All Is Well 2: More Stories of Guts and Grace, Courage and Compassion.

As soon as the first volume in the All Is Well series was launched in December 2010 word began to spread about how inspiring it is. Positive reviews were received and encouraging feedback came rolling in. Many people told us that they had intended to read just one story a day, but found they couldn't put it down once they began, and stayed up most of the night reading it. Also, the subtitle 29 stories of Guts and Grace, Courage and Compassion was declared particularly apt to what they had learned about the story authors.

Readers reported feeling inspired and encouraged to make their own personal changes. They found that they were starting with a new mindset that included "If they can change their life by changing their mind, so can I." Others thought "Yeah, I'd really like to…" quickly followed by the questions, "…just what does change your mind mean?" or "How do I do that?" Now they had some specific examples in the book to refer to, and in addition, we taught an All Is Well class for people who wanted to create their own personal change. Actually the first six-week class prompted this second book into being. The final assignment due on the last night was to write a story about a time when they actually changed their life by changing their mind. We had anticipated that all the stories would be read in one evening. However, we quickly realized that the stories were longer than expected and we were running out of time. So we took a vote:
1.Stop at 10 p.m. and some stories would not be heard
2.Stay until all were heard (that would mean we'd be there until nearly midnight)
3.Come back the next week to hear the rest of the stories read by their classmates

The stories were so open and heart-warming no one wanted to miss even one, so the entire class voted to return the next week to hear the remaining stories. Every member came back the next week. It was gratifying to see how supportive and caring the group was of each other. The class participants and the instructors were so touched by this.

Meeting later at a local coffee house we (David and Lee) discussed once again the power of stories to get our attention and to ignite the full range of emotions that set off our laughter or tears, or motivate us to make new decisions and to align goals.

We had just witnessed the power of story telling in action. Class members learned that stories can actually change a situation from one outcome to a completely different one. Some of those shifts are astounding.

Stories show that we are all part of a larger group and remove a sense of isolation. Stories console us by letting us know that we are united with the rest of humanity and that others have been in the place where we are now. They help us to avoid pain or hurt as we learn from someone else's story. Many stories stay with us throughout our lifetime and are replayed mentally over and over again and assist us to create a new life. As you read you will be amazed at how people have overcome difficulties in their lives and gone on to thrive.

We know that their stories could motivate, encourage, instigate, and arouse others. So we asked the All Is Well class to share the stories they wrote about how they changed their life by changing their mind … and many from the class generously said, "Yes!"

This book is the result of the story authors' openness and generosity. Just as the stories in Book I are powerful, these are too. Reading them inspires you to envision what you can create in your own life. The worksheets will help you to process your own "stuff." Write down your own questions, answers, and ideas to "change your life, by changing your mind."

Enjoy the process!