"The Things I Used to do to Sneeze!: How to Live an Authentic Life is a self exploration book on defining your personal truth and living an authentic life; aesthetically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, financially, professionally and parentally. Using the comparison of Monica's own love of the sensation of sneezing, to that of "sensations" sought after in life, readers are taken on a journey of self discovery, beginning with the identification of desires and understanding of personal values, to live the most authentic, purposeful and fulfilled life possible. With so many suggested ways to live our lives, from what kind of cars we should drive to what kind of careers are best, the noise has gotten out of control. Our craving for the sensation of attention, acceptance, and the envy of others has caused us to trade our basic core values for those of society's. The result, unhappiness, increased prescriptions for anti-depressants, money envy, jealousy, self loathing, paranoia, and a general feeling that more is always better. And, all of these things are done under the guise of "happiness". The Things I Used to do to Sneeze will assist readers in determining their life's vision and then embarking on a path to a more authentic and fulfilling journey, after a reflection on self. Monica will share her own personal challenges and triumphs after having lived in the "Land of Make Believe" for many years. She knows, first hand, what the negative impacts of conforming your values to meet those of mainstream can be. While sensations like acceptance, the envy of others and pride are often achieved through a compromise of values, the cost to our soul is high. In this state of conformity, individual purpose is lost. Now living a more honest life in the "Land of Authenticity and Truth", realizing a more authentic path and achieving higher levels of success, Monica is sharing this message with the world. Truth, authenticity, purpose and passion are just a few chapters away in "The Things I Used to do to Sneeze!".
About the Author: Monica Cost is a Pathfinder, internet television host, author, and speaker. Her mission is simple, to create value-aligned lives for professionals, entrepreneurs and personalities, both personally and professionally through workshop facilitation, brand strategy development, consulting and keynote speeches. Her unique Value Identification Process(TM), vision and ability to execute in the areas of brand strategy, facilitation, professional development and communications has enabled her to work with such personalities as Meagan Good, Kenny Lattimore, NeNe Leakes, Melyssa Ford and Kevon Edmonds, to name a few. In addition, Monica is a highly sought after speaker for organizations such as Reebok, The Trumpet (Awards) Foundation, The TJX Companies, Prudential, John Hancock, JP Morgan, Ernst & Young, State Street Corporation; as well as other organizations like, Harvard University, The Partnership, Inc., the National Urban League, The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the One Family Campaign and The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Southern New Jersey Chapter, among others. Monica has created a powerful link between one's core values, fulfillment and and success. Having abandoned societal expectations for a journey to her authentic life, she is equipping thousands with the ability to move towards fulfillment, professionally and personally. Having felt the pressure to conform during her corporate career and built an effective and positive brand in the market placed based upon her core values, Monica is now speaking around the country to professionals about the importance of identifying your core values, understanding your truth and defining success for yourself. Success cannot be narrowly measured by financial gain; rather defined through the incorporation of elements of the whole self. In 2006, Monica became the first Black Female Broker for any major commercial real estate in Massachusetts. Prior to taking this position, she was the youngest and first Black person to hold the role of Operations Manager for the Cushman & Wakefield of Massachusetts, Inc. with responsibilities for five offices and a 35 million dollar budget. She is no stranger to pressure. With pressure comes expectations. With expectations can come conformity.