Stand Up for Your Life: Develop the Courage, Confidence, and Character to Fulfill Your Greatest Potential [Hardcover]

Cheryl Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 2002

In her most provocative work to date, Cheryl Richardson, the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Take Time for Your Life" and "Life Makeovers," challenges readers to begin an interactive training program that will transform internal obstacles such as self-doubt, conflict phobia, and a fear of what others think, into a new foundation of courage, confidence, and self-esteem. By investing in their personal and spiritual development, readers will build a strong character that allows them to create a larger vision for their lives -- a vision of service and contribution to themselves and the world.

Part mentor/part best friend, Cheryl Richardson picks up where her two earlier books leave off, by offering new "inner life skills" to readers who are ready to stop hiding their power and start living according to their Divine assignment. Using real life stories and examples (including her own), she offers a practical, step-by-step plan to:

Build self-trust and inner confidence by strengthening your relationship with yourself and your inner life.

Identify and eliminate the thoughts, words, and actions that rob you of power and self-esteem.

Face "conflict phobia" head-on by telling the truth with grace and love.

Use fear as an ally to build your courage muscles.

Pass up good for great by centering your life around your values.

As readers work through each phase of the program, they will find that they have not only the power and vision to fulfill their greatest potential but the ability to help others do the same. "Stand Up for Your Life" is a practical, hands-on guide that will inspire readers to own (and use) their talents and gifts so theycan lead passionate, more fulfilling lives.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Oprah life makeover maven Cheryl Richardson wants you to start rocking the boat. Stand Up for Your Life urges readers to stop playing it safe by putting their needs and priorities aside. Her premise: by spending less time listening to others and more time strengthening your relationship with yourself, you can learn to govern your own life and influence others.

A personal coach and the bestselling author of Take Time for Your Life, Richardson promises readers "self-honoring strategies to transform your fear and doubt into self-trust and power." Drawing on self-quizzes, examples from her coaching clients, and her own experiences, she explores key issues for developing this inner authority. The book focuses on creating boundaries, developing "courage muscles," resolving conflict phobia, clarifying purpose, honing self-discipline, stating intentions, and graceful truth-telling.

At times, her clarity is compromised by pop-psych speak and references to her earlier books. Richardson is at her best when she is specific--for example, the well-targeted exercises and self-assessments or an insightful list of behaviors that prevent people from leading their own lives. Readers who follow her lead can expect an attitude adjustment and increased ability to leverage self-knowledge into a purposeful life. --Barbara Mackoff

About the Author

Cheryl Richardson is the author of the New York Times bestselling books Take Time for Your Life and Life Makeovers. She was the first president of the International Coach Federation and holds one of its first Master Certified Coach credentials. She is also the recipient of the 2000 Motivational Book Award for Life Makeovers from Books for a Better Life. Her work has been covered widely in the media, including numerous appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1ST edition (March 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074322650X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743226509
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #533,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cheryl Richardson is the author of The New York Times bestselling books, Take Time for Your Life, Life Makeovers, Stand Up for Your Life, The Unmistakable Touch of Grace and her new book The Art of Extreme Self Care. She was the first president of the International Coach Federation and holds one of their first Master Certified Coach credentials. Cheryl is also the recipient of the 2000 Motivational Book Award for Life Makeovers from Books for a Better Life, which honors the year's most outstanding books and magazines in the self-improvement genre. Her book, The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, was chosen as a finalist in the 2005 Spiritual Inspiration category for Books for a Better Life.

As a professional speaker, Cheryl has designed and presented programs to universities, Fortune 500 companies, educational conferences, and professional associations. Her work has been covered widely in the media including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, New York Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and O Magazine. Most recently, Cheryl has been a regular guest on Good Morning America. She was the team leader for the Lifestyle Makeover Series on the Oprah Winfrey Show and she accompanied Ms. Winfrey on the "Live Your Best Life" nationwide tour.

Cheryl served as the co-executive producer and host of "The Life Makeover Project with Cheryl Richardson" on the Oxygen Network and as the co-executive producer and host of two Public Television Specials - "Stand Up for Your Life" and "Create an Abundant Life."

You can check out Cheryl's radio talk show -- Coach on Call -- on the Internet at www.hayhouseradio.com. The show airs live on Mondays at 5pm ET (2pm PT) and is replayed throughout the week. You can also find her Facebook Fan Page facebook.com/cherylrichardson and follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/coachoncall.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking for Transformation, April 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Stand Up for Your Life: Develop the Courage, Confidence, and Character to Fulfill Your Greatest Potential (Hardcover)

Cheryl Richardson's new book "Stand Up For Your Life" is great and offers very practical advice to support you in becoming aware of who you are and what you need to function as a satisfied human being. I find her suggestions infinitely helpful and practical. She invites the reader on a journey of self discovery and transformation, a life-long process that will not stop after you close the book but hopefully send you on an on-going path of satisfaction, awareness, self expression, joy and will allow you to contribute to the world around you.
If you are interested in transformation I also recommend that you read "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel and Shya Kane. This is an extraordinary book which presents the possibility of transformation without endlessly working on yourself to improve yourself. Awareness and the seeing of what is, is enough to create a quantum shift and transformation. This is a novel idea and I started experiencing the shift simply out of reading the book. A must read if you've had enough of working on yourself!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Author delivers another excellent book that will help you!, September 9, 2002

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stand Up for Your Life: Develop the Courage, Confidence, and Character to Fulfill Your Greatest Potential (Hardcover)

Read another excellent book by Cheryl Richardson, author
of TAKE TIME FOR YOUR LIFE and LIFE MAKEOVERS--both
of which I enjoyed immensely . . . her latest is STAND UP
FOR YOUR LIFE, and the subtitle says it all: DEVELOP THE COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, AND CHARACTER TO FULFILL YOUR GREATEST POTENTIAL.

Richardson, a master certified coach, takes you through an
interactive training program that will help you transform
internal obstacles such as self-doubt, conflict phobia and a
feat of what others think into a new foundation of courage,
confidence and self-esteem.

I particularly liked her use of real life stories and examples
(including her own) . . . also, the accompanying exercises
were very insightful.

There were many memorable passages; among them:
We are all here for a very short, indeterminate amount of time. It's imperative that we use this time well by making our spiritual development a top priority. As you do, I can assure you that you will begin to understand and fulfill you unique purpose here on Earth. This commitment takes time, energy, and a willingness to open your heart and your mind to change. The first step is to realize that you are the force for change in your life. No one else can set your destiny, settle your grievances, heal you wounds, or tell you what to do. You must take full responsibility for an amazing gift that was bestowed upon you at birth--the power to create you life as a work of art.

With this perspective in mind, you naturally begin to view each
life experience through the lens of the question "How can I use this situation to serve my personal growth?" For example, when a driver cuts you off in traffic, you see it as a sign that you may need to slow down or not take things so personally, rather than view it as someone doing something to you. Or when you lose your job unexpectedly, you decide to reevaluate the direction of your life's work instead of seeing it as life handing you a raw deal. Of course it's important to allow yourself to experience and express all of the feelings that accompany these types of situations. The point is to move beyond blame and criticism to a more empowering position--one where you recognize that you have the creative power to use any situation to your advantage.

Check out the list below for some ideas on how to shift
your language:
Old Words: New Words
"I think": "I know"
"I'll try": "I will"
"Maybe": "Definitely"
"I'm not sure": "I'm positive"
"I guess": "I'll confirm that"
"I'm sorry": "I'm confident"
"I'm so stupid": "I need a break"
"It doesn't matter": "Here's what I want"
"We'll see": "I will"

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one did it!, September 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Stand Up for Your Life: A Practical Step-by-Step Plan to Build Inner Confidence and Personal Power (Paperback)

I've been reading self help books for 30 years but this one is the one that changed my life. the questions she asked helped me to find my answers. I had always tried to be what you (ALL of you!) wanted me to be. That is a lot of work, and it is dishonest. I've lost 50 pounds, reconnected with my husband and I have done the thing I wrote down in answer to the pivotal question (for me) in this book: "If you knew you were going to die tomorrow what is the one thing you'd regret never doing?" My answer, which shocked me, was "to sing". so, at the magic age of 50, I got up and belted out the blues, and I am having the time of my life! After 2 or 3 months of open mics, I have my 1st paying gig (together with a friend and my husband on guitars) in a couple of weeks! Why would a person hide a gift her whole life? Why are we so afraid? What are we so afraid of? This book taught me how to be fearless. Or at least to "act as if." Thank you, Cheryl!