Baby Steps to a Better You
Introduction to the Series.

How to Break Bad Habits
What Causes Happiness
Time Management Tips

These are just a few of the subjects covered in this book.

Bonus: At the end of each chapter are journal entry prompts to help you apply the ideas presented to your personal situation.

Now early articles from the You Are Greater than the Sum personal development blog are available as electronically published books. This volume includes posts from late 2014.


Approximate length: 3000 words (30 minute short read)


About the You Are Greater Than the Sum personal development blog:

After spending her entire adult life reading personal development books, Valerie Zugates decided to start blogging on the subject in 2014. She has written over 250 articles on a vast array of self-help subjects.

In 2019 Valerie self-published the first in a series of books highlighting the blog posts from earlier years.

Here is an excerpt from her first blog post:

"In all things which have a plurality of parts, and which are not a total aggregate but a whole of some sort distinct from the parts, there is some cause." Aristotle, Metaphysics, 1045a

Over time the above quote has been distilled down to "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

This applies to you too. YOU are greater than the sum of your parts.

So just what are these parts?

Here are the biggies:

Physical (your body)
Intellectual (half of your mind)
Emotional (the other half of your mind)
Spiritual (your soul)

These may be broken down into more parts: personality, relationship roles, dreams, goals, fears, ego, etc. The list goes on and on. Each one of us has different strengths and weaknesses, and we differ in what drives us and what we are passionate about. A unique ego is found in you. What makes you happy? Some people will agree with your answer, but many will not.

It's not just us as individuals either. Families, cities and countries are all made of up individuals - again, the whole group is greater than the sum of the individual members of that group. Our biological programming usually has us give greater loyalty to the smaller groups to which we belong, but not always. Many times our intellect, ego or passion will guide us to sacrifice for the "greater good."

The purpose of this blog is to look at the various parts of ourselves that make up this sum. We are each much greater than our parts summed together. The better we understand who we are and what makes us tick, the more likely we are to allow our true self to shine.

I invite you to join me on this adventure as we explore the different aspects that make each of us who we are.

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