Matthew Cossolotto made a promise to his dying mother. That unbreakable commitment propelled him down a life-changing path as an author and speaker and ultimately inspired Harness Your PromisePower, a new book that explores why heartfelt promises can drive transformation when goals and resolutions often fall short.
"I think of promise-making as the new frontier in personal change and achievement," Cossolotto said. "You can change a goal or abandon a New Year's resolution, but you can only break a promise. And most people are loath to break their promises."
In Harness Your PromisePower, Cossolotto recounts in heartwarming detail the life-changing promise he made to his mother and the profound impact it had on both his life and career. That deeply personal story sets the stage for a broader exploration of promise-making as a powerful, and often overlooked, tool for personal change.
Chicken Soup for the Soul co-creator Jack Canfield contributes the book's foreword, in which he reflects on a defining promise he made at age 27 - one he credits with helping shape his sense of purpose and long-term success.
"Perhaps after reading this book and learning more about the power of making a promise," Canfield writes, "more people will take advantage of this amazing, irresistible force for positive change -- a resource that should be regarded as one of our greatest treasures in life."
Harness Your PromisePower features scores of inspiring stories from and about real people - including some familiar names - who made life-altering promises and kept their word. The book also provides practical advice and step-by-step pointers to help readers tap into their innate power of making a promise.
Readers of Harness Your PromisePower will discover:
- Uplifting promises made by luminaries such as Jack Canfield, Oprah Winfrey, Brendon Burchard, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Lisa Nichols, John Assaraf, Tony Robbins and basketball legend LeBron James
- The promises behind iconic organizations like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Alcoholics Anonymous
- Why a promise is like a goal on steroids
- The G.P.S. Success Formula: From Goals to Promises = Success
- 7 tips for making and keeping promises
- A Promise a Day: 30 Days to a Promising Future, including The Top 10 Promises for a SUCCESSFUL Life
- A proposal for an annual "Make a Promise Day" on May 4 - the only "holiday" dedicated to personal empowerment, goal achievement and integrity enhancement
"Saying those two magic words - 'I Promise' - is an empowering way to achieve important goals," Cossolotto added. "We all have access to this amazing, make-or-break power. Promises come from the heart and carry emotional weight, and as a result, you're much more likely to follow through."
Best-selling author John Assaraf comments: "There is something uniquely powerful about making a promise ..."
Cossolotto, Matthew: - Matthew Cossolotto's personal empowerment trilogy includes the award-winning The Joy of Public Speaking, published in 2021; Harness Your PromisePower; and the upcoming Harness Your HabitForce, which highlights the seven habits of FAILURE and the equal-but-opposite habits of SUCCESS. He also offers a lineup of Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks) that are animated by a core concept: Success is an inside job. Cossolotto's speechwriting career spans the corridors of power and influence on both sides of the Atlantic. He has worked as a speechwriter for top officials at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Chancellor of UCLA, senior executives of several Fortune 100 corporations, and as a legislative aide to former Congressman Leon Panetta. For more information, please visit www.MatthewCossolotto.com, or find the author on LinkedIn (https: //www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-cossolotto-the-podium-pro/), Bluesky (https: //bsky.app/profile/thepodiumpro.bsky.social) and X (https: //x.com/powerofapromise).
