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Simple Truths Bloggers, I am proud to introduce BJ Gallagher, author of her new book THE BEST WAY OUT IS ALWAYS THROUGH for sale only on our website starting Tuesday. BJ agreed to write a special entry just for you, our blog audience! It is my honor to present her article:

I'm in New York this week for the annual publishing confab known as Book Expo America. But it isn't books that New Yorkers are buzzing about – it's the nomination of Bronx native Sonia Sotomayor to be the next Justice of the Supreme Court.
The daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants, Sotomayor grew up in the housing projects – an inauspicious beginning for a woman who spent her adult years distinguishing herself with stellar accomplishments and has now risen to the top job in jurisprudence. New Yorkers are proud of their favorite daughter; Puerto Ricans are jubilant; and young mothers in the projects have new hope that perhaps their daughters, too, might someday achieve success. But it's not just New Yorkers, Puerto Ricans, and women in the projects who are inspired by the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Latinas and Latinos all across America are exultant over the rise to power of one of their own – it's proof positive that they, too, can live the American Dream. Women of all colors throughout our land are exultant that another shard has been broken from the proverbial glass ceiling. And people from many nations around the world are marveling at how the American "Land of Opportunity" truly seems to be the real deal – not just a cultural myth. I'm thrilled and excited too – for women everywhere, for our amazing country, and for the human spirit.
Sonia Sotomayor's story is a testament to her perseverance, determination, guts, and persistence – she is living proof of what one can achieve when she puts her mind to it. Her story is the story of all women – and men – of courage and vision. Her success is a reminder of what any of us – all of us – can do when we persevere … despite the poor start in life, regardless of skin color or cultural background, in the face of daunting odds stacked against us. Her victory is our victory – collectively and individually.
My new book, THE BEST WAY OUT IS ALWAYS THROUGH, is filled with stories not unlike Sonia Sotomayor's – stories of hope, vision, persistence, dogged determination, and a commitment to keep going no matter what. Their stories inspire me – and humble me. Abraham Lincoln battled years of severe depression, grief, and loss to rise to become President and led our country out of civil war; Mary Kay Ash started making cosmetics in her kitchen and founded a hugely successful international business; physicist Stephen Hawking persists in conquering new frontiers in science despite the fact that he is a virtual prisoner in his own body, completely crippled with Lou Gehrig's disease; Paul Orfalea, who, despite having severe dyslexia and ADD, founded his own company – Kinko's – and built it into the success it is today. These people are not myths or legends – they are ordinary people who have achieved extraordinary things. How can I – how can you – how can any of us not be inspired to persevere and make our own dreams come true?

THE BEST WAY OUT IS ALWAYS THROUGH is available on Tuesday, check back for more information, and here's a link to check out BJ's personal website. Thanks again to BJ for your thoughts. And now, please share your thoughts on perseverance, motivation, or whatever you are thinking with us in the comments section.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
-Calvin Coolidge

Last year around this time, most reporters used "the R word" to describe the country's economic situation. Now, we all go ahead and say "recession", because we can all agree that we are, in fact, in a recession. What does this imply for your lifestyle and savings? Across the board we see 401k plans, other investments, and the DOW taking big hits, sometimes half of what they used to be at the high points.

Our situation reminds me of a parable called "Shake it Off and Step Up":

A farmer owned a mule that fell into a well. After assessing the situation, the farmer reluctantly concluded that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and enlisted them to help bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was frantic, but as the dirt kept hitting his back, something happened. It dawned on the mule that every time a shovel load landed on his back, he should SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. Shake it of and step up... shake it off and step up. No matter how painful the blows or how distressing the situation, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! Before long, the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly through the mouth of that well. What seemed like it would bury him, actually helped him... all because of how he handled adversity.

Such is the economy, such is life. As I calm down and look at the facts, downturns in the economy come and go quite frequently, roughly every 5 to 7 years. Ever since we started keeping track, the bounce back after a recession elevates stocks higher than they were before. According to those same results, the investors that stuck it out and avoided selling in the low times made some ROI that matched the recovery. That persistence of waiting out the hard times produced some great returns in the end.

Now, I do not write this as investment advice. I do, however, want you to think about the economy as you think about life. How are you responding to challenges, are you selling at a low price when the outlook is grim or are you sticking it out for better times? Share your story as a comment below, and let's hear about persistence in challenging times.

"To get what we have never had, we must do what we have never done."

From the Simple Truths archives, I bring you the "212": The Extra Degree video. The concept behind the book is that a marginal degree of heat makes the difference between hot water and steam, much like life when a marginal amount of effort often separates the first from the second place, the winner from the losers.

Though "212" was released early on, it remains as one of our most sought-after titles three years later. If you have not yet, click on the link to see the video that millions have viewed. If you have seen it, watch it again for a shot of inspiration for this week. Thank you, and share how YOU will give 212 degrees this week! Click here to view the movie.

Click here to learn more about the book.

More is Best or More is Less? Listening to the song, "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts helps me to answer that question. Even if you are not a country music fan, I think you can still identify with his lyrics about the fast pace of life these days and the reward of relaxing to enjoy life. In the song, he sings about missing Mayberry, the fictional town featured in "The Andy Griffith Show", and the simple pleasures of knowing all the neighbors, sitting on the front porch watching clouds, and living life at a slower pace.

John Blumberg, author of Good to the Core: Building Value with Values, has the idea of the "mental front porch". Instead of me telling you what it is, let's hear John describe it in his own words:

Front Porch from John Blumberg on Vimeo.

That really says it all. Having that mental front porch not only gives us some time to relax, but in the frantic times when we are forced to make decisions, we have an imaginary place to sit and remember our priorities. We can disconnect from our problems and reconnect with the values that help us to make the best decision.

This brings me to a challenge for you: what are you doing to re-center yourself in times of stress? How can you build that mental front porch? Check out John's blog for his approach, and share your ideas and reactions in the comments section!

"And all you have to do to win, is rise each time you fall."

This simple truth comes from the poem-turned-book The Race: Life's Greatest Lesson by Dee Groberg, describing a boy's determination in a running race. Sometimes, that key ingredient to winning is picking yourself up after falling. That second chance brings with it a determination to take an honest look at what went wrong, and do it right the second, third, and however many times it takes to succeed. After all, as Laurence Shames said, "Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions – the hero and the sidekick."

I would like to say thank you to all of the loyal subscribers out there. You have been waiting patiently for the Simple Truths blog to restart after a short hiatus, and I am here to deliver more inspiration to your email inbox or RSS feed. If you are reading out blog for the first time today, welcome, and subscribe to the blog. We have videos, audio interviews, guest bloggers, and more in the line up, so keep posted for motivation brought to you via Simple Truths!

For now though, sit back and enjoy a video of The Race: Life's Greatest Lesson.

Click here to view the movie.

As you watch, think of times that you have been able to turn failures into success. And, if you have a particular story that comes to mind, share it in a comment below! Thank you again, and enjoy the show.