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Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living Your Dreams

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In the years since it was first published, the magic of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" has touched the hearts and minds of more than 70 million readers from all walks of life with its stories of ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. With its powerful message of hope and inspiration, the series that Newsweek called "a publishing phenomenon" has taught readers that dreams really do come true for those who dare to believe that any obstacle, no matter how daunting, can be overcome with persistence, patience and belief in oneself.

In this commemorative tenth anniversary edition, readers will find fifty of the best-loved stories from the series, those that exemplify the spirit of Chicken Soup and its ability to illuminate the path we all walk on. Included are poignant letters from readers whose lives were transformed by what they read and a special section written by coauthors, master motivators Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, on the special principles of living your dreams that everyone can follow.

This keepsake edition is a must-have for every reader who has ever opened his or her heart to the goodness and grace that is "Chicken Soup for the Soul."

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

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About the author

Jack Canfield

1,069 books1,638 followers
Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.

Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.

Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.

In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.

Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.

Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.

Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.

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5 stars
114 (33%)
4 stars
131 (38%)
3 stars
67 (19%)
2 stars
20 (5%)
1 star
8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Carol.
824 reviews480 followers
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January 8, 2020
Normally I would have been finished with this Chicken Soup edition quite some time ago. I try to read at least one of the inspirational stories in the series each day. In 2019 I got out of the habit so this one took longer than it should, not because it wasn't good, just because I got out of this routine.

Rating it to others that I've read in the series, I'd give it a 4, not my all-time favorite, but very good.

Do you have dreams or aspirations? Do you believe dreams can come true? Do you know where to begin?
Perhaps these pages will help you to see the possible in the impossibility. Or perhaps you'll just find joy in someone else's success.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living Your Dreams gets you started with this quote:

The human spirit cannot be paralyzed. If you are breathing, you can dream.
--Mike Brown
Profile Image for Sandy Yang .
58 reviews
June 14, 2009
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Health Communications, Inc., 2003, 371 pp., $12.95
ISBN: 0757301177

I have been a big fan of the Chicken soup series ever since I could read words that hard. [I'm kidding:] The stories in this book are written and edited beautifully, giving people a feeling of being with the person who wrote their stories to us.
In this series particularly, I really liked this story about Le Van Vu and his wife and how they were willing to 'pay the price' and now they have become many times more than millionaires. The story was that Le and his wife chose to save money and their determination to survive in Houston. "They kept clean by taking sponge baths for two years in the mall's restrooms. For two years their diet consisted almost entirely of bakery goods" (Canfield 206). They had suffered their part, but they also gained a whole lot more from that pass experience. This gave me the sense that if you're willing to do something, nothing is impossible. Everyone can become successful, no matter how bad of a situation they are currently in. No one is to blame for being unsuccesssful but yourselves if you haven't even tried. This is how much I got from just one story. But there are many more in this book, and they are all amazing.
I would recommend this for high school students and older because at this point of our lives, we should be thinking about what we want to do with our lives. We don't need to start once we're adults. As for the adults, you guys can always replenish your lives and see if you are really doing the most you can with your life.
Profile Image for Sarah .
117 reviews48 followers
August 8, 2010
I loved the fact that the first 50 or so pages were dedicated to establishing practical guidelines for the reader to follow in order to advance on the path to achieving their dreams. My 10 favourite and most inspiring stories were: "Follow Your Dream" (I cried- dreaming is not futile), "New Directions" (a tale of an empowered women), "Finding My Wings" (made me realise the importance of adding a note of tangibility to your dreams), "Glenna's Goal Book" (By far the most memorable- I immediately sat down to create my own goal book once I'd read this story), "You Can't Afford To Doubt Yourself" (That's become my motto), "A Salesman's First Sale" (made me think of a particular entrepreneurial burst of inspiration, or two, I'd had when I was little- it just put a huge smile on my face and reminded me that with enough enthusiasm and determination, anything is possible), "Tommy's Bumper Sticker" (totally wowed me!), "Is Fire Goddess Spelled With Two Ds?", "Willing To Pay The Price" and "18 Holes in His Mind" (the importance and power of visualisation.
Profile Image for Fatini Zulkifli.
361 reviews28 followers
May 11, 2020
This is my least favorite book from Chicken Soup for The Soul series. Many of the stories come from different CSTSs; it's a compilation from previous series. Besides, each story is predictable; featuring a character turning from zero to hero in different ways. I don't really feel motivated after reading.
Profile Image for Barbara.
62 reviews2 followers
September 11, 2012
This has been my train commute read for the last 3 weeks. The first section is dedicated to taking steps toward making your dreams a reality. I always enjoy a step-by-step process and this one was laid out very systematically (love it). The next two sections share lots of inspirational stories. Most were great ... a few actually felt like a swift kick in the pants to me (awesome). Those made me realize that I make a lot of excuses for why I'm NOT doing something. It helped me remember that if there's some dream or goal that I haven't been making strides toward, that it's probably me that's getting in my own way. Time for an attitude adjustment. This has been a recurring theme in my life lately (I think God and the universe are trying to tell me something). :-)
17 reviews2 followers
July 4, 2018
A brilliant book which urges us to aspire for dreams we had no clue lingered in our minds. With the motivational stories and renditions, it tells us there's no way anything is impossible if we put our minds to it. A must read! It made for a wonderful read.
Profile Image for Fransu.
32 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2020
Another great collection of short inspirational stories.
Profile Image for Ain.
132 reviews11 followers
July 31, 2012


drmuslimah.blogspot.com



Tajuk buku : Chicken Soup for the Soul-Living your dreams.
Penulis : Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen
Keluaran : HCI ( Health Communications,Inc. )
Halaman : 371 m/s


Ulasan Ain Sabrina :

Buku siri Chicken Soup for the Soul memang terkenal dan diketahui sebagai buku yang mengumpulkan kisah-kisah yang dihantar dari pelosok dunia. Dan buku ini , Chicken Soup for the Soul, Living your dream mengumpulkan kisah-kisah pelbagai manusia mengejar kejayaan dan impian masing-masing.

Halaman depan buku ini dimulakan dengan teori bagaimana mahu memotivasikan diri dan menyusun langkah untuk mencapai kejayaan.

Penulis mengetengahkan 10 langkah.

Langkah pertama : Putuskan apa yang anda mahu. Di langkah pertama ini penulis mengajak pembaca bermimpi dan berangan sekejap. Namun ia bukanlah angan-angan mat jenin apabila penulis mengajak pembaca-pembaca menuliskan impian masing-masing dan mengajak pembaca member target masa untuk setiap impian masing-masing. Penulis mengajak pembaca untuk merealisasikan impian masing-masing.

Langkah kedua : Percaya pada diri sendiri.Mimpi sudah, menulisnya sudah. Langkah seterusnya penulis cuba menanamkan unsur keyakinan dan kepercayaan dalam diri. Penulis mengalakkan pengunaan kata-kata dan ayat-ayat positif dalam kehidupan seharian dan cuba mengelakkan unsur-unsur negative wujud dalam diri pembaca.

Langkah ketiga : Bina bakat yang ada dalam diri anda. Setiap manusia dilahirkan ada kelebihan dan bakat masing-masing. Buku ini mengajak kita mencari kelebihan itu dan memperkasakan nilai yang ada.


Langkah keempat : Bina satu kumpulan bersama. Kita sebagai manusia perlukan sokongan dan bantuan manusia yang lain. Buku ini mengajar kita untuk membina satu ‘support system’ yang boleh memotivasikan, menaikkan semangat dan membantu kita untuk mencapai impian kita. Di dalam buku ini turut dihuraikan cirri-ciri kumpulan yang diperlukan.

Langkah kelima: Bayangkan hasil yang anda inginkan. Bayangan kejayaan yang datang penting sebagai motivasi untuk terus berusaha mencapai kejayaan yang diinginkan. Ada banyak cara bayangan yang diajar, antaranya , secara bayangan minda (mental rehearsal)-memikirkan hasil kejayaan yang bakal datang. Bayangan gambar (goal picture)- mengunakan imej sebagai bayangan hasil yang diinginkan. Contohnya, anda inginkan sebiji kereta, anda gunakan imej kereta itu sebagai bayangan imej motivasi anda. Dan beberapa lagi bayangan yang boleh digunakan.

Langkah keenam : Bertindak !!! Ini adalah langkah yang membezakan pemenang dengan orang yang kalah.

Langkah ketujuh : respon kepada maklumbalas. Setiap usaha perlu ada maklumbalas untuk mengetahui keberkesanannya. Kadang-kadang maklumbalas itu negatif dimana penulis berkongsi kisah Thomas Edison, yang berusaha berulang-ulang kali sebelum akhirnya mencapai kejayaan.
Langkah kelapan : jangan putus asa. Ini berkait rapat dengan langkah ketujuh. Walau bagaimanpun maklumbalas yang akan diterima, benda paling penting sekali adalah keazaman yang tinggi juga jangan sekali-kali putus asa.

Langkah kesembilan : raikan kejayaan dan hulurkan ucapan terima kasih. Setiap keazaman yang tercapai perlukan diraikan. Ia tidak perlu besar-besaran, ia hanya sekadar penghargaan kepada diri sendiri juga pada orang di sekeliling kita yang turut sama menyumbang bakti. Dan tidak lupa terima kasih pada Dia yang memungkinkan semua ini terjadi.

Langkah kesepuluh / langkah terakhir : beri sesuatu kembali. Ini merujuk kepada masyarakat sekeliling. Setelah kejayaan dicapai, jangan lupakan pada masyarakat yang memerlukan. Kongsi hasil kejayaan bersama dengan yang lain sama ada dari segi tenaga kerja mahupun wang ringgit. InsyALLAH hasil yang dikongsi yang lagi berlipat ganda hasilnya datang pada kita kembali.

Selepas teori-teori kejayaan dikongsi, halaman seterusnya adalah perkongsian cerita-cerita motivasi dan kejayaan dari pelosok dunia. Setiap kisah seakan kisah motivasi di dalam kisah fiksyen sedangakan ia kisah realiti manusia yang boleh kita jadikan pendorong untuk kita mencapai impian masing-masing.

Komen Ain Sabrina :

Buku ini bagi saya adalah buku terbaik dalam siri Chicken Soup for the Soul. Saya memang adalah pembaca tegar buku-buku motivasi dan dalam banyak buku-buku motivasi yang ada, saya paling suka buku ini. Teori-teori yang diajar seakan mudah untuk dipraktikkan. Juga dalam buku ini dikongsikan kisah-kisah usaha-usaha yang lain untuk mencapai kejayaan. Ini mendorong kita dan seakan member nasihat yang kita juga boleh beroleh kejayaan yang sama suatu hari nanti.

Buku ini sudah 5 tahun lebih bersama saya, peneman saya. Di saat rasa lemah dan rasa tertekan dengan kehidupan pelajar perubatan, kadang-kadang saya akan tarik buku ini dari rak buku dan akan selak kisah-kisah yang ada. Saat itu ada semangat yang timbul kembali. Antara kisah yang ada, kisah kejayaan yang mustahil dijadikan realiti membuatkan kita juga berkobar-kobar mengejar impian sendiri. Jadi jom motivasikan diri kita dan jadikan mimpi kita realiti !!!
Profile Image for Rosslyn.
12 reviews2 followers
August 11, 2009
This book is full of wonderful & inspirational stories, but I found myself in no hurry to finish it. In other words, it was easy to put down. Still, it's a good book for the coffee table and great to pull out on those days when you need an extra inspirational lift. I would recommend it, just don't pay full price (there are a lot of used copies out there in very good condition)
May 29, 2011
This is a really inspiring collection of stories that inspires souls so much. It motivated me to believe in all my wildest dreams, maybe they can't come true, but believing in them is a powerful thing to do. I love it.
Profile Image for Michelle.
43 reviews4 followers
February 26, 2008
Starts off with some success principles and then goes into the stories. They are very inspiring, andremind us to keep dreaming and never give up on ourselves or our dreams. Good stuff!
Profile Image for Erik.
1 review7 followers
April 3, 2011
The stories are true inspiration and on of my favourite book I've reread most often.
Profile Image for Steffany.
42 reviews
April 20, 2011
Another great book by these 2 fantastic optomistic authors. Inspirational and filled with powerful principles and practical techniques to apply in real life.
Profile Image for Velvet Ross.
2 reviews11 followers
March 28, 2012
For anyone who has dreams and wants to accomplish them this is a must. The many stories of perseverance will inspire and make you cry. It will also give you strength to write your own story.
Profile Image for Evelyn.
7 reviews
January 28, 2013
Really good. The first 50 pages give you steps for change then the remaining stories in the book are stories which reflect those steps.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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