New Book... LIVING BY CHOICE: Making The Decisions That Define Your...

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Living by Choice stresses that each of us has the responsibility of managing our life and we do so—effectively or otherwise—through the choices we make.

Most of us are so busy with our daily routines that we seldom stop to think about what is required to manage our lives effectively. We tend to live our lives one day at a time without an overall strategy for how best to do so. Many of us live without having a clear insight into how our choices define who we are and what we ultimately achieve.

To bring this subject into greater focus . . . Living by Choice was written to motivate readers to stop and consider the choices they are making in their lives. You will not find “the answers” here, and that was never the intention of the book. The ultimate answers about your life can only come from you. However, the book is intended to stimulate your thinking . . . to help you think about your life and motivate you to make any choices needed to adjust the way you are living yours.

To accomplish this, the book addresses eighty-two important choices that most of us face in life. Each of these choice topics provides a brief “thinking experience" requiring only a few minutes to read but providing thoughts and perspectives the reader may want to ponder much longer. For those who want to make personal notes for later reference, space is provided at the end of each of the fourteen chapters. We are indeed “who we choose to be” and Living by Choice serves as an important reminder of this fact.

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK:
Chris Tepedino, Memphis, TN . . . As a young adult, I found Michael Nelson’s Living by Choice a breath of fresh air. He is sincere and encouraging. The lessons have immediate impact. The topics are weighty and require self-reflection. They will help young and old as they helped me. Further, his appeal to stronger values is an undeniable force in the book. The tone of Living by Choice is remarkable in its encouragement and warmth. He comes across as a grandfather, father, or mentor—happy to share his wisdom, but expecting it to be put to use.

Kara Pendleton, Brigham City, UT . . . Helpful for youth and adults alike, Living by Choice offers concise, informative, and encouraging insights into how to make better choices for an ultimately better life. Youth will love the clear direction as to how to make better choices. Parents will love being armed with the tools to better communicate this crucial and timely information to their children. The information is relevant and beneficial in whatever stage of life one may be in. There is something for everyone in this book, and I highly recommend it.

Scott Rose, New York, NY . . . Michael Nelson’s Living by Choice is a unique contribution to self-help literature. Nelson’s overarching message is that by bringing mindfulness to the choices we make, we can live fuller, more purposeful lives, and in turn, help make the world a better place. The author’s emphasis on the importance of helping others and of acting with a loving heart makes the book glow with a splendid humanity. I thought I had previously given adequate consideration to how I make choices in my life, but Nelson has gifted me with a newfound awareness of the importance of my choice-making. I am excited for the better life that surely lies ahead for me as a result of reading this book.

Joe Humphries, Jackson, MS . . . Reading Living by Choice has made me much better at focusing on goals and assessing the choices I should make. As a recent college graduate, much of my life was a bit of a mess before reading this book . . . which I read two times. Through a series of better choices and goals, I have bettered myself and my life. My friend was telling me just the other day how I’ve gotten so much nicer in the past couple of months. I think this book did it to me.

CONTENTS: CHAPTERS AND CHOICES
1. MANAGING YOUR LIFE
The Choice to Be the Leader of Your Life
The Choice to Be an Independent Thinker
The Choice to Be a Talker or a Doer
The Choice to Accept Responsibility
The Choice to Be the Difference
The Choice to Establish a Business Plan for Your Life
The Choice to Finish What You Start
The Choice to Do It Today!
The Choice to Make the Effort
The Choice to Beat the Odds

2. BEING AN HONEST PERSON
The Choice to Live an Honest Life
The Choice to Be Yourself
The Choice to Value the Person You Are
The Choice to Understand It All Starts with Honesty

3. CREATING A CARING YOU
The Choice to Consider Your Life’s Impact on Others
The Choice to Focus on the Inside Instead of the Outside
The Choice to Activate the Goodness in Your Life
The Choice to Forgive
The Choice to Label Less and Love More
The Choice to Get Involved

4. DISCOVERING YOUR INTENDED PURPOSE
The Choice to Understand Why We Are Here
The Choice to Let Love Guide Your Life
The Choice to Determine Who You Were Born to Be
The Choice to Follow the Signals

5. HELPING OTHERS
The Choice to Be a Fan of Others
The Choice to Water Someone’s Life
The Choice to Be Kind to Others
The Choice to Do for Others

6. GAINING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The Choice to Be a Lifelong Learner
The Choice to Become More Informed
The Choice to Be Careful about Our Opinions
The Choice to Gain an Understanding
The Choice to Value Self-Education

7. CONDUCTING YOURSELF PROPERLY
The Choice to Apologize
The Choice to Ask Questions
The Choice to Be Cell Phone Smart
The Choice to Behave Yourself
The Choice to Listen
The Choice to Communicate
The Choice to End the Argument
The Choice to Compromise
The Choice to Be Less Judgmental
The Choice to Be Friends with Someone Different
The Choice to Speak and Write Effectively

8. IMPROVING YOUR COUNTRY
The Choice to Make Things Better
The Choice to Use Your Freedom of Speech in a Positive Way
The Choice to Work Together and Achieve Together
The Choice to Do Your Part
The Choice to Put Your Freedom to Good Use

9. RESPECTING OTHERS AS INDIVIDUALS
The Choice to Move Beyond Your First Impression
The Choice to Eliminate Hate in Your Life
The Choice to Recognize We Have Common Goals
The Choice to Respect Our Differences
The Choice to See Others as Individuals

10. GETTING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES
The Choice to Learn from Our Mistakes
The Choice to Work Your Way Out
The Choice to Rebuild Hope
The Choice to Change
The Choice to Choose a New Life

11. THINKING WISELY
The Choice to Stop and Think
The Choice to Just Let It Go
The Choice to Stop Making Excuses
The Choice to Stop Criticizing Others
The Choice to Manage the Moments
The Choice to Take Care of Your Body
The Choice to Quit Pretending
The Choice to Watch Out for the Train Wreck
The Choice to End Up Somewhere

12. DEVELOPING A MEANINGFUL LIFE
The Choice to Check with Your Heart
The Choice to Value What’s on the Inside
The Choice to Be Mindful of What It Takes

13. MAKING YOUR LIFE MORE ENJOYABLE
The Choice to Eliminate Regrets
The Choice to Feel Better about Life
The Choice to Put More Joy into Your Life
The Choice to Value the Progress You Made Today

14. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
The Choice to Focus on the Future, Not the Past
The Choice to Overcome Your Fear
The Choice to Recognize How Important You Can Be
The Choice to Set High Expectations
The Choice to Give Your Life Some Careful Thought
The Choice to Be Well Remembered
The Choice to Live in the Goodness

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Nelson was 73-years-old when he started writing this book. It is, therefore, based on a lifetime of experiences that include his younger years, personal relationships, academic life, marriage, career, raising children, mistakes, and more. The book is his effort to document some of the important things he has learned “about life and living” and pass them along to others who might benefit from them as well.

Michael and his wife Betty were high school sweethearts and are graduates of the University of Mississippi. They have two grown children, both with MBAs and very successful in their own right, and three wonderful grandchildren. They are active members of Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN.

Michael started his business career with IBM. He went on from there to become a partner in a technology equipment leasing organization, and was President of a large technology consulting firm in Chicago. In addition, he served on the board of a Mid-South banking organization for almost ten years.

After selling his business interest in Chicago, Michael and Betty returned to Memphis and, shortly after, he wrote his first book, Good Choices Good Life. He then started a small educational nonprofit, which promotes good choice-making through topics on its website, http://www.GoodChoicesGoodLife.org.

Contact Information
mnelson234@gmail.com
901.412.6701

Good Choice Publications, LLC
6075 Poplar Avenue / Suite 413
Memphis, TN 38119

Nonprofit Website
http://www.GoodChoicesGoodLife.org

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