Twenty-One Days-Plus: A Journey to Me

By Roosevelt Brooks

Twenty-one Days-Plus offers a way for anyone to identify areas in their lives that they need and are willing to improve. Twenty-one Days-Plus can help you in selecting doable steps that lead to behavior and life style modifications that get you closer to your goals, and that lead to self-discovery. Within the pages of this book, you will find techniques that aid you in starting and completing any personal growth journey. The book also explores the spiritual journey that takes us closer to God, as well as the journeys to find purpose, meaning, balance and wholeness.

It is amazing how many of us have thoughts turning in our heads, that make us believe if we wait long enough, a hero will show up to save us. That belief generates a mindset that causes us to give away our power to make a difference, and it diminishes our ability to see ourselves as part of the solution. As we wait for someone else to save the day, we may lose our hope and sink into the bowels of disparity, which darkens our outlook on life and chips away at our self-esteem. It is extremely hard to see the hero-within when we only look for him or her outside of ourselves. There is nothing wrong with waiting for a hero to come along. However, it would be wise to let go of the expectation that someone other than ourselves will make us happy, or rescue us from the plights we face. Personal change requires personal commitment and only the hero-within you can make that commitment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452035949

Roosevelt Brooks

Roosevelt has lived in Seattle, Washington, for over twenty-five years. He has an extensive background in social service and counseling, with over twenty years of experience working with individuals and groups seeking meaningful change in their life. His counseling philosophy is based on the existential therapy approach, which allows individuals from all walks of life to address important life themes. Themes include living and dying, freedom, responsibility to self and others, finding meaning in life, and dealing with feelings of meaninglessness. More than other therapies, existential psychotherapy examines individuals awareness of themselves and their ability to look beyond their immediate problems and the daily events of human existence. Because individuals do not exist in isolation from others, developing honest and intimate relationships with others is a theme throughout existential therapy. Roosevelt holds a masters degree in psychology with a concentration in mental health counseling. He also holds certifications as a long-term psychiatric disability specialist and a minority mental health specialist, as well as a special population consultant specialist. He has provided counsel and support to families and individuals from all walks of life. Twenty-One Days-Plus shares with its readers many of the lessons he has learned and fundamental tools that have proven essential for personal growth and self-discovery.

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© 2011 Roosevelt Brooks MA.PSY, CMHC. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 1/24/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4520-3593-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-3594-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010908633

Printed in the United States of America

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This book is dedicated to my wife, Janice Brooks, for her support of my vision; to you, the reader; and to all those who find the courage to take the journeys that lead to self-discovery, balance, wholeness, and a better world.

Roosevelt Brooks, MA. PSY, CMHC

I’m Going on a Journey

I am going on a journey, and I’m starting it today.

I don’t know what kind of adventures

I will find along the way.

I am going on a journey,

I don’t know who or what I’ll see,

but on this journey, I am sure to find me.

I am going on a journey,

I don’t know if it is near or far,

I can’t tell you how I’ll travel

maybe by train, plane, bus or by car.

I don’t know which way I’ll travel,

south, north, west or east,

but at the completion of this journey

I am sure to find true peace.

I have learned through my travels,

I must walk first inch, then foot, then mile,

and if our paths should meet

you will remember me with a smile.

Departure comes as quick as the blink of an eye,

often not leaving time for farewells or good-byes,

so do it today, take time to say I love you.

And at the end of my journey,

when it is time for me to rest,

I want to be able to stand before God

and say, I did my best.

—Barbara Jean Lewis

Foreword

The Twenty-One-Day-Plus Program was written with the intent of empowering you to get closer to the person you want to be, and assisting you in reaching a new level of self-actualization. My objective for this book is to help you identify doable steps that will aid you in taking a journey to the authentic you: the person within, whom you may not have met yet, but whom you yearn to know. As a result of working in the field of social services and counseling for over twenty years, I have observed many people struggle with finding time for personal development and growth. Obligations to family, friends, employers, and others often compels us to put self on the back burner, forcing us to quietly pack our hopes and aspirations away, as we cheer others on to their victories. Over the years, I have witnessed people make promises to take better care of their bodies or to find time to pursue their passions or to pursue personal dreams. And I have seen their disappointments when those promises get broken because they believe someone or something else is more important.

There are many theories on how to take a journey that ends in self-discovery, behavior change, and reaching goals. The one that I have found to be the most empowering is the twenty-one-day theory, which is based on research and filled with biblical principles. Research shows that a behavior can be changed or a new one developed if a person performs the same task consecutively for twenty-one days. However, the Twenty-One-Day-Plus Program requires not only that the activity be doable but that it be linked to a reachable goal that is relevant to the journey you are on.

The Twenty-One-Day-Plus Program offers a way for you to identify areas in your life that need work or that you are willing to improve. My program can help you in selecting doable steps that lead to behavior and lifestyle modifications that will get you closer to your goals and lead to self-discovery. Within the pages of this book, you will find techniques that aid you in starting and completing any personal-growth journey that is based on your vision for your