THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HEALING AND DESIGNING YOUR BEST LIFE!

BEST SELF

Be You, Only Better

by Life Coach Mike Bayer

Foreword by Dr. Phil McGraw

*On Sale Now*

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Praise for BEST SELF:

“When you read Best Self, you’ll understand that Coach Mike’s formula puts the power of change in the hands of the individual. He encourages people to dig deep and ask themselves basic but important questions like—What do you really want? What are you afraid of? Who is holding you back? He challenges people to strive to live authentically. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to thrive in all areas of life.”

— Jennifer Lopez

 “Coach Mike is a true professional and Best Self is his bible, his ‘how to’ manual on maximizing your potential by discovering the best person you can be in the most effective way you can. Mike Bayer is not a buzz word dispenser. He is a common sense, action-oriented coach that will tell you how to get from where you are to where you want to be in every area of your life, whether it be personal, family, professional, spiritual or all of the above.”

— Dr. Phil McGraw

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Ask Yourself…Are you truly who you want to be? Is this the life you really want? Are you living each day as your best self? What can you change, today?

Mike Bayer isn’t a typical life coach. Modest and mellow, Mike (or “Coach Mike” as he is often called) has spent years helping his clients break through obstacles to live their best life. Acting as a behind-the-scenes superstar, his wildly successful techniques have recently earned him a spot as the first-ever regular contributor on the #1 rated Dr. Phil Show, as well as a key member of Dr. Phil McGraw’s advisory board which consists of 18 of the most accomplished and respected health care professionals in the country. Mike has worked with clients from all walks of life—from celebrities, athletes, and executives, to rageaholics, gamblers, agoraphobics and everyone in between—to confront their fears, acknowledge what is holding them back, and transform their lives into ones that are authentic, passionate, and well-rounded.

This January, Dey Street Books is proud to publish Mike’s first book, BEST SELF: Be You, Only Better (On Sale Now). In this empowering guide, Mike provides readers with an action-oriented, personalized plan for becoming their own life coach. This is not a self-help book that preaches about change. This is not a book that you have to read in-between the lines to glean life wisdom. This is an incredibly interactive, inspiring, and self-revealing book that as Mike says, “only works if you work it, so work it; you’re worth it!” Plus, after all, Mike doesn’t come to this only as a trusted teacher. He is living proof of the hard work, soul searching, and necessary change that can be obtained through these practices because he faced and worked to overcome his own struggle with addiction.

Full of revealing quizzes, provocative questionnaires, and creative drawing exercises, BEST SELF will provide readers with problem-solving strategies to examine where their life is now and determine once and for all who they want to be and where they want to go.

To start their BEST SELF journey, Mike suggests that readers first draw their Anti-Self and Best Self characters directly in the book. A person’s Anti-Self, the side of us triggered by negative situations and emotions like fear and anxiety, is important to identify so that we can attempt to reduce the amount of time we spend in this role. Is our Anti-Self a certain gender? Inspired by a character in a book or movie? Do they behave a certain way when feeling threatened? Is our Best Self warm and considerate? Are they clever and think anything is possible? Interestingly, Mike says it is typically easier for clients to identify their Anti-Self character than their Best Self and they are often shocked to see their results. By starting the book with this exercise, Mike argues that the next time a person is faced with a situation that would usually bring the Anti-Self to the surface, the goal is to let the Best Self character handle it instead. What starts as a conscious decision at the start will, over time, become automatic. The Anti-Self runs contrary to the Best Self, and the first step in taking their power away is to recognize they exist.

Once Anti-Self and Best Self characters are created, Mike takes readers through each of the seven SPHERES of our life:

• Your Social Life: Communication skills are incredibly important, and they can reflect how a person feels in their own skin. Prioritizing this aspect of their life should be at the top of the list. People need to find freedom to be their BEST SELF always—alone and with others.

• Your Personal Life: The most significant relationship in your life is with yourself. Living your BEST SELF means having a respectful internal dialogue, focusing on self-care, and prioritizing your passions. Taking care of yourself is not selfish; it’s crucial to your wellbeing.

• Your Health: If there’s a problem with your health, it can disrupt everything else in your life. Readers must do whatever they need to preserve, protect, and promote their physical health. The healthier you are, the greater your potential for accomplishing your goals.

• Your Education: Education helps us to grow as individuals and improve upon ourselves each day we learn something new. Your BEST SELF seeks knowledge all the time, no matter your method or speed; your job is simply to determine what interests you.

• Your Relationships: Relationships are never as complicated as they may seem. Though people may evolve and veer in different directions, Mike argues that extended periods of animosity with friends, family, or significant others can and should be easily avoided. Even if you can’t control others, you can condition yourself to key into your core values and let go of the baggage.

• Your Employment: Mike notes that personal development lies at the heart of your career development. He believes that if people put more emphasis on discovering their authentic selves starting in their school years, they could allow life to dictate their career path, rather than struggling to determine what they want to do and settling for dissatisfying or unfulfilling careers.

• Your Spiritual Development Life: Once you dive into all other aspects of your life, it’s time to examine your spiritual development, which underpins everything else. Too often ignored in your everyday, faith may be the very basis for tackling your fears, regrets, and sudden crises. Rather than waiting until something implodes, be in touch with your spiritual self so it is ready to tackle any storm that comes its way.

We might only have one shot at life, but it doesn’t mean that we are stuck with the life we’ve got. The tools needed to achieve a better version of ourselves are inside of us already, but BEST SELF will show us how to get there. Mike says, “There is a pervasive belief in society that people can’t change, not really. That is absolutely 100% untrue. If people couldn’t change, I’d still be penniless and addicted to drugs. I’ve seen people overcome all odds. People change. They did. You can.” So now the question is: Are YOU your BEST SELF? With Mike’s guidance, you can be you—only better. Let’s start living our best lives today and reach unimaginable heights in 2019.

GET THE BOOK AND JOIN THE CHALLENGE!

This May for Mental Health Awareness Month, Life Coach Mike Bayer is encouraging people from all walks of life to participate in the #BestSelfChallenge. Rarely on social media do we see authenticity. Everyone (at times, myself included) posts photos and videos showing only the “best” version or perceived version of themselves. We don’t often showcase the other, more vulnerable side of our lives. I created the #BestSelfChallenge as an inclusive way to embrace and showcase the parts of ourselves that we struggle with. By doing this challenge, it creates a space for people to be honest about what they are struggling with. Let’s show people they are not alone in dealing with these struggles and create a world where we feel free to discuss our vulnerability in a safe and open environment. Everyone, no matter how “healthy” they are, deals with internal battles.

As featured in his New York Times bestselling book BEST SELF: Be You, Only Better (on sale now), Coach Mike’s #BestSelfChallenge is a fun and easy exercise in which you define your Best Self (all of the positive attributes and qualities that make up the core of who you are; i.e.- compassionate, brave, loyal, loving, creative) and your Anti-Self (your inner critic, that provokes you and that gets in the way of your Best Self by focusing on negative qualities; i.e.- fearful, doubtful, anxious, angry), in a side by side drawing.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE #BESTSELFCHALLENGE:

• Share a side by side image of your Best & Anti-Self on your social media channels (post on May 1st, or shortly after)

• Tag @coachmikebayer in the photo

• Use the hashtag #bestselfchallenge

• Tag three people, including someone who inspires you, to join in

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mike Bayer received his B.S. in Alcohol and Drug Counseling from Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. He was a California Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC II) as well as a Board Registered Interventionist (BRI II). He began his career as a mental health and addiction counselor. After a residency at The Hazelden Foundation, Mike spent five years in the field, becoming one of the leading interventionists in the country. He did crisis consulting for several of the country’s top treatment programs, including the Hazelden Foundation. Fifteen years ago, he founded CAST Centers, a treatment center providing a network of professional support including doctors, psychologists, counselors, and instructors, to help clients heal and improve their mental and emotional health, and overall well-being. Mike continued promoting his message by founding the CAST Foundation, a 501(c)3 that raises awareness to promote cultural and social changes to de-stigmatize mental health issues. For more information about Mike, please visit www.coachmikebayer.com.

Facebook: @Coachmikebayer | Twitter: @Coachmikebayer | Instragram: @Coachmikebayer | YouTube: Coach Mike Bayer

ABOUT THE BOOK:

BEST SELF
Be You, Only Better
by Mike Bayer
Dey Street Books | On Sale Now |
Hardcover ISBN: 9780062911735 | $26.99 |
eBook ISBN: 9780062911759 | $21.99

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Heidi Richter
Dey Street Books
212-207-7478
heidi.richter@harpercollins.com