Page 208 - The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

feeling and uplift they give me is huge”—like speaking at church or posting a photo
of herself online.

Here’s the thing we learned from Bill: Small things are not small at all. They are
the most important things of all. And they add up. Pushing yourself to 5- 4- 3- 2- 1
on the “small things” gives you confidence to do the “big scheme of things.”

“Most of the applications were small in the big scheme of things, but the feeling and uplift they gave me is huge.
Here is a brief list of some things I have done using the 5-second rule that I would not have otherwise done.
I stood up and danced by myself at a music concert, I took and posted a picture of myself with an author I admire [I

don’t like pictures of myself], I spoke in front of a congregation in my church, I spoke to my husband about something
that was bothering me, I introduced myself to people I wanted to meet, and I have accomplished more around my home
[not putting things off as much].

In and of themselves, these are not earth shattering events, but I did them because of the power behind Mel’s 5-second
rule.

I am tr ying to use this tool now for things I consider to be big ger strug gles such as losing extra weight I have been
carr ying around for 25 years and to getting up the courage to attend my 30-year High School Reunion, considering the
amount of weight I have gained.

I even used the 5-second rule to write and submit my story. I also try to share Mel’s message of the 5-second rule with
others and have heard and seen some people putting it into practice for themselves. I know I will continue to use this
empowering and yet so simple life-changing formula.

For the first time in a long time I feel like I am beginning to get unstuck and climb out of my
rut…and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you, Trayce”

Confidence builds when you do things that affirm your sense of self,
particularly when they are things that you might not normally do, like getting up on
time, speaking in front of your church, or chasing down the CEO of Cisco on a
bike path. These are acts of everyday courage and they build confidence.

Crystal attended that same Cisco Live 2015 event as the engineer and she wrote
to me about the #5SecondRule. She “realized that for the past 8 years” she had