Life Lessons to Master Before You Die


Book Description

This book is focused on helping you show up to life authentically. Most of us wear a mask our entire life and endure situations or relationships that aren't serving us. What would life be like if you cut the BS? If you truly healed? If you allowed what is meant for you? Became the best version of yourself?When you allow what is meant to be, you might be pleasantly surprised. You'll be forced to accept what is, rather than what you're expecting for your life. I know you're thinking, "But why would I want to do this?"The short answer: focusing on your future expectations, rather than reality, isn't really living. It's simply dreaming.As a psychologist, I've spent countless hours listening to people in their most vulnerable states. They've told me their deepest struggles, maybe things that they hadn't told anyone else. Now, of course, I will never go into detail about client specifics, but I couldn't help but notice several themes among the people I've treated. All of these people were from different cultures and had vastly different value systems. Yet, it was fascinating that the human experience had its parallels.I noticed when people were able to gain insight into certain patterns in their lives, they were able to overcome some pretty tough obstacles. They had these "ah ha" moments earlier in their life, and to my surprise, they were able to gain momentum in their lives relatively quickly. Most importantly, they had less regrets about their lives after acknowledging the situations they had to change.I compiled some of the most common themes I encountered in therapy, while considering the research and a spiritual perspective, and formulated this book, Life Lessons to Master Before You Die. Therapy can be seen as a mysterious and intimidating process, so I cut right to the chase and outlined these lessons in an easy-to-read format, with practical solutions to overcome them. I had a feeling most people would benefit from this, as many people in therapy seemed to struggle with similar problems.Uncovering life's patterns early on serves as a foundation for quicker healing. It's similar to having a cheat code in a video game. The sooner you find the cheat code, the quicker you can progress in levels or get to the finish line. But here, there is no finish line.Healing has no end. It's a transformative process that happens over and over again. This "cheat code" basically facilitates progress but isn't a magic wand. The point is to focus on the path that leads to healing, whether you reach the finish line or not. We see fulfillment in life when we take small steps in the right direction. It's about the journey (yes, I said it).Also, this book may sound morbid ("oh my gosh, will I really die one day!?"). It's a reminder that our time on earth is limited and it's never too late to be the best version of yourself. In fact, starting to work on yourself today can make the rest of your life the best years you've ever had. Cheers to having good things to say on your death bed rather than having regrets!




Life Lessons


Book Description

A guide to living life in the moment uses lessons learned from the dying to help the living find the most enjoyment and happiness.




The Last Lecture


Book Description

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.




30 Lessons for Living


Book Description

“Heartfelt and ever-endearing—equal parts information and inspiration. This is a book to keep by your bedside and return to often.”—Amy Dickinson, nationally syndicated advice columnist "Ask Amy" More than one thousand extraordinary Americans share their stories and the wisdom they have gained on living, loving, and finding happiness. After a chance encounter with an extraordinary ninety-year-old woman, renowned gerontologist Karl Pillemer began to wonder what older people know about life that the rest of us don't. His quest led him to interview more than one thousand Americans over the age of sixty-five to seek their counsel on all the big issues- children, marriage, money, career, aging. Their moving stories and uncompromisingly honest answers often surprised him. And he found that he consistently heard advice that pointed to these thirty lessons for living. Here he weaves their personal recollections of difficulties overcome and lives well lived into a timeless book filled with the hard-won advice these older Americans wish someone had given them when they were young. Like This I Believe, StoryCorps's Listening Is an Act of Love, and Tuesdays with Morrie, 30 Lessons for Living is a book to keep and to give. Offering clear advice toward a more fulfilling life, it is as useful as it is inspiring.




Life in 20 Lessons


Book Description

If you could fast forward your life to your deathbed and hear your regrets (and joys), then rewind and live your life with that knowledge, would you do it? This book provides that knowledge. After fourteen years in the funeral business, Chris Meyer has sat with families and listened to their “could’ves,” “should’ves,” and “would’ves.” In doing so he learned many lessons—lessons that kept repeating themselves year after year. Meyer knew he could help a lot of people with this information. So he sat down and memorialized the lessons he learned to share with the world: some simple, some profound, some irreverent. Lessons from life, from death, from surviving. But make no mistake, this is NOT a story about dying…this is a story of living. This is…Life in 20 Lessons. Poignant. Funny. Filled with love.




The First 20 Hours


Book Description

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.




10 Life-Changing Lessons from Heaven


Book Description

Looking to discover who you are, why you're here, and how to find and fulfill your life's purpose? Learn the powerful, practical, and paradigm-shifting wisdom of 2,500 Near-Death Experiencers as they reveal and share the profound insights and life-changing lessons they received on their death-defying visits to Heaven. Don't wait to die to learn how you're called to live!




Can't Hurt Me


Book Description

New York Times Bestseller Over 2.5 million copies sold For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare -- poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him "The Fittest (Real) Man in America." In Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.




Hannibal and Me


Book Description

A dynamic and exciting way to understand success and failure, through the life of Hannibal, one of history's greatest generals. The life of Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps with his army in 218 B.C.E., is the stuff of legend. And the epic choices he and his opponents made-on the battlefield and elsewhere in life-offer lessons about responding to our victories and our defeats that are as relevant today as they were more than 2,000 years ago. A big new idea book inspired by ancient history, Hannibal and Me explores the truths behind triumph and disaster in our lives by examining the decisions made by Hannibal and others, including Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Steve Jobs, Ernest Shackleton, and Paul Cézanne-men and women who learned from their mistakes. By showing why some people overcome failure and others succumb to it, and why some fall victim to success while others thrive on it, Hannibal and Me demonstrates how to recognize the seeds of success within our own failures and the threats of failure hidden in our successes. The result is a page-turning adventure tale, a compelling human drama, and an insightful guide to understanding behavior. This is essential reading for anyone who seeks to transform misfortune into success at work, at home, and in life.




Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms


Book Description

David Kessler, one of the most renowned experts on death and grief, takes on three uniquely shared experiences that challenge our ability to explain and fully understand the mystery of our final days. The first is "visions." As the dying lose sight of this world, some people appear to be looking into the world to come. The second shared experience is getting ready for a "trip." The phenomenon of preparing oneself for a journey isn’t new or unusual. In fact, during our loved ones’ last hours, they may often think of their impending death as a transition or journey. These trips may seem to us to be all about leaving, but for the dying, they may be more about arriving. Finally, the third phenomenon is "crowded rooms." The dying often talk about seeing a room full of people, as they constantly repeat the word crowded. In truth, we never die alone. Just as loving hands greeted us when we were born, so will loving arms embrace us when we die. In the tapestry of life and death, we may begin to see connections to the past that we missed in life. While death may look like a loss to the living, the last hours of a dying person may be filled with fullness rather than emptiness. In this fascinating book, which includes a new Afterword, Kessler brings us stunning stories from the bedsides of the dying that will educate, enlighten, and comfort us all.




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