The Power of Your Past The Art of Recalling, Reclaiming, and Recasting

Most of us donrs"t use our yesterdays very well. With our cultural obsession with "living in the moment," we neglect to engage in creative reflection on our personal histories. InThe Power Of Your Past,John Schuster systematically demonstrates that our pasts are the biggest, most accessible, and most under-utilized of resources for anyone wanting to make positive changes. In contrast to other more technical, spiritual, or therapeutic guides that address working with oners"s past, he offers a balanced, practical and accessible approach through an actionable three-phase model: Recalling, Reclaiming, and Recasting. He provides exercises that link past events to achieving sounder interpretations and illustrates the process with inspiring histories of those who have experienced transformative results through embracing their own professional and personal pasts. Schuster provides insight, encouragement, and steps for essential professional and personal development. Readers who follow this model will make progress in careers short on heart and meaning, overcome obstacles that other methods canrs"t address, and make decisions based on their truth, not the "versions" of truth they have inherited and not fully examined. They will enjoy the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that all they need to grow-insight, courage and persistence are the ingredients-is already within.

John P. Schuster is a principal of the Schuster Kane Alliance, Inc. He serves on the faculty for the coaching programs at Columbia University and the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara and is the author of Answering Your Call.

Preface
Introduction: Your past can work for you

Part I: Discovering the power of your past
Chapter 1: The underused past: the price of forgotten yesterdays
Chapter 2: Good and bad news: evoked and compressed

Part II: Tapping the power of your past
Chapter 3: Recall
Chapter 4: Reclaim
Chapter 5: Recast

Part III: Channeling the power of your past
Chapter 6: A big question: When to say yes and no
Chapter 7: Using suffering to grow
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author