About the Book

Surviving September 11th –

Tenth Anniversary of 9/11/2001 Memorial Edition The Story of a Survivor of September 11, 2001 by Dan Holdridge, Keynote Speaker on Leadership & Appreciation.

A cigarette and a clipboard saved my life- begins Dan’s book, Surviving September 11th. Standing only ten feet from the blast of a commercial airliner crashing into the Pentagon, the author shares his personal experience on 9/11/01 to offer the wisdom necessary to navigate today’s troubling world. Surviving September 11th is a journey through surviving our nation’s worst tragedy while learning the beauty of life. Dan challenges his readers to appreciate the life they are living right now, and to appreciate the people around them for the contributions made. This book defies the status quo by claiming that real success is found by living in humility while giving gratitude.

Today 18.8 million people live depressed, terrified by the economy and desperately seeking external answers to “Why am I here?”  As we allow others to define us, we fail to find ourselves. Surviving September 11th draws on the incredible power of gratitude and connects it between ourselves, and those we know, to help us manifest our purpose.

If you need a message of hope in this fast paced, anxiety driven culture, this book is calling your name. Surviving September 11th challenges readers to believe that they can live this life of gratitude because Dan has lived it in response to our generation’s Pearl Harbor.

What is Weapons of Mass Appreciation about?

  • You don’t have to live through a terrorist attack to learn from one
  • True strength comes from within; when others define us, we disable our ability to be ourselves.
  • We can create a sense of power to change the world by appreciating each other.
  • We don’t need to agree with each other to respect one another
  • To appreciate life’s greatest gifts, we need to understand that it is those we give, not receive, which has the greatest value
  • To appreciate another person, is to respect others by letting go of prejudice and hatred, letting go of the past.
  • Everyone of us has it within us to be a hero
  • Its about finding our true purpose in life
  • When we struggle in life, we find life lessons that will be with us when we need them most
  • This book is about making this world a better place, one grateful person at a time
  • Using positive weapons the spirit of appreciation, genuine gratitude, and a sense of duty of service to others
  • Mass Appreciation like a ocean wave starting with a ripple (RFK inspired), so does the power of one person with a positive attitude, to not only change the world, but find their true identity.
  • When life ends needlessly, the search for why doesn’t always come to a result we understand. Instead, we have faith in a greater tomorrow, but we need to treat each other with respect today its the only thing we really can control.

“On behalf of the Daughters of Isabella, St. Mary Francis Circle, thank you for the wonderful presentation describing your experience of 9/11 and your faith-affirming response to that horrific event. May we all take to heart your message – ‘one person can make a difference.’
God bless you.”
~ Patricia Menno-Covenry, Regent