Neil Francis - Positive Thinking

1. 1. Chapter 1 Accepting your now
      Acceptance
   2. Chapter 2 Discovering meaning
      Purpose
   3. Chapter 3 Developing a growth mindset
      Mindset
   4. Chapter 4 The importance of optimism
      Optimism
   5. Chapter 5 The power of strengths
      Strengths
   6. Chapter 6 Making choices
      Choices
   7. Chapter 7 Benefits of gratitude
      Gratitude
   8. Chapter 8 Coping with difficult issues
      Negativity
   9. Chapter 9 The good things about failure
      Failure
   10. Chapter 10 Increase your resilience
       Resilience
2. 1. Chapter 11 Wearing your values
      Values
   2. Chapter 12 Using your imagination
      Imagination
   3. Chapter 13 Sharing your dreams
      Dreaming
   4. Chapter 14 Open up your creative mind
      Creativity
   5. Chapter 15 Identifying your goals
      Goals
   6. Chapter 16 Embracing who you are
      Identity
   7. Chapter 17 The outcomes of positive emotions
      Emotions

ABOUT

THE AUTHOR

Neil Francis is the author of The Entrepreneurs Book and Changing Course . He is currently the chairman of a digital agency, director of one internet company, director of a consultancy practice and a trustee of a social enterprise. At the age of 41, he suffered a stroke that led him to discover a new, meaningful and rewarding life, which led Neil to publish three books and work with many inspiring CEOs, leaders, charity bosses and entrepreneurs.

www.neil-francis.com

neil@neil-francis.com

Acknowledgments

Well, this is book three and, as ever, I have had so many people helping me.

So, massive thanks go to:

Fiona Maciver and Helen McGillivray, who read the first draft of the manuscript.

Steve Dalgleish, Becca Henderson, Kari Spence and Rachel Woods for allowing me to share their remarkable stories.

My long-suffering GPs, Dr Claire Doldon and Dr
Gabriele Salucci! Dr David Gillespie, my neuropsychologist, and all the brilliant doctors, nurses and speech therapists in the NHS who have helped me in so many ways to recover from my stroke.

The fantastic team at LID Publishing, especially Sara Taheri, Martin Liu, Caroline Li, Susan Furber and Sue Littleford.

As always, my daft golden retrievers Dougal and Archie whose walks on the beaches of North Berwick gave me the perfect space to think and plan the book.

Jack, Lucy and Sam, who helped motivated me with their encouragement and love.

Finally, and most importantly, my lovely wife Louise, whose help and support made this book become a reality.

To start, a story

to get you in

the right mood

for my book

In a village on the coast of Mexico, an American businessman was standing on the pier when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside his boat were several large yellowfin tunas.

The American complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked him how long it took to catch them.

Only a little while, the Mexican fisherman replied.

The American then asked the man why he didnt stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican said that he caught enough to meet his familys needs.

But what do you do with the rest of your time? the American asked.

I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria. Each evening I stroll into the village, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, seor.

The American scoffed at this: Im a Harvard MBA and I could help you, he said. You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats. Eventually, youd have a fleet of fishing boats, and instead of selling your catch to a middleman youd sell it directly to the processor.

Then you could open your own cannery. Youd control the product, processing and distribution. Youd need to leave this small fishing village and move to Mexico City, then on to Los Angeles, and, eventually, to New York City, where youd run your expanding enterprise.

But seor, how long would all this take? the fisherman asked.

Fifteen, maybe twenty years, the American replied.

But what then, seor?

The American laughed and said: Thats the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. Youd become very rich. Youd make millions!

Then what, seor?

Then youd retire. Move to a small fishing village on the coast, where youd sleep late, fish a little, play with your grandchildren, take a siesta with your wife. In the evening you could stroll to the village, sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.

INTRODUCTION

MY STROKE OF DISCOVERY

Lets start with a statement that might surprise you.

Having a significant stroke at age 41 turned out to be one of the most positive things that has ever happened to me.

Now, this might be a very strange thing to admit, and I can only say it 13 years on from my stroke. But it really has. It has opened up so many possibilities that I can honestly say would not have occurred if I had not had
the stroke.

But on 20 October 2006, when I was lying in the stroke ward of the hospital, unable to speak, with my memory in shreds and temporary blinded in my right eye, it was the worst thing that had ever happened to my family and me. For well over three years it was a very difficult and challenging time for everyone.

So how, you might ask, have I concluded that an event that was horrific initially has now become such a good thing in my life? This event and subsequent challenges have led me to finally understand the power of positive thinking and how to use it in my life. But this is a different type of positive thinking for the 21 st century. And used in the right way, I have found it has created many new possibilities in my life. In this book, I am going to share what this type of positive thinking consists of.

Common positive thinking philosophies that have permeated Western society for the last 75 years claim that mere visualization is the key to succeeding and achieving anything that you want. And that the only things that stop you from achieving happiness, good health and wealth are your negative thoughts and to succeed you must block or ignore them. This book will provide a different, better and more realistic understanding of positive thinking. But, before I describe the type of positive thinking that I am advocating, it will help to explore where the idea of thinking only positive thoughts and blanking out negative ones comes from, and why some of its core tenets are flawed.