Congratulations to the Winners of My New Book!!

The results are in and by a winning margin of 56% to 44% the path and the tree image won the vote. There was a fantastic response to the voting, so I have decided to award 6 books as prizes rather than 2 as originally planned.
 
This morning I accessed a particularly good random number selector on the internet and randomly selected 6 numbers. Each person who voted had a number associated to them on the spreadsheet, so it was then an easy task to match up the names with the numbers selected.
 
The Winners
 
There were winners from the UK, Ireland, Germany and Dubai and the lucky winners are:
 
Robert Browne – UK
Dennis O’Connor – Ireland
Robin Wells – Dubai
Guido Bockshecker – Germany
Sarah Green – UK
Terry Norton – UK
 
You will each receive a signed and uniquely numbered hardback copy of the book in the post. A huge thank you to everyone who voted, sorry you didn’t win on this occasion and I hope that you will consider purchasing a copy when it comes out in around 4 weeks.
 
The book is finished and is with the proof-readers. It will be typeset, and I will receive a printed copy to check before it finally goes to print. It is quite exciting to have a second book and this is something I never saw coming a few years ago.
 
Vision and Belief

It just goes to show that it is never too late if you have a vision and belief. I am 66 years of age receiving my pension and just warming up. There is a lot more to come and I can’t wait to see what the next 12 months will bring.
 
Life’s road is not an easy path with twists and turns and that is what most people who voted for the path mentioned. But they also said that when you get to your destination, whatever that is for you personally, you can finally enjoy the fruits of your labour. 
 
Suicidal Man Survives Jump from Golden Gate Bridge
 
Since 1937, more than 2,000 people have lost their lives on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Kevin Hines, miraculously, isn’t one of them. Pushed to the brink by depression and anxiety his mental illness finally got the best of him, and he decided he couldn’t take it anymore.
 
He decided to commit suicide and jump from Golden Gate Bridge.
 
As he stood on the bridge, he watched people walking and driving past him. One woman stopped to talk to him but only to ask if he would take her picture.
 
Kevin explains, “I thought, growing up, that everything’s going to be great. Then at 17 it all came crashing down.”
 
If you can imagine, feeling that everyone around you is out to get you, trying to hurt you, and trying to kill you. And you believe that to be the truth.
 
“From the extreme paranoia, I exhibited symptoms of mania. From the mania came hallucinations both auditory and visual. And so with that and the bipolar disorder I was just spiralling out of control.”
 
“I vividly remember writing my suicide note. People don’t get it. I thought I was a burden to everyone who loved me. Because that’s what my brain told me. That’s how powerful your brain is.”
 
Kevin was desperate, but he didn’t think anyone cared. “The reality is, that everyone cared. I just couldn’t see it.”
 
“What I’m about to say,” Kevin shared about his suicide attempt, “is the exact same thing that 19 Golden Gate Bridge survivors have also said. The millisecond my hands left the rail, there was instant regret. And I remember thinking. No one is going to know that I didn’t want to die.
 
Kevin jumped, plummeting 25 stories down at 75mph, experiencing the worst pain in his life as he hit the water below, crushing his spinal vertebrae and breaking an ankle. But somehow, for some reason, Kevin survived. Even the first responders knew this was a miracle.
 
“The coast guard. . . said, ‘Do you know how many people we pull out of this water who are already dead?’ The guy put his hand on my forehead and said, ‘Kid you’re a miracle.’”
And now Kevin shares his story in order to help others.
 
How he’s using his second chance to bring awareness and understanding about mental illness is POWERFUL!
 
He is using his experience to help others
 
Kevin up to the age of 17 thought his life was going to be great then it all came crashing down. This can happen to any of us at any time. If we were to lose our entire family in a house fire and we alone survived could be one of those examples when life is turned upside down.
 
He has made a documentary and authored a memoir to help others facing similar challenges. Because he has been through it himself, he has authenticity and empathy. There are many accounts of people who have been helped by Kevin since that painful day. 
 
Thoughts for the week.  

1. What have you been through in your life which has gone really wrong?
2. Whatever it is which you have suffered gives you empathy for those facing the same situation.
3. I have helped many people facing divorce, bankruptcy, redundancy, rejection, and major surgery because I have been through these and I know what it feels like.
4. Think about those very painful times in your life and see if you could use those to help others in similar situations. Turn a negative into a positive because you are uniquely positioned to help, and it is a wonderful thing to do 

Well that’s it for this week have a wonderful weekend and keep Believing.
 
Warm and healthy regards

John

Off the Wall – How to Develop World Class Mental Resilience available HERE
http://www.jdmindcoach.co.uk/product/off-the-wall-how-to-develop-world-class-mental-resilience/ (Special offer. Put in code 10POUND when prompted to receive a signed copy for £10 including postage and packing – UK only