(NAPSA)—Asgoodaslife is, it shovels some dirt on you every now andthen. Stuff happens. There’s not much you can do to prevent stuff from happening but there is a lot you can do about how you respond to what happens. An upbeat blueprint may be found in anew book, Stuff Happens (and then you fix it!) by John Alston and Lloyd Thaxton (John Wiley & Sons, $19.95 hardcover). The book is a helpful guide on how to deal with life’s rough spots and turn them into positive, personal growth opportunities. The authors’ no-nonsense, humorous style takes the sting out of self-improvement and gently simplifies the “reality check” process people must make to changetheir lives for the better. “Reality Rule #3—Knowledge is Power: Some get it, some don’t. Some will, some won’t. Those that do, do. Those that don’t, don’t,” Alston says. To help those that don’t, the authors provide ninereality rules that help deal with manyoflife’s problems—job loss, career choice, divorce andfailure. “Applying these principles to your life can positively change yourlife,” says Alston, an internationally known author, speaker and performancestrategist. No matter how good life is, there are always going to be curveballs (Reality Rule #4—Be Prepared: Some Stuff will happen for sure. Sometimes it’s to remind you of what you take for granted). “Stuff happeningis the result of living, and if a person is prepared for the bad stuff as well as for the good stuff, then they will be able to handle whatever is thrown at them,” said Thaxton, who has written and produced over 200 segments for The Today Show. Alston and Thaxton explain “Every oncein a while a book comesalong that is both simple in its presentation ond profound in its impact. This is such a book.” Jack Canfield, coauthor, Chicken Soup for the Soul” (and thenyou fix it!) 9 Reality Rules to Steer Your Life Back in the Right Direction JOHN ALSTON and LLOYD THAXTON It’s not about what happensto you, say the authors of a new book, but how you respond. that being ready means having knowledge, keeping an open mind, maintaining a good attitude and being thankful for the life a person already has. When life gets people down they must remember that the alternative to stuff happening is nothing happening, say the authors. All the little stuff that happens helps people grow. To show how adversity can transform a life, the book also includes inspirational stories of people who have weathered bad stuff and used these principles to make a new andbetterlife. “Throughout life, stuff happens—some good, some bad. When the bad hits you, read this book,” says producer and former American Bandstand host Dick Clark. “It can help you bounce back andfeel like dancing again.”
