Chicken Soup for the Soul: All Your Favorite Original Stories Read online

  What People Are Saying About Chicken Soup for the Soul

  “After interviewing hundreds of rich and famous people, it is clear to me that money and fame don’t automatically make people happy. It has to come from within. I’d rather have a million smiles in my heart than a million dollars in my pocket. Chicken Soup for the Soul will help you put a million smiles in your heart.”

  Robin Leach

  TV personality and author

  “Telling stories is one of the most powerful ways to teach values and open doors to new possibilities. In this rich and varied collection, everyone will find at least a few stories that strike a special resonance — stories one will treasure and want to share.”

  Nathaniel Branden

  Author, The Power of Self-Esteem

  “This is a warm, wonderful, uplifting and inspiring book full of ideas and insights that anyone can use to improve any part of his or her life. It should be read, reflected upon and reread over and over.”

  Brian Tracy

  Author, The Psychology of Achievement

  “This book is wisdom and solace for the ages. It is as contemporary as a space walk and as timeless as a pyramid. The world needs storytellers to help us make sense out of the confusion and chaos of these complex times. Jack and Mark are consummate tellers and collectors of real-life stories. What a gift: to teachers, to speechmakers, to anyone on his or her own journey of growth and healing. It’s all here, and written with wit, compassion and integrity.”

  Sidney B. Simon

  Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, and coauthor of Values Clarification, Forgiveness and 14 other books

  “I enjoyed every page. The stories are heartrending and extremely motivational, the poetry is beautiful and the quotes are highly profound and meaningful. Jack and Mark have truly compiled a tremendous amount of wisdom. Its contents provide great insight into all dimensions of life.

  “This book would make a wonderful gift for others to share with their loved ones, and you can rest assured that I will be purchasing additional copies for my family and friends.”

  Richard Loughlin

  President, Century 21 Real Estate Corp.

  “What a great book! Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen have written a book that has the same effect as my grandmother’s chicken soup did… It’s warm and it’s soothing. I plan on using it whenever I need a little love.”

  Dawn Steel

  Former President, Columbia Pictures

  “Chicken Soup for the Soul is a powerful reminder that the main ingredient in life is Love. It should be required reading for all.”

  Wally Amos

  Famous Amos Cookies

  “What a wonderful gift you have given us with this collection of inspirational stories! And what a wonderful gift it will be for my friends! I’m convinced that Chicken Soup for the Soul should be on everyone’s bedside table to read for 30 minutes at the end of the day to retain one’s faith in human nature and the basic goodness in all people.

  “The stories you have selected warm one’s heart and balance the news that we hear through the media each day. Your book restores the soul and gives one a positive sense of what life is really all about. Great job! I’m sure it will be a tremendous success.”

  Bob Reasoner

  President, International Council for Self-Esteem

  Author, Building Self-Esteem

  Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition

  All Your Favorite Original Stories Plus 20 Bonus Stories for the Next 20 Years

  Jack Canfield

  Mark Victor Hansen

  Amy Newmark

  Foreword by Heidi Krupp

  Contents

  Foreword, Heidi Krupp

  Introduction

  How It All Began, Jack Canfield

  Chapter 1

  ~On Love~

  My Soul Mate, Mark Victor Hansen

  The Spirit of Love, Deepak Chopra

  Love: The One Creative Force, Eric Butterworth

  All I Remember, Bobbie Probstein

  Heart Song, Patty Hansen

  True Love, Barry and Joyce Vissell

  The Hugging Judge, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  It Can’t Happen Here? Jack Canfield

  Who You Are Makes a Difference, Helice Bridges

  One at a Time, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  The Gift, Bennett Cerf

  A Brother Like That, Dan Clark

  On Courage, Dan Millman

  Big Ed, Joe Batten

  Love and the Cabbie, Art Buchwald

  A Simple Gesture, John W. Schlatter

  The Smile, Hanoch McCarty

  Amy Graham, Mark Victor Hansen

  A Story for Valentine’s Day, Jo Ann Larsen

  Carpe Diem! Alan Cohen

  I Know You, You’re Just Like Me! Stan Dale

  The Gentlest Need, Fred T. Wilhelms

  Bopsy, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  Puppies for Sale, Dan Clark

  Chapter 2

  ~Learning to Love Yourself~

  My Inner Physician, Kris Carr

  There Is Nothing Wrong with You, Robert Holden

  The Wise Monk, Mastin Kipp

  My Sister, My Friend, Lori Deschene

  The Golden Buddha, Jack Canfield

  Start with Yourself, Anonymous

  Nothing But the Truth! Dallas Morning News

  Covering All the Bases, Source Unknown

  My Declaration of Self-Esteem, Virginia Satir

  The Bag Lady, Bobbie Probstein

  Response/Ability, Bernard Gunther

  The Rules for Being Human, Chérie Carter-Scott

  Chapter 3

  ~On Parenting~

  Training Camp, Darren Hardy

  See the Miracle, Eric Handler

  Children Learn What They Live, Dorothy L. Nolte

  Why I Chose My Father to Be My Dad, Bettie B. Youngs

  The Animal School, George H. Reavis

  Touched, Victor Nelson

  I Love You, Son, Victor B. Miller

  What You Are Is as Important as What You Do, Patricia Fripp

  The Perfect American Family, Michael Murphy

  Just Say It! Gene Bedley

  A Legacy of Love, Bobbie Gee

  Chapter 4

  ~On Learning~

  Controlled Arrogance, Mehmet Oz

  I Am Happiness, Robert Holden

  A Light in the Darkness, Nick Ortner

  A Visit with Grandfather, don Miguel Ruiz

  Bilding Me a Fewchr, Frank Trujillo

  I Like Myself Now, Everett Shostrum

  All the Good Things, Helen P. Mrosla

  You Are a Marvel, Pablo Casals

  We Learn by Doing, John Holt

  The Hand, Source Unknown

  The Little Boy, Helen E. Buckley

  I Am a Teacher, John W. Schlatter

  Chapter 5

  ~Live Your Dream~

  My Own Destiny, Tory Johnson

  I Think I Can! Michele Borba

  Rest in Peace: The “I Can’t” Funeral, Chick Moorman

  The 333 Story, Bob Proctor

  There Are No Vans, Anthony Robbins

  Ask, Ask, Ask, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  Did the Earth Move for You? Hanoch McCarty

  Tommy’s Bumper Sticker, Mark Victor Hansen

  If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get — But If You Do, You Do, Rick Gelinas

  Rick Little’s Quest, Adapted from Peggy Mann

  The Magic of Believing, Edward J. McGrath, Jr.

  Glenna’s Goal Bo
ok, Glenna Salsbury

  Another Check Mark on the List, John Goddard

  Look Out, Baby, I’m Your Love Man! Jack Canfield

  Willing to Pay the Price, John McCormack

  Everybody Has a Dream, Virginia Satir

  Follow Your Dream, Jack Canfield

  The Box, Florence Littauer

  Encouragement, Nido Qubein

  Walt Jones, Bob Moawad

  Are You Strong Enough to Handle Critics? Theodore Roosevelt

  Risking, Patty Hansen

  Try Something Different, Price Pritchett

  Service with a Smile, Karl Albrecht and Ron Zenke

  Chapter 6

  ~Overcoming Obstacles~

  The Blank Page, MK Asante

  Obstacles, Viktor E. Frankl

  Consider This, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  John Corcoran — The Man Who Couldn’t Read, Gary Smith

  Don’t Be Afraid to Fail, United Technologies Corporation

  Abraham Lincoln Didn’t Quit, Source Unknown

  Lesson from a Son, Danielle Kennedy

  Failure? No! Just Temporary Setbacks, Dottie Walters

  For Me to Be More Creative, I Am Waiting for..., David B. Campbell

  Everybody Can Do Something, Jack Canfield

  Yes, You Can, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  Run, Patti, Run, Mark Victor Hansen

  The Power of Determination, Burt Dubin

  Faith, Roy Campanella

  She Saved 219 Lives, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  Are You Going to Help Me? Mark Victor Hansen

  Just One More Time, Hanoch McCarty

  There Is Greatness All Around You — Use It, Bob Richards

  Chapter 7

  ~Eclectic Wisdom~

  In a Heartbeat, Anthony Robbins

  To Connect, Must We Disconnect? Michael Bernard Beckwith

  How to Give Up Bad Habits, Gabrielle Bernstein

  The Two Saddest Words, Amy Newmark

  You’ve Got Yourself a Deal! Florence Littauer

  Take a Moment to Really See, Jeffrey Michael Thomas

  If I Had My Life to Live Over, Nadine Stair

  Sachi, Dan Millman

  The Dolphin’s Gift, Elizabeth Gawain

  The Touch of the Master’s Hand, Myra B. Welch

  Afterword, Amy Newmark

  Meet the Contributors of the New Stories

  Meet the Contributors of the Original Stories

  Meet Our Authors

  Thank You

  About Chicken Soup for the Soul

  Permissions

  Foreword

  These days, we are all storytellers. Everyone can have a platform and many of us do now that social media gives everyone a voice. Sharing our news instantly is the norm on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and blogs. Not only do we know when our friends are having a baby — we can watch them give birth and see the newborn’s photo tweeted one minute after birth. We know what friends, family, and celebrities are having for dinner, when they get a new job, when they are going to rehab... we expect everything to be shared.

  What used to be personal is public now — sometimes intentionally, sometimes not; we watch it on reality TV, read it in rambling blog posts, and catch it through the ultimate CliffsNotes: 140 characters or less on Twitter. This is not just how we get our news or gossip but how we connect to each other and try to understand the world around us. But for all this connectivity, it is easy to lose ourselves.

  Storytelling has always been a great way to pass on advice and wisdom, but it needs to be organized and thoughtful... and deliver a usable message. And that’s where Chicken Soup for the Soul comes in, as a useful, friendly, wise friend, sharing stories with you that will make a difference to you and yours.

  When Chicken Soup for the Soul was published 20 years ago, the self-help field was just beginning to become popular. Back then, most authors and speakers told their own stories in the third person, shared other people’s stories, or used metaphors and allegories to explain their system for helping you see where and how you could improve your life. The personal? That was acceptable behind closed doors in the therapist’s office. Yes, there were support groups for everything from weight loss to addiction to grief counseling, but sharing yourself on the page — a page that could be seen and shared in a space beyond the people speaking inside the four walls of a room? Not so much.

  Chicken Soup for the Soul changed all that. It gave us permission to be more open and accepting of ourselves through first-person stories and lessons. It changed the way self-help books were perceived and it was way ahead of its time in publishing. As a result, people today, especially the thought leaders we turn to for inspiration, salvation, and insight to ourselves, are willing to be vulnerable in the most public of places and ways. They find it empowering, and they are willing to share their stories to empower the people listening to them. And we’ve become open to all of it — and better for it. I know I have. I grew up on Chicken Soup for the Soul. I first read it when I was 26 and a publicity assistant and associate producer at ABC News 20/20 working with and for Barbara Walters. I loved my job but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was thinking about becoming a publicist and starting my own business, and I was at a crossroads. I was looking for help and direction to understand what I was feeling, and I needed to figure out myself, so I turned to books and Chicken Soup for the Soul was the one that resonated with me.

  I remember every single story in that first book in the series and have quoted or cited each of them at one time in my life. When I read the Tony Robbins story about Thanksgiving, I even set out on a mission to work with him. And ultimately I did and still do today, along with dozens of other amazing thought leaders in the 21st century who delight and inspire me every day.

  Like most people, I have a constant desire to improve my life, and I want — no, I need — to hear those stories and then look at myself and ask, “How can I become better by understanding this?” That is how Chicken Soup for the Soul motivated me to do more to change the world and make it a happier and better place, as well as share my own stories about everything from business difficulties to the trouble I had having my baby to the crazy wonderful life I have in the media and publishing. I do it for myself, and I do it to help others.

  When Amy Newmark, who is Chicken Soup for the Soul’s publisher, coauthor, and editor-in-chief, asked me to help her with this revision of the original Chicken Soup for the Soul for the book’s 20th anniversary, I was thrilled. Now I get to pay it forward, in my own way, so that the next 26-year-old starting out can have a little help finding her way too.

  I am honored to be writing this foreword for the 20th Anniversary Edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul and also to have personally helped select the 20 bonus stories you will find in this volume — the 20 stories that we added to all my old favorites from the original bestseller. You’ll find new stories from many of my clients and friends, the best of the best in the self-help field, and I’m confident these 21st century thought leaders’ stories will inspire you and make Chicken Soup for the Soul relevant, useful, and absolutely delightful for another 20 years!

  I am so pleased that I can introduce you to these people and their stories. I truly love them all. Some are familiar names that need no introduction as they have been helping people improve their lives for years: Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, and Dr. Oz (all of whom offer up original stories for this book), and don Miguel Ruiz, who wrote the international bestseller The Four Agreements.

  But others will be new voices, ones that I think will become old friends for you over the coming years: Darren Hardy, the publisher of SUCCESS magazine, who has created his own multimillion dollar business and mentored others trying to do the same; Eric Handler, who is the publisher and co-founder of the “Positively Positive” blog and inspires millions every day to live more fully; Gabrielle Bernstein, whose inspirational story of overcoming her addiction has led to a career as a bestselling
author and advocate for women’s causes; health advocate and author Kris Carr, who is best known for her dazzling Crazy Sexy Cancer book series; Mastin Kipp, whose “The Daily Love” website, e-mails, and tweets are soulful inspiration for a new generation; and the incredible voice behind the simple wisdom of “Tiny Buddha,” Lori Deschene.

  We also have the author and minister Reverend Michael Beckwith, who founded the Agape International Spiritual Center in California, a New Thought church; the poet and celebrated author of four books, MK Asante, who CNN calls “a master storyteller”; Nick Ortner, the author and CEO of The Tapping Solution, which is dedicated to stress-free living; Robert Holden whose UK-based work on positivity, spirituality, and happiness has been captured in several books as well as two BBC documentaries; and Tory Johnson, who helps millions through her books and her regular appearances on ABC’s Good Morning America. And of course, this new edition wouldn’t be complete without stories from the series’ creators, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, and from its publisher and creative leader, Amy Newmark.

  Every one of these thought leaders knows what it means to let his or her guard down, get vulnerable, and share a personal story that will truly help our readers. They join the original contributors to Chicken Soup for the Soul in a book that we will want to keep with us, in our handbags and briefcases, on our nightstands, and now on our iPads, Nooks, and Kindles, ready for when we need it just like the original.

  It’s interesting that the “chicken soup for the soul” title has worked all over the world, and in the dozens of countries where the book has been translated and has sold millions of copies, the title is usually translated directly. The concept of chicken soup as a healing force, for the “soul” as well as the body, appears to be universal. Chicken soup is more than a food — it’s what your mom feeds you when you’re sick, it’s what you eat when you need the ultimate comfort food, it’s recommended by doctors for the body and for the mind. It’s not really about chickens or soup — it’s about comfort and caring and knowing that someone is looking out for you.

  That’s what Chicken Soup for the Soul is all about: sustenance through stories that are meant to elevate us and nurture us and give us the power to live some new stories of our own. It’s a recipe for enjoying life, making the most of yourself, and sharing your discoveries with the people you care about — even if you haven’t met them yet.