At the age of 18, Francine was a high school drop-out attleing drug and alcohol addiction. A few years later, she was struck by a car and told she would never walk again. Flash forward two decades and meet a very different Francine Ward: Georgetown Law School graduate, author, marathon runner, successful businessworman, tireless community leader.

Francine Ward is an attorney and author of Esteemable Acts: 10 Actions for Building Real Self-Esteem. She is president and CEO of Compliance, Inc., a training and consulting firm specializing in copyrights, trademarks, and employment law issues. She also serves on the board of several non-profits.

“At the age of 14, I was a drug-addicted alcoholic; now I’m clean and sober for 23 years. At 18, I was a high school dropout; now I’m a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. At 21, I was a call girl, paying lawyers lots of money to keep me out of jail; now I am a lawyer, a successful businesswoman, and a loving wife. At 26, I was hit by a car and told I’d never walk again; in my forties I ran two marathons within three months of each other. At 28, all I could think about was what’s in it for me; now, at 50, I’m an active participant in my community.”

Today I live a life beyond my wildest imaginings, and you can, too. How was such a miraculous transformation possible for me? How is it possible for you? By doing those things that genuinely make you feel good about yourself, things that almost always give you an opportunity to walk through something you’re afraid of. Having the courage to live your dreams, staying focused on what you say is important to you, taking care of your health and your finances, and making better choices are all examples of things you can do make you feel good about yourself. Self-esteem comes from doing esteemable acts, and it’s an esteemable act to walk through your fear.

I encourage you to move past your limitations–whether imposed by yourself or others–to a new and more appealing picture of your life. This will require work. Work that at times will appear to be more than you can handle. Just do the best you can. What do you have to lose? Give yourself six months to see a change. Too long? Lasting change does not happen overnight.

Until I had the courage to dream of a better life, I wasn’t able to have one. From helping others to career-related activities, each component of my philosophy pushes the boundries of comfort zones, proves naysayers wrong, and examines every aspect of life to find hidden opportunities for greater self-love.”

From an author who is a walking, talking testimonial, this is a groundbreaking new path to courage. Richard Carlson, Ph.D., author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff says this about Ms. Ward’s book, “Ten practical steps to move you in the direction of more real and lasting self-esteem. You’ll be glad you read this book.”