Ross 336
Allowing Your Blessing to Overflow Dr. Colleen Georges 338
Live Life Out Loud Inez Bracy 340
Life Is What Happens When You're Busy Making Plans Eileen Keller 343
Gracias Harold Payne 346
About David Mezzapelle 351
About Will Glennon 351
About Jim Cathcart 352
Meet Our Coauthors 353
Acknowledgments 367
Share Your Stories 368