Stand Up for Your Life: A Practical Step-by-Step Plan to Build Inner Confidence and Personal Power

by Cheryl Richardson

We all want to make a difference in the world. We want to know that our lives matter, that our presence on Earth has meaning and purpose. I can assure you that you have a Divine assignment -- an important mission to fulfill. The first step in discovering and fulfilling this mission is to take a leadership role in your life.
-- from Stand Up for Your Life
In this book I'll take you on a journey that will provide you with new "self- honoring" strategies to transform your fear and self-doubt into power. You'll learn to trust yourself. You'll build new courage muscles that will increase your self-esteem. And you'll develop the confidence to step out into unknown territory so you can realize your greatest potential.
As we go through the program outlined in this book, I'll challenge you to:
- Know who you are
- Define your values
- Stop hiding your power
- Stand up for yourself
- Build your courage muscles
- Pass up good for great
- Center your life around your values
- Contribute to others in a meaningful way
If you're ready to stand up for your life, you've picked up the right book. Let's get started!

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Spirituality, Psychology, Personal Growth

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

About the author

Cheryl Richardson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of several books including: Take Time for Your Life, Life Makeovers, Stand Up for Your Life, The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, The Art of Extreme Self Care, You Can Create an Exceptional Life (with Louise Hay), and her new book, Waking Up in Winter: In Search of What Really Matters at Midlife. Her work has been covered widely in the media including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, New York Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and O Magazine. Cheryl was also the team leader for the Lifestyle Makeover Series on the Oprah Winfrey Show and she accompanied Ms. Winfrey on the "Live Your Best Life" nationwide tour. You can visit her at CherylRichardson.com as well as on Facebook at: Facebook.com/cherylrichardson, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram under the user name: coachoncall.

Reviews

[Tristan Wolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having recently celebrated (if that's the word) my 60th birthday, I still seek good advice where I can find it. The best advice I've seen lately came from a t-shirt bearing a statement had to do with 14 werewolves. Community standards prohibit me from quoting it here, but if you conduct an online search on that key phrase, you'll likely find what I'm talking about. (By the way: Yes, yes, by all the gods, yes.) I mention this as it explains why I consider myself a fairly good judge of self-help books. This one's about on par with others, which is one reason for its low score.

There's a common saying in self-help and other therapies which says that you have to work the program in order for the program to work. To put it into context by using a quote from satirist Tom Lehrer, "Life is like a sewer: What you get out of it depends on what you put into it." This book is formatted and presented as a workbook, with plenty of exercises designed to get you thinking about what limits your own power, encouraging you to develop better personal-support habits in a variety of areas. In this way, it's very much like any and every other self-help book, with little new to recommend it.

If you're as busy a reader as I am myself, you may share my self-imposed rule of giving a book 50 pages of your reading time before deciding if it's worth pursuing; several books have, with me, been set aside either For Now or Forever based upon this rule. In this case, I suggest fudging just a bit and skipping to chapter four (p. 117 in this edition). Entitled "Stand Up For Yourself," it's a good guide to setting your own boundaries -- something that many of us in (or in need of) therapy can use some help with. The workbook nature of this book is helpful in this regard, and it is what gets this book its second star. (I also award it for her, or her edit0r's, regular use of the Oxford comma.)

The downside of this (indeed, all) self-help books is that they must provide the best formulae for the largest number of people, and in so doing, reduce all help and support to its lowest common denominator. Richardson heads this argument off at the pass, warning against the "self-defeating" comment of "Yes, but my situation is different." Not so, she proclaims from her lofty status of having Gotten There and Making a Profit Off Of It. This was my first warning flag, and plenty more followed. Granted, short of finding a therapist, life coach, guru, or other guide to tailor a program specific to your individual needs, this is about as good as it gets. For this aspect of things, glean whatever you think will work for you and use it.

In my case, this book marks a score of attempts to help myself through this method of self-help; in every case, including this one, trying to use the methods, exercises, and approaches recommended led me to exactly where the author/coach thought I should be, and in no case did it lead me to myself. I'm sure that Richardson would say that "I did it wrong." However, taking her own advice about setting boundaries, I will assert that no one is allowed to tell me who I am, nor how I'm to discover and develop that unique Self, except me. So if you'll excuse me, I've got 14 werewolves to find.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to thank Cheryl Richardson. Her book helped me realized how important it is to step out of my comfort and to believe that my biggest dreams are the ones most likely to come true. When I read her book I was a stay at home mom, a role I was fulfilled with for nine years. I had reached a point in my life where I was ready for a change. Although I was afraid and was not sure if it was for me, I did the same thing as Cheryl. I joined Toastmasters Public Speaking club, I won awards for my speeches, I returned to school and graduated with honours from a radio broadcasting diploma program, I had my own business creating videos to promote business owners, I wrote a book to inspire others to lead more fulfilling lives and I now host a podcast where people who have overcame great challenges share their empowering stories. My life continues to expand in big and beautiful ways.

[Russell D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a practical program to lead you through the process of making self-affirming choices in your life. It outlines in detail the ways we place what others think of us ahead of our deepest desires. We often come to find we have never taken time to look closely at what we want because we spend time looking to meet standards set by others to find our self-worth. Take time to read over the process in full before diving in to do these exercises. You will be asked to do things that are scary and difficult. Keep in mind that you are worth your own effort! Take time to make these changes, one small step at a time!

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that helps you if you need help with your confidence and self esteem. This book will give you steps to help you with living outside of your comfort zone. She gives you steps to follow along the way. It is helpful and encouraging. There are lessons to do also which helps you with each chapter. I enjoyed it.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

informative a lot of work but worth it

[Rob Lewan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed book. Very simple but this is what you need sometimes. When I say simple, I mean easy to understand. She gives a lot of various things and ideas to simply improve your life.

[MountainAshleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended. Although the book is geared towards women (chronic people-pleasing/doormat types need to heed Richardson's advice), there's value for nearly everyone who needs a personal boost or a reminder that it's okay to have your own goals and set boundaries with others. I especially benefited form the four values exercise. This book also helped me gain the courage to set a clear boundary with a particularly difficult associate.

[Kate Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and all that it talked about. It was insightful, gave examples, and had plenty of exercises to do. Cheryl takes you by the hand and leads you to a path to gain greater self-confidence. I wanted to be in a Life Makeover group where I could go through these exercises with others. Can't wait to go through it again and take my time doing the exercises.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book if you are at the point in life where you want to move forward and stop living in the past. You must be ready for taking simple but effective changes in your life to find the happiness everyone desires. Also recommend Cheryl's other books to continue your journey.

[Nikki Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in my third year of college. Maybe I just read it at the perfect time, but I thought it was an excellent guide for taking control of your own life and decisions. Lots of interactive activities that make you explore your own position rather than just reading about someone else's.

[Mary Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheryl Richardson is one of my favorite authors. She is a life-coach and has been on Oprah and is associated with Louise Hays and has her own webpage. I find all her books and guidance very helpful and good suggestions for life.

[Deni Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing to fear if we can identify what would be scary circumstances ! This book perfectly help me out to understand my very own being when I really need to move forward of future, a very recommended book !

[Lisa]

Life

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good practical advice, easy to read with something left over to think about

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Directed more at a female audience, I nevertheless found lots of useful guidance in this audiobook.

[Clorinda]

treat this like a workbook and have a notebook or journal when you are reading this book. Good advice.

[Susan Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but I've managed to figure out most of this through experience. Wish I had read this while I was in university!

[Ivan]

it was nice

[Rare Soul]

هذا أقد كتاب قريته ب 2005

[kmm1985 · Rating 3 out of 5]

helpful - worth considering!

[Haifa ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

لن انسى ما حييت فضل الله ثم هذا الكتاب علي ...
جميييييل جداً لضعفاء الشخصيات ..
ساعدني على بناء ثقتي بنفسي دون اللجوء لأحد ...

[Dinazitawe · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful book, full of practical matters to let u go ahead by your self.
read it

[Jamie Weyermuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very helpful. Written as though she is your very own life coach.

[Danguole Danguolyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend to read for people which are lack of confidence and self esteem. Lot's of examples and exercises. You can answer lots of questions for yourself while reading this book. Enjoy it :)