[...]... (In fact, maybe it already has.) However: “All human unhappiness comes from not facing reality squarely, exactly as it is.” —Buddha Acknowledgments Thanks to the writers whose works have most influenced my life and this work: Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, Kennedy Shultz, Thomas Moore, Paramahansa Yogananda, Neale Donald Walsch, and all the many others whose books I have... duplicate their results As my friend Joe Charbonneau said, “Do what the masters do and you will become a master.” Shut Up! 5 LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS Great speakers, teachers, philosophers, and books are available on audiotape or compact disc and many are now even available as e-downloads on your computer via various web sites My best teachers have come to me through audiotapes And the best thing is that... and Get a Life People are becoming more and more tolerant of the whiners It is so commonplace we hardly notice it any more Not me I notice And it makes me sick What I find is the whiners, if you can get them to shut up for a minute, are also sick of whining They are whining to get attention and they really want someone to grab them and tell them to shut up, stop whining, and get a life! So if you are... be a rude awakening a slap in the face My style is confrontational However, my confrontational style by itself would only make you mad Now let us get clear on this: I am not afraid of making you mad In fact, I enjoy that a bit Because if you get a little mad, that means you are willing to be challenged And while you are being challenged, you can consider my suggestions for how to live a better life. .. have mastered all they speak of and write about, I would rather be honest and just tell you I am a mess like everyone else in this world I am just doing the best I can with what I have learned until I can learn a little more and then do a little better Actually that is all I am suggesting you do as well Learn a little from Preface xi this writing and do the best you can with it until you learn a little... needed help, and gave me encouragement and chastisement Each helped me more than I can ever say in their unique and different way To Keppler Associates, Inc This great team of people understands what I do and keeps me on the road in front of people so I can do it They are fun to work with—true professionals and keep my calendar full and the money coming in Special thanks to Vic Osteen, my marketing director,... for a minute and pay attention That has probably been your biggest problem You were so busy talking you did not shut up long enough to pay attention You missed all the important lessons of life “Most of us are so busy running around creating the soap opera and drama we call our lives that we don’t hear anything.” —Louise Hay In the New Testament there is a story about Jesus, traveling in a fishing boat... his disciples A big wind comes up, the waves rise, 1 2 Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life and all of the disciples think they’re going to die They awaken Jesus from his nap, whining and crying, and he says, “Hush, be still” (Mark 4:39 KJV) Then he goes on to talk to them about their faith (But he first has to make the winds, the waves, and the disciples hush.) When I was growing up, I was often told...Preface This book is tough It is meant to be It is written that way because I want to shake you up and wake you up I want to make you mad I want to make you sick of accepting less than the best for yourself I want you to become disgusted with your life and I want to create in you an intense desire to have more, do more and most of all, become more I want you to see you can create the life you want I want... totally confused by the fact that both his wife and his girlfriend are leaving him He just cannot figure out how that could happen Well, let me see You are fat, ugly, and stupid; you have tattoos from head to toe and only have three teeth Get a clue! Very few of us are willing to take responsibility for what is happening in our life Why should we? No one is really asking us to 9 10 Shut Up, Stop Whining, . 11:08 AM Page iii Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life ffirs 5/28/04 11:08 AM Page i ffirs 5/28/04 11:08 AM Page ii Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life A. at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publications Data: Winget, Larry. Shut up, stop whining, and get a life : a kick-butt approach to a