An inspiring, often humorous, and original book of conventional and unconventional self-help ideas from former Congressman Ric Keller, who rose from humble beginnings to the US House of Representatives. "Chasing the bears" is a metaphor in life for chasing your dreams. Most people are content to stay inside, play it safe and look out their window as life passes them by. Eventually the clock runs out. On the other hand, a few people take a chance and chase their dreams. They "chase the bears." Ric Keller grew up poor and was raised by a single mother. He didn't meet his father until he was 14.

At their first meeting, he handed Ric a copy of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich . Ric would read it six times before his high school graduation. Putting the message into practice, he decided to try an experiment and set two big goals: to graduate from college first in his class and get elected to Congress (despite being a political novice with no connections, no money, and initially told to drop out of the race by his own party). Both of these things came true. As he said, "I've been to hell and back and took notes." What Ric knows for sure is that there are five little things you can do to succeed and be happy--no matter where you start in life. They are encapsulated here and woven together with practical, actionable steps interspersed with fascinating anecdotes about others who have made their dreams come true by trusting their instincts, using their gifts, taking risks, and never quitting.