It is my sincere belief that if the reader not only reads but also rereads one of these twenty-one suggestions on a daily basis, genuine growth will occur. At the very least, these ideas, obvious in themselves, are nonetheless calling us to accountability, to enlarged consciousness, when so much of daily life plows onward the same, driven by external pressures and the internalized scripts we all have.
These challenges are pragmatic and demanding and are shared in good faith, with a warm heart, and with sincere good wishes to the reader. Consider them; meet them anew in different contexts and stages of your life. Over time they may transform from ideas into changed internal structures that help you make different choices in the thousand forking paths you traverse each day.
As I reflect on these steps, I find them helpful in my approach to my life. I have shared them to some good effect with clients and audiences, and I share them now with other travelers on this journey we call our lives. There are many perils on this journey, and it ends in the great democracy of the grave—and yes, each of us has to make the journey on our own and by our own lights. But there are many—sometimes invisible—fine companions on that road, a worthy collection of thoughtful souls such as yourself, so you are not alone. Alone and together, our lives matter and make a difference.