The Marry YourSelf First Story

Ken Donaldson with his Mom and Dad in 2006 at the Marry YourSelf First book launch party at Ken's office in Seminole, Florida
Ken Donaldson with his Mom and Dad in 2006 at the Marry YourSelf First book launch party at Ken’s office in Seminole, Florida

Here’s the Marry YourSelf First Story and how the book came to be…but first, let me answer the question that everyone asks:

Why are you giving me 4 FREE copies of The Companion Workbook with the copy of Marry YourSelf First?

Because I have found that when people commit to the Marry YourSelf First process (which I recommend for a year, at a chapter a month), it works best when you do it with others. You officially have my permission to make copies of both the book and workbook to share with friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

How Did I Find This Out?

Between 2001 and 2005, I created and led a series of workshops. I wanted to provide my clients, their families, and my community with some education about core issues and questions that bring people to therapy. The students unexpectedly but pleasantly responded by asking for more topics. What started as a six-week workshop series turned into a yearlong program that eventually led to Marry YourSelf First.

After 3 years of almost weekly workshops, I realized one day that the students had asked for A LOT of material.

And Then What Happened?

One day, I pulled out all the material I had developed on my living room floor – 3 boxes of handouts, worksheets, and manuals. I had to push tables and chairs out of the way, as I must have had 50 to 60 stacks of paper. Little mounds of paper formed on the floor, on my couch, and flowed over my end and coffee tables. After several hours, twelve book chapters emerged.

Adrenalin raced through my veins, and excitement burst out my pores. As an outline formed, I shared it with my students, and they helped give it a title.

The Marry YourSelf First Story and The Law Of Attraction

The Law of Attraction chapter shows how to “put legs under” your goals and intentions to manifest the life you want. For me, bits and pieces of the book would come to me, sometimes in dreams, sometimes in unexpected “a-ha” moments, and other times from the students themselves. “Marry YourSelf First,” like so many things in life, came at me as I moved to it.

After a year of writing and rewriting about 12 versions, my writing consultant said, “Ken, you can keep editing and rewriting forever, but I think it’s okay to go ahead and get the book printed.” On December 23rd, 2005, a big semi rolled up in front of my house and dropped off the first 3000 copies of Marry YourSelf First on my doorstep (actually, in my garage).

As of 2020, over 12,000 copies have been ordered, sold, and delivered. I’m thankful people like you are still finding it, reading it, and applying it.

Works Best With Others

I think you’ve probably figured out by now that in many areas of our lives, we tend to follow through more consistently when we have people who help hold us accountable. That’s one BIG reason why reading and doing the assignments in Marry YourSelf First can be most beneficial with others. I witnessed some amazing brainstorming and masterminding in our workshops. A small group working together on similar intentions and goals creates remarkable synergy.

You can now share the book with some friends, and you can each have your own Companion Workbook. That’s why it’s called the Companion Workbook.

So there you have it: The official Marry YourSelf First Story!