Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True (ISBN 1884587305)

Success is an inside job!:
This is a great book because some of our favorite famous people are spotlighted and their lives are examined from before they were famous. It's helpful to me because once again I can see that we are all the same in our humanity, and anyone who puts in the effort, diligence and spiritual "something" to accomplish their dreams will do it! It lets us see we can do it, too, in whatever way feels good to us!

Have You Ever Wondered?:
Have you ever looked at a successful person and wonder how they became successful? In this wonderful, easy to read book not only do you find stories of peoples' successes, but you also find the challenges they faced, and how they overcame those challenges. To quote the authors: "Life can knock us down flat. It's our measure of resilience that determines whether or not we'll keep dreaming and reaching for our dreams." This book gives examples of people who have been knocked down, but they also share many stories of people who succeeded. More importantly, they also give the elements of the keys to their success. The authors have developed a wonderful tool, which they refer to as "Dream CPR". Throughout the book, they discuss the "Ten Essential Elements of Dream CPR", and apply the elements to real life examples. While reading the book, they got to the heart of the matter quickly, and I could see how the elements of Dream CPR applied. If you need inspiration, look no further. This book will motivate you, and help you to achieve the success that you are dreaming about. QUOTES from the book, DREAM IT DO IT: "Despite what we've been taught, we don't have to be rich, famous or distinguished to make our dreams come true." "If you have ever felt such tremendous enthusiasm and desire for something that you would gladly spend all your waking hours working on it, that you would happily do without pay, then you have found your passion." "Following our dreams almost always requires us to take chances. There is no guarantee that we will succeed in our venture. But if we don't try, we will never know how far we can go." "Most people who are recognized for their remarkable accomplishments started out stumbling and struggling just like anyone else." "When our dreams are born of purpose, we can soar above the limitations to accomplish the seemingly impossible." "If nobody was willing to try something new, nothing would ever be invented." "A single action can completely alter your future, for better or worse." A great book!!!!

Very Empowering Read!:
What I really like about this book, is that the authors do a wonderful job showing you how the super successful people had their starting points as well. They started with a dream, and then took action to follow though--to make their dream--their reality. All too often we forget this simple truth. One of the greatest psychological discoveries of the twenty century was NLP. Anthony Robbins did a great job promoting its practical application for the masses. The essence of NLP is that if someone could do something, you could copy him and achieve the same results. But beliefs need to start somewhere. That's where this awesome book comes in. it shows you in clear terms how other went from zero to stardom. Reading stories from the super successful will help you gain a strong belief in yourself. It will spark a flame of empowerment - that says "I too can be great!" Which reminds me of a great quote from Mark Twain that is very apropos: "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works

Read this book to achieve your dreams!:
"Dream It Do It," did it for me! It reinforced the passion and realization that I can achieve my most desired dreams. This is the most inspirational and motivational book I've read since "The Power of Positive Thinking," by Norman Vincent Peale. Cook and Sholander go a step beyond, and list steps for ALL of us to achieve our most innermost dreams. It certainly benefited me as I answered the questions in the journal they include in this extraordinary book. By writing my answers, I realized what was necessary to achieve my goals and dreams. I started following their recipe for success. And I'm not stopping! After reading the stories of people who had overcome insurmountable obstacles, including physical handicaps, amputations, rape, cancer, and other adversities, I was immensely inspired. What made these people different than others? According to Cook and Sholander, they each possessed one or more of the 10 key essential elements of CPR. For some it was passion, persistence, and resilience. For others it was a combination of other elements that are needed for one to successfully achieve their long held dream. Lance Armstrong was a dreamer. But life hit him with a heavy blow when he was diagnosed with testicle cancer at the age of 25. Even though the cancer had invaded his stomach, lungs, and brain, he fought back with chemotherapy treatments. He never lost sight of his dream...to win the Tour de France. Instead of focusing on the cancer, he realized that he was a great athlete. He focused on beating this disease and eventually achieving his dream. It took courage for Lance to hold on to a dream of winning such a competitive race, while fighting cancer. Yet, in his heart and mind he was confident that he was going to bicycle in the Tour de France and win. I was moved by Lance's deep faith in himself and his courage to beat his cancer and achieve his dream of winning the Tour de France. Graciela Sholander and Sharon Cook give many examples of people, such as Barbara Walters, who fought so hard to become the first female co-host on the Today Show and the first woman to co-anchor network evening news. So many female co-hosts owe a great deal to Barbara. Her persistence didn't allow her to give up on her dream, even though she had to fight obstacles in her path to success. We owe a great deal to Barbara for her persistence. She has given her viewers so much. AIDS researcher, Edward A Berger worked for ten years, and his persistence led through a breakthrough in developing a vaccine, and hopefully a cure for AIDS. These people had to overcome insurmountable obstacles to achieve their dreams. Why didn't they give up? One reason is because they possessed one or more of the 10 key elements Sholander and Cook describe in this motivational book. Explaining how these people were able to achieve their goals can help all readers. Instead of saying, "Woe is me. I can't do it because of "this of that;" turn it around and say, "Yes, I can accomplish my dream. I have what it takes." When I read about a young woman who had been in a car accident and had lost her left leg, pelvis, and hip, and then later became a ski racer, I was amazed at her confidence in herself. She knew life would be more difficult, but that didn't stop her from enjoying every minute. So many stories about extraordinary people are included in "Dream It Do It." I was fascinated with all of them. What I particularly found helpful was the suggestions and advice at the end of the chapters explaining practical ways for ALL of us to become successful. This book should be on everyone's wish list. It will change the way you think and live your life. You will be thankful you read "Dream It Do It" and be thankful to Sharon Cook and Graciela Sholander for taking the time to interview so many amazing people. This book will surely direct the reader to find possible ways to achieve THEIR innermost dreams. Thank you for such an uplifting book! Nancy A. Draper A Burden of Silence: My Mother's Battle with AIDS

Dream It, Do It inspires one to take action!:
There are many things I love about this book. For me, being a mother of two busy kids, I love the fact that the book is written in "bite-sized pieces". If I am waiting to pick up my son from basketball and have ten minutes, I can read an inspiring story from start to finish. The material and people profiled in the book are incredibly interesting. How did Bill Nye the Science Guy help revolutionize how kids view science? How did Maya Angelou find the strength to turn the pain she has suffered into such beautiful masterpieces? Each story has a lesson - one that I am sharing with my whole family. I've already given seven people this book as a gift!!