Piscataway 5/7/2013 5:13:52 PM
Making Optimism Contagious With Positive Forward Thinking
Making Optimism Contagious With Positive Forward Thinking
The fast pace of our lives can seem like an infinite loop. For many, this includes the constant barrage of emails, a 24/7 workplace, busy families, the challenges of uncertainty, and life’s trials and tribulations. All of this can make it easy for someone to get sucked into a “poor me” cycle.
Instead of dwelling on the negative, David Mezzapelle, and co-author Dr. Colleen Georges, recommend tuning your mind to the positive. Contagious Optimism: Uplifting Stories and Motivational Advice for Positive Forward Thinking (Viva Editions, June 2013) is inspired by the idea of “positive forward thinking” created by Mezzapelle, serial entrepreneur and founder of several well-known companies such as Goliath Technology, GoliathJobs, JobsOver50, and Goliath-SilverCensus.
Positive forward thinking is the ability to find the silver lining in every cloud no matter how difficult yesterday or today may be. Nowadays, many people have lost confidence in themselves and the world around them due to personal hardship along with economic and political uncertainty worldwide. Mezzapelle believes that we all have stories that can inspire and motivate others across many of life's themes. “We all have the capacity to make optimism contagious,” says Mezzapelle. “Whether people are enduring good times or bad, just knowing that others have persevered from similar experiences is comforting and spreads a message of hope,” he asserts.
Dr. Georges, and the entire Contagious Optimism team, deliver pure inspiration that will lift hearts, open minds, and create a movement of pass-it-on hope and happiness. A compendium of encouragement, this book shows readers that it’s possible to look for and FIND silver linings in every cloud. Developed by some of the team that brought you Random Acts of Kindness, this book is rather like Chicken Soup for the Soul meets Pay It Forward, with extra pizzazz!” Contagious Optimism includes over one hundred stories and parables of amazing life turnarounds and contagious insight from real people around the globe, as well as advice and guidance from business leaders, visionaries, and professionals. Contagious Optimism contributors include:
Ricky Wade — raised in Jamaica with poverty all around him, Wade worked his way up to become one of the top McDonald’s franchisees in Florida, mentoring and hiring at-risk youth in his stores.
Daniel Tully — considered one of the top executives to ever grace Wall Street, Tully’s strong belief in values, ethics, and optimism, coupled with his drive to instill these attributes in his team, led Merrill Lynch & Co. to record success during his era as chairman and CEO.
Marshall Goldsmith—America’s preeminent executive coach, Goldsmith is recognized by the London Times as one of the fifteen most influential business thinkers in the world. Nancy Ferrari—the “Oprah of Radio,” dedicated to giving all women the tools and inspiration for success in work and life.
“It is impossible to inoculate oneself against the contagion of optimism that pours out from the stories of the courageous men and women in this book who show us how we can soar and flourish in the very midst of life’s challenges. Read Contagious Optimism and celebrate the human spirit!” Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center and author of Life Visioning.
About the Author:
David Mezzapelle has been motivating others to be positive since his childhood. Mezzapelle was the founder and director of marketing for Goliath Technology, a leader in data center infrastructure that supported enterprises worldwide. In addition, he orchestrated one of the most innovative academic internship programs ever created. A graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut, Mezzapelle works with students at Fairfield on this Contagious Optimism book project every semester. The experience has proven successful for the students in many ways. A portion of the proceeds from Contagious Optimism will go to Fairfield University and various charities. After selling Goliath Technology, Mezzapelle launched several companies. Today, Mezzapelle consults on various projects and initiatives along with serving on several public and private boards. Throughout his life he has encountered great peaks and valleys, all of which he is thankful for. He never lost sight along the way and has kept his positive attitude and confidence at 110 percent. A regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and various other international publications, Mezzapelle has been a frequent guest on radio and television. He resides in Jupiter, Florida with his wife, Courtney.
About Dr. Colleen Georges:
Dr. Colleen Georges has been serving as a counselor and coach for 15 years, helping to guide individuals through self-discovery, and personal and professional goal achievement. Today, she owns Colleen’s Career Creations, where she facilitates career workshops and provides career coaching and résumé writing services for clients across the professional spectrum. Dr. Georges is also a faculty member at Rutgers University, where she teaches graduate-level counseling and undergraduate women’s leadership courses. She received her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Rutgers University, is a NJ Licensed Professional Counselor, and holds over a dozen certifications in positive psychology, life and career coaching, résumé writing, and job search. Her publications include co-authorship in Contagious Optimism and 101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career, and work featured in the Gallery of Best Resumes, 5th Edition.
Contagious Optimism
Uplifting Stories and Motivational Advice for Positive Forward Thinking
By David Mezzapelle, Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith
ISBN: 978-1-936740-41-3
Trade Paper, $16.95
5.5” x 8.25”, 272 pages
Publishing on National Smile Power Day, June 15, 2013
Contact: Eileen Duhné, eduhne@comcast.net, 415-459.2573
Brenda Knight, bknight@cleispress.com, 510-845-8000
