Former Downey resident completes his first book

DOWNEY - Born and raised in Downey and now living in Cool (pop. 2,520), which is in El Dorado County near Sacramento and lies 50 miles from Lake Tahoe, Robert D. Kintigh has authored a first book titled "The Lies We Tell Ourselves." It's about his life experiences and the lessons he has learned from them. The 247-page book has been variously categorized as either a self-help book, a personal development book, or a book about celebrating life.Its multiple sub-title--"Eliminate the lies," "Discover your truths," and "Design your success"-encapsulates the essence of the book. Kintigh can be brutally honest. "I grew up lower middle class, from a broken home, alcoholism in my family and not a clue as to what was going to be my future," he writes. The 'broken home' part of the story features his dad's darkly erratic behavior when Kintigh was five: due perhaps to a head injury he suffered earlier, his dad cheated on his wife (Kintigh's mom), committed grand theft auto, and, finally, murder, landing him in jail. For years, Kintigh had to deal with this reality. Doubt, fear, anger gnawed at his insides. He blamed others and everything else for his problems. He credits his mom, Elizabeth, for steadying him: "She was my rock and hero in life." He also thought, asked questions, and read such books as Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning," trying to make sense of it all. A product of Rio San Gabriel, East Middle School, and Downey High ('90), Kintigh went to Butte College/Chico State, then to Crowder College and South East Missouri State. He got degrees in Administration of Justice, A.S. and BA (2009) in Business and Marketing. He has had several careers since high school: as an entrepreneur, and in the corporate world. He says he experienced success because of his ability to write and his ability to market. Writing sales copy for the property management industry marked the start of his career. Later, starting his own home maintenance company and using his writing skills to further advantage, Kintigh would create a variety of programs that were sought by other companies within the industry. Much later on, he says he worked for a few organizations writing training programs to "help teach employees everything from sales and customer service to health and safety." Kintigh would, of course, eventually settle with his conscience. Out of all this turmoil and hard-won self-discovery, he would write his book. These are some of the advice as well as things one can expect from reading the book, he says: "When you discover your lies and you design new truths in your life, an incredible experience will take place-your life will never be the same again"; "In this book, I am going to share with you some personal stories of tragedy and triumph along with the journey that I have taken to discover my victories and greatest potential. I am going to share with you some very important techniques that will help you in your daily life...You have every right to prevail and have victory in your life"; "I want to help you discover that life has more to offer no matter what is going on in your life at this moment. Your happiness depends on your discovering who you are and who you want to become, and if you never completely figure it out, then you may never live your happiest or most productive life"; "I will share with you the 10 essential steps to success and how you can use them in your daily life. The 10-step success process is going to be the best guide on changing your life. I am going to teach you new habits and help you redesign anything that you desire in your life. I will offer you the way to move away from your past and to focus on the future ahead of you. There is no such thing as taking each day as it comes... Design your life or die by it, so get active in your life"; and "Learn what you want in your life, do your work and become the best that is possible... All you have to do is eliminate the lies, discover your truths and design your success." Summing up his career thus far, Kintigh says, "I have been an entrepreneur for 22-plus years and as part of what I offer as an author I am also [today] a motivational speaker, corporate trainer and consultant." In an e-mail for this story, Kintigh provides a more descriptive assessment of "The Lies We Tell Ourselves": "This book is an autobiography of sorts as well as a personal development book, self-help, instruction manual on life, business book and so much more... My life has not always been a fairy tale (although it has been pretty good for the most part) but I want to share with as many people as possible how strong we can really be. I want to remind people that second and third chances are possible and that anything you want to attack and make better is achievable." He adds: "The value of this book is that it is a constant reminder of what you really want and how to get it. It teaches sound principles I have used over 20 years and no matter where you might be right now, everything is possible that you desire. Take the journey and see where The Lies We Tell Ourselves book can take you." Kintigh is married to wife Sallie and they have three children: Dawson in 6th grade, Autumn in 9th grade, and Darin is a senior in high school. As to why the choice to live in Cool, he writes, "Sallie grew up in Cool and their family had moved away 23 years ago and then recently moved back to Cool about a year and a half ago. Sallie and I decided to move here to be closer with family and to deeply pursue my writing career as Cool is located in the mountains (between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe) and is a very peaceful and serene place. I gain a lot of inspiration from living here." As to travel, always relevant to a writer's experience, Kintigh says: "I travel around the U.S. quite a bit doing seminars and speaking as well as casual travel. The last place I visited was Reno. Some of my favorite places are Hawaii and the Bahamas (for the tropical and paradise destinations), South Dakota (for its history and adventure), Seattle, Washington (as I love the city and all that it has to offer but also for the gorgeous scenery), and many places in California (love all the history my state has to show). He has written four other books since "The Lies..." and another one, on Employee Behavior Modification, is due for publication this April. He can be reached through sallie@scmwebteam.com.

********** Published: Febuary 7, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 43