The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny in Business and in Life

In his groundbreaking new book, Dr. Jim Loehr, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling coauthor of andlt;iandgt;The Power of Full Engagement,andlt;/iandgt; examines the way we tell stories about ourselves to ourselves -- and, most important, the way we can change those stories to transform our business and personal lives. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; "Your story is your life," says Loehr. As human beings, we continually tell ourselves stories -- of success or failure; of power or victimhood; stories that endure for an hour, or a day, or an entire lifetime. We have stories about our work, our families and relationships, our health; about what we want and what we're capable of achieving. Yet, while our stories profoundly affect how others see us and we see ourselves, too few of us even recognize that we're telling stories, or what they are, or that we can change them -- and, in turn, transform our very destinies. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Telling ourselves stories provides structure and direction as we navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and helps us interpret our goals and skills. Stories make sense of chaos; they organize our many divergent experiences into a coherent thread; they shape our entire reality. And far too many of our stories, says Loehr, are dysfunctional, in need of serious editing. First, he asks you to answer the question, "In which areas of my life is it clear that I cannot achieve my goals with the story I've got?" He then shows you how to create new, reality-based stories that inspire you to action, and take you where you want to go both in your work and personal life. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; For decades, at the Human Performance Institute, Loehr has been examining the power of story to increase engagement and productivity, and Fortune 500 companies have paid millions to send employees to his program, in which he applies the principles and methods that he now offers in this book. Global business leaders, world-class athletes, military special forces, and thousands of individuals from every walk of life have sought out and benefited from his life-altering insight and expertise. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Our capacity to tell stories is one of our profoundest gifts. Loehr's approach to creating deeply engaging stories will give you the tools to wield the power of storytelling and forever change your business and personal life.

"This book powerfully and inspiringly communicates that we are the creative force of our own life. We can write and act on the stories that give our life its greatest meaning and fulfillment. Jim Loehr has produced another brilliant and immensely practical book."andlt;BRandgt; -- Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author, andlt;iandgt;The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatnessandlt;/iandgt;

"Being fully engaged as a Navy SEAL demands skillful management of all four sources of energy -- physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. This passionate and convincing book can change one's life through the process of facing your own personal truth, determining those aspects of your life you hold most important, and crafting an action plan to complete your life's mission. The young men who successfully complete SEAL training have, in their own way, done just that! Jim's wisdom can be anyone's wisdom, and his energy and passion can be shared among us all."andlt;BRandgt; -- Rear Admiral Ray Smith, former Commander of the Navy SEALs, U.S. Navy (retired)

"This epic contribution from Jim Loehr is fully compatible with the prevailing science of human flourishing: More than actual events, people's interpretations of those events -- their stories -- determine their emotional states, and in turn their actions, health, and success in life. If you'd like to re-sculpt your life, the accessible synthesis of science and practice offered here can be a welcomed road map."andlt;BRandgt; -- Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD, Kenan Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Jim Loehr's principles have helped unleash the creativity, capability, and potential of top-performing people throughout PandG. This book can do the same for knowledge workers everywhere."andlt;BRandgt; -- A.G. Lafley, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Procter and Gamble

"Jim has brought to print many of the key insights that he has so successfully used to help athletes, business executives, and other leaders as they confront and change their own personal stories. I know his coaching works because I have seen it change the lives of many of PepsiCo's leaders."andlt;BRandgt; -- Steve Reinemund, former CEO, PepsiCo

In his groundbreaking new book, Dr. Jim Loehr, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Power of Full Engagement, examines the way we tell stories about ourselves to ourselves -- and, most important, the way we can change those stories to transform our business and personal lives.

"Your story is your life," says Loehr. As human beings, we continually tell ourselves stories -- of success or failure; of power or victimhood; stories that endure for an hour, or a day, or an entire lifetime. We have stories about our work, our families and relationships, our health; about what we want and what we're capable of achieving. Yet, while our stories profoundly affect how others see us and we see ourselves, too few of us even recognize that we're telling stories, or what they are, or that we can change them -- and, in turn, transform our very destinies.

Telling ourselves stories provides structure and direction as we navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and helps us interpret our goals and skills. Stories make sense of chaos; they organize our many divergent experiences into a coherent thread; they shape our entire reality. And far too many of our stories, says Loehr, are dysfunctional, in need of serious editing. First, he asks you to answer the question, "In which areas of my life is it clear that I cannot achieve my goals with the story I've got?" He then shows you how to create new, reality-based stories that inspire you to action, and take you where you want to go both in your work and personal life.

For decades, at the Human Performance Institute, Loehr has been examining the power of story to increase engagement and productivity, and Fortune 500 companies have paid millions to send employees to his program, in which he applies the principles and methods that he now offers in this book. Global business leaders, world-class athletes, military special forces, and thousands of individuals from every walk of life have sought out and benefited from his life-altering insight and expertise.

Our capacity to tell stories is one of our profoundest gifts. Loehr's approach to creating deeply engaging stories will give you the tools to wield the power of storytelling and forever change your business and personal life.

andlt;bandgt;Dr. Jim Loehrandlt;/bandgt; is Chairman, CEO, and Co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, a training company that has successfully utilized energy management technology to improve the productivity and engagement levels of elite performers from the world of business, sport, medicine, and law enforcement for over 30 years. A world-renowned performance psychologist, Dr. Loehr is the author of thirteen books including the national bestseller andlt;Iandgt;The Power of Full Engagementandlt;/iandgt;.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Loehr appeared on andlt;Iandgt;The Oprah Winfrey Showandlt;/iandgt; where an entire program was devoted to his ground-breaking Energy Management training system and concepts. He has also appeared on NBC's andlt;Iandgt;Today Showandlt;/iandgt;, ABC's andlt;Iandgt;Nightline with Ted Koppelandlt;/iandgt;, The andlt;Iandgt;CBS Evening News with Dan Ratherandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;CBS Morning Newsandlt;/iandgt;. Dr. Loehr's work has been chronicled in leading national publications including the andlt;Iandgt;Harvard Business Reviewandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Fortuneandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Newsweekandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Timeandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;US News and World Reportandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Successandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Fast Companyandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Omniandlt;/iandgt;.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine and law enforcement including Fortune 100 executives, FBI, Hostage Rescue Teams and Army Special Forces. His elite clients from the world of sport include: golfer Mark O'Meara; tennis players, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario; boxer Ray Mancini; hockey players Eric Lindros and Mike Richter; and Olympic gold medal speed skater Dan Jansen.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Dr. Loehr possesses a masters and doctorate in psychology, serves on several prestigious scientific boards and is a full member of the American Psychological Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology.