ABOUT THE AUTHOR I'm not a motivational speaker. I'm not against motivational speakers. They're great at getting you hyped up and focused, but that intensity for change tends to fade as you go back to your situational life and slip back into your old habits of self- criticism, self-doubt, and living without purpose. I'm going to give you something useful and more consistent: The Spiritual Compass. A guide that, no matter where you are in life, will give you direction and point you toward the best you. But, just like a regular compass, it can tell you where to go but it's up to you to put one foot in front of the other and do the work.I'm Garry Guerrier and I've lived an unparalleled life that has led me to face many adversities. I've traveled to Japan, where I saw the ruins of the atomic bomb; to China, with its GreatWall and the Spring Temple Buddha that stands 597 feet high; and to South Africa for the World Cup, where I visited Robbins Island, where Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison. But my life was never easy. As a child I contemplated suicide because I couldn't believe how hard it was to be a kid. I was molested from seven to ten years old by a family friend. My parents were old-school disciplinarians, which as a kid felt abusive. I developed defense mechanisms to protect myself, which led me to become a bruiser who used violence to solve his problems. Due to fear and insecurity, I was lost, with no direction. The luckiest day of my life was meeting my mentor, who provided me the opportunity to experience nurture and unconditional love. That encounter not only changed my life, it actually saved my life.Today I'm the trusted face for such companies as GEICO, Wells Fargo, Consumer Cellular, GoodRX, Avis, and many others, as well as a recognized mentor of major CEOs, Hollywood screenwriters, and well-known actors.As I started to work on myself, the idea of the Spiritual Compass began to develop and I used it to guide me where I wanted to be. It led me to some amazing places, but even better, it gave me the tools I needed to help and inspire others. For instance, I worked with a screenwriter who had written movies grossing more than $2.3 billion at the box office, but he hadn't worked in two years and felt he was finished in the industry. I urged him to use his talents to help others in his field and this revitalized his love of writing and his career. Once he chose a direction, it wasn't long until he landed major projects with both Disney and Netflix, and asa bonus, those people he had helped started to have careers themselves in a highly competitive field. Another woman was stuck in an abusive marriage. After she got out she felt she was left with nothing and she felt lost. I reminded her she was the mother of four children and had all the organization skills any company would want.Today she's the CEO of her own company.In my time as a mentor, life coach, and a 12-step sponsor, I've had the pleasure to help dozens of people who have themselves gone on to sponsor and help countless others. As a speaker, I've been able to bring these tools to thousands of people, but I realized I could only affect a limited number of lives in person, so I started to put these tried and true principles down in a book. If you feel you don't have direction, if you feel lost, let the Spiritual Compass point you in the right direction. It's always best to have a personal mentor. I recommend you seek one out, whether it be a therapist, a 12-step sponsor, or an emotionally healthy friend you can trust, but in the meantime, anyone can read a book. This is my gift to you, and I hope it changes your life the way it has changed min
