Esteemable Acts: 10 Actions for Building Real Self-Esteem [Hardcover]

Francine Ward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 21, 2003

A powerhouse motivator shares her strategies for building lifelong self-esteem and tapping the boundless energy and talent within everyone.

Francine Ward is living proof that actions speak louder than words, and leads a life that far exceeds the wildest dream of her youth. By age eighteen, she had dropped out of high school and was battling drug and alcohol addictions. A few years latter, Ward was struck by a car; she was told she would never walk again. Flash-forward two decades and meet a very different Francine Ward: Georgetown law-school graduate, marathon runner, successful businesswoman, tireless community leader. The secret to her turn around? Esteemable acts.

Built on the concepts that led to her own remarkable recovery, Esteemable Acts presents ten specific ways to put self-confidence on the fast track. While other self help books encourage contemplation or verbal affirmations, Esteemable Acts gets readers off the couch and into the vibrant world by teaching them how to walk through fear. From servicing others to career-related activities, each component of Ward’s program pushes the boundaries of comfort zones, proves naysayers wrong, and examines every aspect of life to find hidden opportunities for greater self-love. From and author who is a walking, talking testimonial, this is a groundbreaking new path to courage.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Developing self-esteem is the key to living a life beyond your "wildest imaginings," according to this book, which is divided into 10 "esteemable actions" designed to get downtrodden readers thinking about how to change their lives. Ward certainly speaks from experience: a former drug-addicted alcoholic and call girl, she turned her life around, graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and is now a motivational speaker and president and CEO of her own company. Ward urges readers to keep a journal to reflect upon goals and answer questions such as "What do you value?", "What does financial freedom mean to you?", and "What’s most important to you today?" While much of the advice is common sense—she proclaims the importance of living your dreams, being your own best friend and avoiding a victim mentality—this well-meaning guide all too often slides into overly familiar territory (procrastination is the enemy; you should eat well and take care of yourself) and simplistic platitudes such as "Denial is the enemy of success," or "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ward, a practicing attorney with a harrowing life story of a dysfunctional childhood and recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, offers inspiring and practical advice on building self-esteem. Based on her own remarkable turnaround, Ward offers specific advice on several aspects of life, including career, finances, relationships, and self-improvement. She advises readers to keep a journal of esteemable acts--taking risks, articulating dreams, helping others--and to record those actions and experiences that mark progress in developing self-esteem. She recommends self-examination to detail character strengths and shortcomings and offers advice on how to avoid becoming "a casualty to limited thinking." In each chapter, Ward offers practical exercises to keep the reader focused on achieving goals. This is a practical self-help guide written by a woman who has overcome great odds to succeed. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Crown Archetype; 1 edition (January 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767912187
• ISBN-13: 978-0767912181
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #848,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Have YOU met YOU?, June 13, 2003

By 

Lauretta (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Esteemable Acts: 10 Actions for Building Real Self-Esteem (Hardcover)

How can you expect other's to know who you are when you don't know yourself? Esteemable Acts is a self-help book based on helping you identify yourself and overcome issues and excuses that's holding you back from being all you can be.

This is one of those books that help you understand why you do some of the things you do and help you identify why things turn out the way they do in your life. You will need to be honest with yourself in order to take the self-help test. Once you realize what you need to do you will find out no-one knows you better than you do.

I really enjoyed this book and most of what I read helped me (Ok, the majority of what I read helped me...see I admitted it).

Thank you Ms. Ward for a well-written book. You really did your research.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it and reap!, February 11, 2003

By 

S. Horn "America's Intrigue Expert - Communic... (Washington DC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Esteemable Acts: 10 Actions for Building Real Self-Esteem (Hardcover)

This book offers real-life suggestions on how we can be the quality of person we want to be now, not someday. The book shines with credibility because the author has "been there, done this." Her stories of how she overcame a rough beginning prove than ANYONE can develop more confidence if they follow her suggestions. This highly readable and encouraging book gives readers supportive, practical recommendations that will help them turn their intentions into actions.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its working for me!!, May 2, 2003

By 

Jennifer Heller (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Esteemable Acts: 10 Actions for Building Real Self-Esteem (Hardcover)

The book Esteemable Acts, is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. Francine Ward speaks a lot about walking thru fear -- something i don't do often in my life. She also talks of living your best life, making your dreams come true, and financial freedom. They are the three things I didn't think I could do.

Esteemable Acts teaches you step by step how to make ALL THINGS POSSIBLE. Granted I needed the willingness to take the suggestions in the book, but they really aren't that hard. I've decided to go back to school, and i'm interviewing for a new job. I've moved in with a roommate and am walking thru that fear. I've never felt as good as I do today. Today is by far the best day of my life! Esteemable Acts is a book that has helped me change my life. I'm becoming the person I've always wanted to be!