MSI Press Blog

  Excerpt from  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star Affective Dissonance: Disqualifying the Positive Disqualifying the positive says a lot about your own self-esteem. It is a case where you are always putting yourself down, and this probably happens in other areas, as well, not just in language learning. When you do not understand how marvelous you are (even if you are not the top student in the classroom—there are so many other ways to be a good language learner and a good person than a high test score), you start looking for what is wrong with you. When you do that, you start seeing your negative qualities (c’mon, we all have them, and if we look hard enough, we will see them, and if we are honest enough, we will admit them), and overlook all your positive qualities, either personal or related to study and performance even when the positive qualities outnumber the negative qualities. When you do that , it becomes difficult to be a good learner.   Defining how

    What is a book jewel? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Starting in August, we will share near-daily, as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is  The Optimistic Food Addict  by Christina Fisanick. Amazon review by E. B. - Worth the read! I finished this book in just a few hours. I didn't expect to be drawn into her story as much as I was. I admire her strength through such a difficult life. I also appreciate her honesty in sharing her story. Reading this book helped me to begin to understand myself a little more, and maybe some of the reasons why I struggle with a food addiction. Some of her experie

  Excerpt from A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing by Joanna Romer - How to Figure Out What Pleases You You know what your mother likes; ditto your daughter and your best friend. But do you really know what warms your soul? What single thing or combination of factors is necessary to soothe your inner being? Often we don’t know—a family reunion may bring tears of joy to your sister Gillian, but it leaves you cold. Your next door neighbor Amy thrives on frequent trips to the mall, but you’d rather drive to an out-of-the way antique store and shop for a “find.”  Every woman is different, and we make a mistake when we tag along on someone else’s pleasure jaunt thinking it’s ours too (unless of course our purpose is to give that person a treat). If our goal is to please ourselves, we need to plumb to the bottom of our consciousness and discover that special something that brings us joy. The good news is, the older we get the easier it is to figure this out, simply by the process of

  excerpt from A Widower's Guide to a New Life (Romer) -  Self-Esteem What gives you self-esteem? Is it wearing a clean shirt and well-polished shoes when you’re heading out to dinner with a friend, whether male or female? Is it the knowledge that you can still be useful as you fix your neighbor’s lawn mower, or maybe even her computer?  Is it the fact that the woman in the grocery store smiled at you when you let her go ahead of you in line, or the realization that you can still beat your old pal Phil on the tennis court after 31 years? All of these things (and more) can contribute to self-esteem, a very useful commodity for a widower to have. Chances are, if you’ve lost your wife recently, your self-esteem has taken a beating. When our typical routine is drastically altered and we find ourselves struggling with everyday events, one of the first things to plummet is our opinion of ourselves. That good opinion, that high self-regard, is very important in the process of healing. Mo

From the blog of Marti Wells-Smithm author of Lamentations of the Heart : As I believe it is for most of us, I have moments where I question myself - what I've managed to accomplish in life, and where it all stands in this particular time and place. Do I do enough for God's Kingdom? Do I have a positive impact on those who move within my circle, or at least within my reach? Sometimes I think so. But not always. It is written in John 4:44 that not even Jesus Christ Himself had honor in His own country. One explanation offered is the factor of familiarity. Read the rest of the post on Marti's blog HERE . For more posts about Marti and her book, click HERE Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthco

excerpt from Road Map to Power -  Chapter 5: Self-Focus and the Challenges of the Discontent Rule of the Road: Looking for security? It’s in the attachment. Mile Markers: Attachment, Self-Esteem, Self-Focus, Bullying, Celebrity Worship, Real vs. Ideal Self, Social Comparison, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Eating Disorders, Rosebud Four former high school chums, George, James, Phil, and Tom, meet for a highly anticipated reunion with their coach to celebrate past victories and relive previous triumphs. Sounds like a scene from any of a myriad of communities across the landscape of the United States. It is also the premise for Jason Miller’s play, That Championship Season, winner of Pulitzer and Tony awards. Originally debuting in 1972, the play was a rebuke of time-honored traditions and a challenge to many of the collective values held by society at large. Set in the coal mining town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, four star athletes return to the house of their former coach to share the la