In today's economy, budgets are tightening, layoffs are happening, and competition is building. Fear and uncertainty are spreading amongst millions--yet people should stay positive, not by ignoring this reality, but by taking action in spite of it.

As proven by history, many individuals and organizations made a name for themselves and grew their businesses during recessions and downturns. To become successful, they all shared similar characteristics and took similar actions to thrive while others merely tried to survive.

The Shark and the Goldfish tells the story of Gordo, a goldfish who never wanted for anything--especially food--until one day when his boy owner scoops him out of his bowl and takes him to the beach to play, where Gordo is swept into the ocean by a big wave. Unable to fend for himself, Gordo begs the other fish to feed him, but instead they laugh at him. Near starvation, Gordo meets Sammy, a kind shark who takes pity on him. Sammy teaches Gordo that, in the ocean where times are tough, instead of waiting to be fed, he must find food. Together, they swim through the ocean of adversity, challenges, and lean times and find food. Gordo eventually becomes so skilled that he starts a shark school for goldfish, where he teaches the three essential principles that Sammy taught him:

• It's your choice.
• You have more control than you think you do.
• Decide if the ocean of change is your friend or foe.

This simple, illustrated fable captures the essence of the current marketplace and offers a powerful lesson to overcome the fear of it.

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Jon Gordon (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) is a speaker, consultant, and international bestselling author of The Energy Bus and The No Complaining Rule, both from Wiley. Jon and his books have been featured on CNN, NBC's Today Show and in Forbes, O magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Clients such as the Atlanta Falcons, PGA Tour, Northwestern Mutual, Publix Super Markets, Campbell's Soup, and JPMorgan Chase also call on Jon to bring out the best in their leaders and teams.