Hayzlett Book Club: Grow A Pair by Larry Winget

Larry Winget, The Pitbull of Personal Development®, has just released his newest book, Grow A Pair: How To Stop Being A Victim and Take Back Your Life, Your Business and Your Sanity. And it is already a national bestseller! In his newest book, Larry takes on the entitlement culture and the victim mindset as well as the self-help movement and political correctness.  This is not a book for the faint of heart as Larry will challenge your thinking, ruffle your feathers and make you look hard at your beliefs and actions.  He wants you to grow a pair and learn how to both speak up and stand up for what you believe.  I asked Larry some questions about his new book and why he wrote it and how we can all grow a pair:

1. Larry, why did you write this book and why a title that will obviously offend some? All of my titles offend someone; that’s why I use them.  I write good books, but I write great titles!  My titles make you think.  My titles make you want to know more.  My titles get people’s attention.  That’s why I use them.  I want people to think and be challenged.  And you have to get people’s attention to get them to buy the book.  And be clear: Grow A Pair in not about what’s going on between your legs but what’s going on between your ears.  It’s about attitude, not anatomy.

   I wrote the book because we have become a nation of wimps and weenies who refuse to take responsibility or to be held accountable, and who want others to take care of us and come to the rescue when we make mistakes.  Few know what they believe or why they believe it.  Even fewer will stand up for what they believe when they are pressured for fear of offending or being offended.  This has to stop.

2. How did this happen to us? Make no mistake, we allowed this to happen.  We became soft and entitled and no one held us accountable.  Remember: people do whatever they can get by with.  That’s human nature.  And we have let people get by with too much.  Add to that the “you’re special” mentality that parents bathe their children in and then couple that with political correctness, and combine all of that with a government that is more than happy to take care of people by encouraging increased dependency and you end up with what we’ve got: a mess!
3. How does this problem manifest itself in our every day lives? Our businesses are run by bad employees who end up running customers off, and by their managers won’t fire them for fear of getting sued.  Managers need to grow a pair.

   Little kids talk back to their parents and show complete disrespect with no fear of reprimand.  Parents need to grow a pair.

   We elect politicians (and re-elect and then re-elect over and over again) who are indicted for fraud or worse, and then we wonder why our government is a disaster.  Voters need to grow a pair.

   We sit in theaters and listen to people talk on their cell phones and ruin the movie we have paid to see and we won’t tell them to shut up.  Grow a pair!

   We need to grow a pair in our personal lives, with our money, in our families, in our businesses and in society. We need people who are willing to stand up for themselves and others and ground themselves in honesty and integrity and in doing the right thing.

4. How do we grow a pair? I have dozens of ways to grow a pair in the book; it’s a very tactical how-to book.  But here are a few ways to get started growing your pair:
   • Stop whining. First, no one really cares about your problems anyway. They are just glad that it’s you and not them. If you aren’t willing to fix your problem, do yourself and everyone else a favor and shut up!  Plus, whining allows you to wallow in victimhood.
   • Make plans.  Plans are empowering.  Living your life as it comes your way is what victims do.  People with a plan are in control.  Get a plan for your money (a budget), a plan for your life, your career, even for your weekend.
   • Know what you believe in.  Get clear about the principles that define you and that you will never compromise.  Speak up for those principles.  Stand up to others when they attack those principles.
5. What are the benefits of growing a pair?  

   Courage and confidence and self-satisfaction are a few.  With those things come success, pride, respect and more.Growing a pair is best thing you will ever do for yourself.  Yes, you will be attacked and called names for taking a stand but you will feel a sense of pride that you have never had before.  And you will see results that you have never experienced before.

Larry Winget is the author of the new book Grow A Pair: How to stop being a victim and take back your life, your business and your sanity.  He is a six-time New York Times/Wall Street Journal bestselling author of books such as Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get A Life and You’re Broke Because You Want To Be. He is a member of the Speaker Hall Of Fame. He has starred in his own television series and appeared in national television commercials. Larry is a regular contributor on many television news shows on the topics of money, success, business and parenting.  Find out more at www.larrywinget.com.