Motivational stories have the ability to raise our spirits, to encourage and motivate us, and to teach us valuable life lessons. They can be used as stepping stones toward living a better life. The 60 stories in Developing Character Through Motivational Heroes are full of inspiration and motivation. Some of the heroes are well known, such as Abraham Lincoln, who overcame many setbacks on his way to becoming one of the most famous presidents in history, and Thomas Edison, who failed thousands of times before he found the light bulb that worked. Other stories are of less known heroes such as Theodore Geisel, who was turned down by publisher after publisher but used his setbacks to become the famous author of Dr. Seuss, or the man with the chicken recipe which was turned down by more than one thousand restaurants before Colonel Sanders struck it big with Kentucky Fried Chicken. All of the stories are of heroes who overcame adversity to achieve success. The stories demonstrate the qualities necessary to be successful in life: good character, integrity, a strong work ethic, dedication, and perseverance. The short stories are designed to be read in a few minutes, and can be posted on bulletin boards or distributed for group discussions. The affirmations, questions, and quotes at the end of each story are designed to inspire thinking, encourage, challenge, and develop character.
About the Author: Dr. Mark Stanbrough is a professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Emporia State University in Kansas. He teaches graduate and undergraduate exercise physiology and sports psychology classes and is the director of Coaching Education. The Coaching Education program at Emporia State is currently one of only ten universities in the United States to be accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Coaching Education. He was a co-founder of the online physical education graduate program, the first in the United States to go completely online. He received his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of Oregon, and undergraduate and master's degrees from Emporia State in physical education. He has served as department chair and has served on the National Association for Sport and Physical Education National Sport Steering Committee and is a past member of the board of directors for the National Council for the Accreditation of Coaching Education. Mark has over thirty years of coaching experience at the collegiate, high school, middle school and club level. Coach Stanbrough served eight years as the head men's and women's cross country/track and field coach at Emporia State (1984-1992) with the 1986 women's cross country team finishing second at the NAIA national meet. He has also coached at Emporia High School and Glasco High School in Kansas. He is a Level I and II USATF certified coach. Mark has served as the USATF Missouri Valley Association President and as the head referee at numerous national meets. He is a member of the Emporia State University Athletic Hall of Honor and the Health, Physical Education, Recreation Hall of Honor and has won numerous coach-of-the-year awards at the high school and collegiate levels.