The Little Book of Success: Turn Your Dreams into Reality with Four Simple Tools

By Barbara Bentley

When life threw her an unexpected curve, Barbara Bentley took the experience and turned it into a book to help others understand the crazymaking world of psychopaths. While writing her first book, Barbara discovered that she had used four simple tools throughout her life to create success after success. She wrote "The Little Book of Success" to share her discoveries. Using everyday examples from her life, she illustrates how passion, planning, patience, and persistence turned her dreams into reality. This little book will help you do the same. At the end of each chapter, there are questions to "Give it Some Thought" with the hope that it prompts the reader to find and create the success in their lives.

"My success as a novelist began when I adopted the principle of the four P's. Many have talent, but it is pursuing our dreams with passion and overcoming obstacles with patience, persistence and, sometimes, prayer, tht brings true success. The Little Book of Success should be on every home coffee table." Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Author

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barbara Bentley
• Release date: May 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476266893

Barbara Bentley

I grew up in a small blue-collar town in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I pedaled my bicycle to the local park to collect discarded soda bottles to pay my way to the Saturday matinee, read Nancy Drew mysteries, met with friends for bowling and roller skating excursions, and buried my nose in my school books. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would become an internationally published author who has appeared on national television in the United States and Canada. I entered the world of writing quite by accident; it was the result of my husband trying to murder me by ether asphyxiation. As I helped the homicide detective prepare my case for trial, I decided to write a book to help others understand the crazymaking world of psychopaths and how their cleverness can trap the most unsuspecting victim who has been raised in an environment of trust. I also made the decision to change an unjust divorce law that had me give my attacker half of my retirement fund and alimony. Having made the decision to tell my story, it was now time to learn how to write. I read books, joined the International Women's Writing Guild, and attended the Writers Retreat Workshop. I used passion, planning, patience, and persistence to see Penguin's Berkley Books publish my book "A Dance with the Devil: A True Story of Marriage to a Psychopath." Little did I know that when I started the story was not finished; the successful end was that several years later I did change the divorce law of California. I feel blessed that my story has been featured on Dateline NBC, the Lifetime Television show "Final Justice" hosted by Erin Brockovich and the Canadian network VIVA in their series "The Devil You Know." In 2009, I won the prestigious Paul H. Chapman award from the Foundation for the Improvement of Justice in Atlanta, Georgia, for my role in changing the divorce law. I believe I am one person who can make a difference and I field numerous emails from victims who thank me for writing my book while they tell me how it has positively affected their lives. I willingly share my experience whenever the opportunity arises. I am a motivational speaker who has spoken to audiences numbering from ten to five hundred for such diverse organizations as the American Association of University Women, Soroptimists, the International Women's Writing Guild, St. Mary's University, Children's Advocacy Program and Diablo Valley College and was part of an all day seminar titled "Dream It, Do It." I'm retired after 39 years in the business world and have found that I enjoy writing. I am now a lifetime member of the California Writers Club and currently serve as secretary for one my local branch. Writing interests include authoring and illustrating a fairy tale trilogy and penning an historical novel about a strong Irish woman. My second book, based on what I discovered about myself as I wrote my first book,is "The Little Book of Success: Turn Your Drems into Reality with Four Simple Tools." I live in Northern California with my husband of fiftenn years, and our cat Sierra. My husband and I are award-winning home wine and label makers who love to travel extensively around the globe. Please visit my website www.adancewiththedevil.com to help others learn about psychopaths, recovery, advocacy, and writing. Email: [e-mail] Web Page (1): www.adancewiththedevil.com Web Page (2): www.bentleycellars.com Web Page (3): www.barbarabentley.net Twitter: http://twitter.com/BarbaraBentley YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rmtJw6iArc YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHORIrAIj7E

Book preview

The Little Book of Success:

Turn Your Dreams into Reality with Four Simple Tools

By

Barbara Bentley

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Barbara Bentley.

This book is an original publication of Barbara Bentley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information, email [e-mail].

The various quotes in this book comply with fair use laws and come from The Best of Success: A Treasury of Success Ideas compiled by Wynn Davis, Great Quotations Publishing Company, 1988.

Benjamin Franklin quote is from Poor Richard’s Almanac, June 1736

Barbara Bentley, 1945 –

The Little Book of Success: Turn your dreams into reality with four simple tools/ BarbaraBentley

Cover photo and design by Barbara Bentley

Author photo by Rex Johnston

I dedicate this book to my husband, Rex Johnston,

whose love and support help me to fulfill my dreams.

Other Books by Barbara Bentley

A Dance with the Devil: A True Story of Marriage to a Psychopath

www.adancewiththedevil.com

www.barbarabentley.net

Table of Contents

Introduction

Passion

Planning

Patience

Persistence

Achieve Your Dream: Success

Appendix: The Power of P

It takes a little courage

And a little self-control

And some grim determination

If you want to reach your goal.

It takes a deal of striving,

And a firm and stern-set chin.

No matter what the battle,

If you really want to win.

There's no easy path to glory,

There's no rosy road to fame.

Life, however we may view it,

Is no simple parlor game.

But its prizes call for fighting,

For endurance and for grit,

For a rugged disposition,

And a don't-know-when-to-quit.

—Unknown

INTRODUCTION

"I do the very best I know how – the very best I can;

and I mean to keep on doing so until the end."

—Abraham Lincoln

Each person’s story is unique, but in this shared existence called humanity we soon discover we are not alone in our personal thoughts and desires. We may differ in the color of our skin, the religion we practice, our ethnic roots, our education, our intelligence, or our talents, but deep down we have similar goals that define us as human. The most basic goal is survival. We come screaming into the world without an instruction booklet and shift into survival mode, looking for our first meal as we fill our lungs with oxygen. Once our basic needs are met, we begin to develop. With each decision we make as we chart our life's journey, we uncover a new and amazing world of opportunities and adventures. Soon we realize we need tools to help us achieve our goals. It’s easy to understand the importance of using the right physical tools to complete a project. It is less easy, but equally important, to understand that the right mental tools are just as important for our personal success.

Before I began to write my memoir A Dance with the Devil: A True Story of Marriage to a Psychopath, I scoured photo albums, calendars, day planners, and documents, digging deeper and deeper into my experiences to understand what had happened in my life. As I dusted away the cobwebs and organized and analyzed my data, a pattern emerged: the successes in my