Forward Story

Mark Casey

Description

Your past, your present, and your perceptions of the future are a powerful part of your life. What do you do with your past? How do you view your personal future? What impact does that view of the future have on you right this moment? Do you have any control over where your life goes from here, or are you simply a pawn in a great chess game?Avoiding the temptation to provide a simple self-help recipe or to ignore the dark and serious issues of life, Forward Story leads readers to a challenging reflection on meaning, purpose, and the future. This book equips you to take action and to be purposeful in the way you live. Rather than telling you how to live, Forward Story requires that you actually be the author of your own story. If you want to live a life in harmony with your values, purpose, and ambition, this book provides what you need in order to write the future you desire.Endorsements:"Forward Story is a compilation, with interesting storytelling, of everything I have learned about life, success, and failure in my eighty-three years. Casey has done a marvelous job of writing down in an orderly manner what I wished I could have heard when I was twenty years of age-and thereby could have avoided most of the pitfalls I experienced." Bill Martin, VP, Texas Instruments"Forward Story includes abundant anecdotal and historical narrative to illustrate and clarify the concepts of writing one's personal Forward Story. Casey relies on his ability to guide, persuade, and motivate others to a higher level of achievement, to successful accomplishment, and to the satisfaction of a job well-done. Read the book! Take the advice! Follow the steps in writing your own Forward Story. You will be glad you did!" Jimmy Creel, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Lamar University"For every dramatic performance, every achievement, every success, there's a story behind the story. It's called the backstory. Mark Casey writes the more important chapter, the Forward Story. This is a guide to help you achieve that success, to realize your performance, and to live your dream. Pulling from his own goal-oriented successes, and inspired by the achieved dreams from science, literature, public service, and sports, Mark provides a practical handbook to help you write your future and live the life you have yet to imagine." Thomas Graham, President and CEO, Crosswind Communications, LLC"I enjoyed three consecutive careers as a preacher, lawyer, and corporate senior executive, so I have had my share of transitional moments. As I was preparing to retire several years ago, Mark shared the concept of this book with me. My wife and I wrote our Forward Story for the first two years of retirement, and what a positive difference that made! Mark's book is a refreshing reminder of what it takes to successfully maneuver through the ambiguities of life's constant flux. Whatever your age and whatever changes you are facing, take the time to read and ponder this book." James W. Poppell, former Executive VP (Retired), NextEra Energy, Inc.

Sujets

• Employabilité, métiers et formations

Informations

• Publié par: ML Casey, Inc.
• Date de parution: 07 avril 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780990574828
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Copyright 2015 by Mark L. Casey
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.
ML Casey, Inc.
14900 Avery Ranch Blvd.
Suite C200
Austin, TX 78717
www.forwardstory.com
Edited by Tess Roach
Cover design by Colleen Lanchester-Raynie
Author Photo by David Deardorff
Hardcover: ISBN 978-0-9905748-1-1
Kindle: ISBN 978-0-9905748-0-4
ePub: ISBN 978-0-9905748-2-8
First Edition: 2015
Library of Congress Card Number
2014912672
This book is dedicated to Margot Bruce Casey.
What an amazing journey this is with you.
I could live without you, but I choose not to.
T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I - What is a Forward Story, and Why Do You Need One?
Chapter 1 - What s Your Story?
Chapter 2 - Narrative / Story
Chapter 3 - Your Backstory
Chapter 4 - The Glass Is Half Full
Chapter 5 - Time (Past, Future, and Present)
Chapter 6 - Time-Oriented Actions and Goals
Chapter 7 - The Magic of Language
Chapter 8 - Your Own Forward Story and Planning for Fun
Chapter 9 - The Power of Association
Part II - Crafting Your Forward Story
Chapter 10 - Getting Ready to Write
Chapter 11 - What Is Your Ambition?
Chapter 12 - Growing Up - Adulthood
Chapter 13 - Character - Who Are You?
Chapter 14 - Meaning, Mortality, and Legacy
Chapter 15 - Write Your Forward Story Step By Step
PART III - Using And Maintaining Your Forward Story For Transformational Results
Chapter 16 - Story Killers
Chapter 17 - Using Your Forward Story
Chapter 18 - Revise and Adapt Your Story
Chapter 19 - Growth and Education
Chapter 20 - Dealing with Regret and Failure
Chapter 21 - Art and the Hero s Journey
Bibliography
About the Author
Reader Quotes
Endnotes
F OREWORD
It is with great pride and pleasure that I commend this book, Forward Story , written by my friend Mark Casey. I have always admired Mark s gift and ability of forward thinking. Whether it was preparing for a football game, planning a ski vacation to the Rocky Mountains, or envisioning a successful financial venture, Mark has been a forward thinker, writing his Forward Story.
When I was a young boy (once upon a time), on Sunday evenings my family would gather around the kitchen, hovering over leftovers from lunch. Often, the popular TV show Hee Haw would be playing in the background. One of the more memorable and humorous regular sketches from the show was Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me. The show offered comic relief as we prepared for a new week of school and work. However, for those who are suffering with hopelessness and despair, there is no comedy and there seems to be no relief in sight. Their vision of the future is cloudy, gloomy, or even nonexistent. There is a growing sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and pessimism.
Despair is a common human experience. We all encounter-and none can avoid-hardships, uncertainties, illness, aging, and death. Sometimes the despair is brief and we find a way to go on with our lives. Mood fluctuations are normal and, like physical pain, can help inform us that something is wrong and that we should consider changing some things. But for many, the despair deepens and becomes clinical depression. Along with anxiety, depression is the common cold of emotional problems. There is no one cause of depression, and it has a variety of symptoms, including loss of energy, loss of interests in activities and in life, appetite and sleep disturbance, sadness, hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, and difficulty concentrating and making decisions. If you are experiencing severe or long-standing depression, it is wise to consider seeking professional help, with medications, psychotherapy, or both. Various medications, such as antidepressants and mood stabilizers, have been found to be helpful in managing depression.
But despite the benefits of medication, depression and despair can often take control of our hearts and minds. Certain ways of thinking increase our chances of becoming depressed. These cognitions or beliefs often become mired in the cognitive triad of depression: negative thinking about the self, the world, and the future. If you ask a person who is depressed to tell you his or her story, you will likely hear the themes I m worthless, My world is gloomy, My future is hopeless, and other various distorted and unhelpful ways of thinking that contribute to depression and despair. A knowledgeable and skillful therapist can provide the necessary support and guidance, usually utilizing a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, and can assist such people in breaking the cycle of despair through changing their thoughts by changing the story they tell themselves. Numerous studies conducted at major universities throughout the world have consistently demonstrated that cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatments for depression and anxiety.
Though this book is not intended to be a substitute for counseling or psychotherapy, the principles and practices are powerful and useful for making significant changes in one s life.
Psychology and psychiatry have often encouraged an exploration of the past. The assumption was that problems are caused by events in childhood and that the path to change involved working through repressed memories and the unresolved conflicts of the past. The problem is that we can often remain stuck ruminating about the past with no plan or purpose for the future. Some newer therapies (acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy), sometimes referred to as the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapy, encourage paying attention to the present and future, developing a vision of a valued life and being intentionally and actively engaged in living that life (valued activity). Contemporary psychological science is confirming the ancient wisdom that the mind is a powerful influence on our sense of well-being and that the content and control of consciousness determines the quality of life. Our lives are changed through changing the story we believe and tell ourselves-not just the story of our past but also the story of our future.
What you have in your hands is proof of the power of writing the story you desire. Why not give it a try? You have everything to gain, and it just takes your willingness and awareness that you are writing your story. So what s your Forward Story?
David L. Duke, PhD
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have been strongly influenced by a number of people as I have developed the practices detailed in this book and as I set out to write Forward Story .
Margot Bruce Casey. Thank you for the encouragement to write. Thank you for the conversations about audience and writing. Most of all, thank you for sharing our beautiful Forward Story for Two. Our marriage continues to surpass the unreasonably high expectations I had those many years ago when I said, I do.
Dr. David Duke. Thank you for being my friend. You know this kind of friendship is among the rarest things on earth. I continue to be richly blessed by our relationship. You introduced me to the power of narrative many years ago, and I am grateful for that.
Miller and Sandra Casey. Thank you for raising me well and for providing unconditional love. You are great parents!
Penny and the late Barton Bruce. I cannot imagine more supportive in-laws. I miss you, Barton.
Jim Poppell. Thank you for challenging me and for loving me.
Susan Adcox. I appreciate your gentle encouragement and for your valuable input on audience and writing.
Kellen and Matt Casey. Thank you for inspiration and for the blessing of parenting you both. It is amazing to watch you both work on your own Forward Stories.
Kelly and Mary Casey. Thank you for the use of the ranch for writing retreats and for being such an encouraging brother and sister-in-law.
Maegan and Ben Schneider. What an amazing sister and brother-in-law who continue to make a wonderful contribution to my life and family.
Brian Farish. What started with a memorable year in Santa Fe has turned into a lasting friendship. Thank you for our coffee time and for conversations about meaningful things.
Chris Young. Your wit and wisdom have helped me, and your friendship continues to bless me.
Kylie Sanderson. The print layout and typesetting of the printed version of this book are the work of this talented young woman, whose own Forward Story is going to be amazing.
Tess Roach. Tess is proof that a talented editor makes a writer better than he or she really is.
John Fedorjaka. Thank you for our professional relationship, our friendship, and for all of your personal encouragement of my writing effort.
Kevin Wilson. Thank you for the encouragement on this project and for your friendship.
Coaches Al Dennis, Jimmy Creel, and Richard Bethell. Thank you for all of the hours you spent with me in the hot sun and under the Friday night lights in Baytown, Texas. You taught much more than blocking and tackling, and I carry it with me every day.
Effie McPhail Linder. The late Ms. Linder was my third-grade teacher at Ashbel Smith Elementary School. I do not remember a lot about third grade, but one thing has never left me. For a reason I will never understand, she told this nine-year-old boy, You are going to be a writer one day. It took a while for it to grow, but thank you, Ms. Linder, for sowing that seed. Thank you also for demonstrating the impact that gracious words can have on the life of a person. May we follow your example and spea