TOO TIRED TO KEEP RUNNING, TOO SCARED TO STOP --- CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS,
CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Joyce Nelson Patenaude. Element, 1998
    FORWARD --- This book is a journey of self-worth and freedom that can help you transform your beliefs about yourself!

      You can discover the negative beliefs that hold you prisoner and limit your achievements. The book teaches that all love starts with self-love and respect. The transforming exercises were born from the pain of a terrible car accident with the debilitating depression and sense of loss that follows such a trauma. The book celebrates the new life you can have when you "drop the dragons of should, ought and must" as Joseph Campbell said.

      In this book the quest for meaning can be called "deep democracy." It teaches non-judgmental sharing and the utter uniqueness of every single being.

      This concept is a challenge to the old "monarchal patriarchal cosmology" that has ruled the west for centuries.

      The monarchal cosmology is hierarchal and based on authoritative power, which produces rigid belief systems, that demand the conformity of one's mind and will to the higher authority and the suppression of one's emotions except the fear of the authority. Wake up from the "patriarchal trance" and practice the "examined life!" (John Brandshaw)

    INTRODUCTION --- Awareness is the beginning of change

      1) Our core "belief blueprint" --- a guide to self-discovery (p1-25)

      2) Creating your personal reality (p26-49)

      3) Women and beliefs (p50-76)

      4) Men and beliefs (p77-104)

      5) Beliefs about relationships (p105-134)

      6) Journey to the past --- patterns from childhood (p135-162)

      7) Health and healing --- the mind-body connection (p163-192)

      8) Work and beliefs (p193-218)

      9) Our spiritual quest (p219-246)

      10) The return to wholeness --- Create a vision by writing in your personal journal how you would like to experience wholeness, joy, fulfillment and the expression of your potential. Describe your life positively and in the present tense. Imagine you are writing to a friend and telling it as if it is happening now. Use the Chart of Priorities that you made in the exercise "Where are you now?" in chapter one.

      Rearrange your priorities and the amount of energy and time you give them to create a balance in your life.

        Cover all eight areas:

          [1] Self___

          [2] Family___

          [3] Friends___

          [4] Work___

          [5] Pleasure___

          [6] Spirituality___

          [7] Health___

          [8] Exercise___


      After you have finished your narrative about yourself to your imaginary friend, read this vision every night before you go to sleep. In your vision, how do you appear?

      How do you feel?

      How do you act?

      As new information comes to you, edit and rewrite your vision.

      Explore the behavior changes and choices that are necessary to change this vision from your imagination to reality.

      Create doable and measurable behaviors.

      Start with small steps that you can do every day. (p247-274)

    INDEX (p275-278)
Return to: Thoughts Training Abstracts
Go to choices: Interactive Index of Factual Ideas