Synopsis

For everyone who has ever struggled - and I know that's most of us - this book is the permission slip and support system that you didn't know you needed but can't live without. It's all wrapped up in a straight-talking, down to earth, inspiring and hilarious, at times, guide.

Realistic Optimism is your new essential read for 2020 and beyond.

Realistic Optimism is for, well, everyone but if you want me to drill down, then it's for, yep, still everyone. Okay, let's be real for a moment. I get contacted every single day by people who are struggling to cope and need my help and that is why I've written this book. If you've ever felt under pressure to perform better, look better, vote better, sound better, feel better, be better, parent better, be a better daughter, sister, brother, boss, employee, friend, neighbour! Then this book is for you.

If I told you Realistic Optimism will change your life, would you believe me? If you’re an Optimist you might be buzzing with excitement yet unprepared for when things go wrong. But if you’re a pessimist, you’re probably rolling your eyes with a ‘yeah right’ narrative, in fact, you may not even read this at all, but those of you tired of the struggle may, and really must, give it a try.

The truth is neither of you is right in your approach, and... you both are!

When you lean towards Optimism, this powerful perspective can lead to better health, relationships, more happiness, and more ice-cream moments in life. According to the Optimism Bias, however, the challenge is - and this is where unnecessary worry, stress, and anxiety come in - that without a healthy dose of Realism, it can also leave you lying flat on your face, naked in cow dung, with no idea of how to get up.

The problem with our outlook is we've allowed ourselves to be led by everything and everyone else. Our family, school, place of work, religion, media, and social media of course.

We've been trying to keep up with the Jones's when all along we should've been keeping up with ourselves.

"As a Realistic Optimist, I can assure you this book most certainly 'will' change your life. However, the secret is 'not only' in believing it will but... you have to take action and do the work whilst understanding and accepting that the journey there will almost certainly be filled with failure, sacrifice, and disappointment...yet you do it anyway."

In this book you will learn:

The Truth About Our Society & The World
The Truth About You
The Truth About Everything Else

As well as my own story, this book includes real-life anecdotes of my work over the last 12 years as a life coach, corporate mental health trainer and working with well-known names in the entertainment industry. I also share some jaw-dropping statistics showing you exactly why there has never been a bigger need for this book to be on the shelves.

This book has been birthed from a powerful philosophy on life that gives you, the reader, everything you need to become more fulfilled, more resilient, and more connected to your own inner self, wisdom, and strength. It’s a wake-up call and your new best friend; insightful, hysterical and simple.

Embody all that Realistic Optimism has to teach you and your life will never be the same again.

Sales arguments

• 74% of UK Men & Women and 83% of US population are unable to cope. Estimated 75-90% of all doctor visits are for stress-related issues. Stress is involved in 5/6 causes of death for heart disease, cancer, stroke, lower respiratory disease, and accidents.
• In a time of perceived uncertainty, people need something good, yet real, to believe in and the tools to do that.  People have forgotten how to believe in themselves and social media contributes heavily to this. Instagram recognises this with its recent decision to remove 'likes' from public view. People are in desperate need of positive, real leadership & guidance - the author provides this with ‘Realistic Optimism’ to build resilience, maximise enjoyment & help everyone lead happier, more fulfilled lives.
• Author is launching her own podcast show to gain momentum and interest, and create a community before the launch.
• Author is a client of PR agency, Well Spirited, with an outreach strategy that includes press coverage - print and digital, radio interviews, tv interviews, podcast interviews, a buzzfeed campaign, speaking engagements and authors own events.
• Author has a global audience through their own social media (13,000), social media influencers & personal development industry contacts, Public speaking, TV appearances, publications, clients and subscribers (1,500), and has experience in TV presenting and entertaining.

Similar titles

• Happy: Finding joy in every day and letting go of perfect by Fearne Cotton, published by Orion Spring, 2017. We love this book. RO is like Happy in its intention to help people focus on what matters, and less on what doesn’t but RO helps the reader walk the middle path. RO’s advantage is it’s disruptive in it’s content & approach. It looks at more than just happiness and the author's style is different in her compassionate yet straight talking and humourous blend.
• Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, published by Nelson Books, 2018. This is a great book and goes through some of the lies in life. RO has the advantage, not only with the author's personal experiences, expertise and the author’s writing style but also because the content and philosophy of RO is so powerful, it has the potential to create a global movement.
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, published by Harper, 2016. RO is similar to this awesome book because they've both been written to wake people up from the hypnotic sleep they’ve become accustomed to, yet struggle with. They both have a straight talking tone but RO has the advantage as it introduces a whole new philosophy to life that not only builds resilience but focuses on the best possible outcome, always. People need an authentic & compassionate guide and RO is it.

Audience

This is for everyone, more specifically, Men & Women aged 28-55, and even more specifically those who consider themselves an optimist, pessimist or somewhere in the middle and find they are struggling with the ups, downs and roundabouts of everyday and more dramatic, life. People need this, they need to know that life itself is a balance of ups and down, and anything that goes against this instead of flowing with it causes unnecessary stress and dis-ease. I get contacted every day by people who are struggling to cope and need my help - that is why I'm writing this book. People who have felt under pressure to perform better, look better, vote better, sound better, feel better, be better, parent better, be a better daughter, sister, brother, boss, employee, friend, neighbour. This book is for them.

Advance praise

"Is it realistic to be happy all the time? Is it realistic to expect life to run in a straight line? Many of us come from an expectation of that, however, that expectation alone can cause so much mental fatigue and pain. What if we just accepted life for what it brings, overcome challenges and then had the belief that, once we do, happiness will return. This book, Realistic Optimism, provides a philosophy that is right for our time and is a fundamental choice that we can all make to have a more balanced outlook and therefore a more balanced life." Penny Power OBE, author of 'Business is Personal'

"Emma is a compassionate, wise voice for our times. With humour and practicality, she uses her expert knowledge of mental health to cut through the nonsense and deliver sound advice that will change your life". Danielle Woodward, Journalist, Hearst UK

“I have been lucky enough to have followed Emma’s work for years and her dedication to helping others realise their potential is unrivalled. To add to this, her warmth and humour make her approach a breath of fresh air. Thank you, Emma, for being such a light in my world!” Lucy Sheridan, Author

Other Praise:

"An outstanding reflection of positive inspiration"

"Emma's words are like the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked scones - totally irresistible and uplifting"

"So refreshing and incredibly insightful"

"Your words nourish the soul"

"Someone who speaks from the heart….how refreshing!"

"You just "can't touch this" stuff, it is too good!"

"Love it! And it could be written just for me."

"Thank you, Emma, your words are a lifeline to me, they help me to be grounded."

"I love the magic in this. I did have a 'big' problem but when I did what you said ... I noticed the solutions that were available to me and the problem sorted itself (with some legwork). Thanks"