Now in paper, the book that offers a powerful and practical blueprint for healing depression and generating optimism using the Ford Foundation-supported and university-sponsored Uplift program. It is a unique system for forging a supportive network of connections to other people, nature, one's own body, and spirituality. The program can be used instead of medication and therapy, or in conjunction with them as needed. Creating Optimism is a seven-step program that guides the reader through a process of identifying dysfunctional patterns, releasing them, and creating more empowering and appropriate ones. The seven steps are: 1. Defeat the Inner Saboteur; 2. Reconnect to Your Body; 3. Create Healing Relationships; 4. Elevate Your Self-Esteem; 5. Uncover Your Competence; 6. Access the Power of Shared Purpose; 7. Deepen Your Relationship to the Divine. The method is sponsored by the University of South Florida, where the authors have found it to be 94 per cent successful in significantly enhancing the mood of participants, as well as raising the quality of their relationships. The program will soon be part of the curriculum of the Holos University Graduate Center in Kansas City, where the authors have worked in conjunction with Norman Shealy, M.D., and Carolyn Myss, both bestselling authors. The Ford Foundation is funding trials aimed at bringing the Uplift program to health professionals, adolescents, and low-income people.