Upgrade: Taking Your Work and Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary


Book Description

The 7 Key Principles to achieving YOUR business and life goals What could a graffiti artist, eminent neurologist, star athlete, celebrity chef, fashion designer, rocket scientist, and Grammy Award–winning musician possibly have in common? In this groundbreaking new book, Rana Florida shares their formula, giving you the tools to achieve unimaginable success in work and life. Upgrade gathers the best practices, not just from CEOs and business executives but from entrepreneurs, innovative thinkers, and creative leaders. Upgrade includes interviews with Sir Ken Robinson, Dan Pink, Mark Cuban, Andre Agassi, Kenny Scharf, Zaha Hadid, Governor Martin O’Malley, Tory Burch, Tim Brown, and many other leading figures. Despite this cast’s vastly different backgrounds and skills, Florida’s research concludes that there are seven key principles to achieving your business and life goals: Envision the future Find your passion Get creative Design your time Collaborate Take risks Embrace failure Unfortunately, this is exactly what the majority of us don’t do. Instead of developing a real strategy to upgrade and optimize our lives, too many of us just slog through life in a state of “managed dissatisfaction.” But it’s never too late to envision an entirely different future—or to actively upgrade your life. It’s not about finding more time, money, or resources. Anyone can do it. This smart and entertaining guide delves deep into each principle, giving you the insights, tools, and inspiration to take your life from ordinary to extraordinary. Praise for Upgrade “Why ride in coach, when you can upgrade? A must-read for a better journey through life.” Don Tapscott, bestselling author, Wikinomics and Grown Up Digital “Upgrade is an a-ha book that will change how you look at life’s challenges and give you tools to upgrade your life.” Touré, cohost of MSNBC’s The Cycle “Read Upgrade for its stories, examples, and strategies and get ready to live the life you always wanted.” Frank Toskan, founder, M.A.C. Cosmetics “Creative and innovative strategies to upgrade your work and life, with seven simple principles.” Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com, Inc., and New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness “Rana’s perspective on business and life is a fresh new take, breaking the traditional corporate mold. Upgrade is a must-read for anyone not buying into the conventional wisdom.” Ali Velshi, CNN Chief Business Correspondent; anchor, CNN-I World Business Today; and host, CNN Your Money “Upgrade welcomes you to take a fresh approach to everything you do to get the most out of work and life.” Nelly Furtado, Grammy Award–winning musician “If I’m going to listen to anyone’s good advice about how to improve my approach to work and life, it’s Rana’s.” Kate Betts, contributing editor, TIME, and columnist, The Daily Beast "Rana's voice is refreshing--as real as a memoir and a great vessel for this self-help and business book wrapped up in one easily-digestible package." Paper Magazine "A very interesting book." Business Learning Solutions




Upgrade: Taking Your Work and Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary


Book Description

Instead of developing a real strategy to upgrade and optimize our lives, too many of us just slog through life in a state of "managed dissatisfaction." But it's never too late to envision an entirely different futuree--or to actively upgrade your life. It's not about finding more time, money, or resources. Anyone can do it. This smart and entertaining guide delves deep into each principle, giving you the insights, tools, and inspiration to take your life from ordinary to extraordinary.




Fred 2.0


Book Description

Nine years ago, bestselling author and business consultant Mark Sanborn introduced the world to Fred, his postman, who delivered extraordinary service in simple but remarkable ways. Fred’s story inspired millions. Companies—even, cities—were inspired to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary each day. Today, with stiff competition from the networked global economy, delivering extraordinary results is more important than ever. With Fred 2.0, Mark not only revisits the original Fred to gain new insights, but also equips all of us with new strategies to achieve more. You’ll not only be inspired by Fred 2.0, you’ll also have the tools and strategies to aim higher and achieve the extraordinary.




Extraordinary, Ordinary People


Book Description

This is the story of Condoleezza Rice that has never been told, not that of an ultra-accomplished world leader, but of a little girl--and a young woman--trying to find her place in a sometimes hostile world, of two exceptional parents, and an extended family and community that made all the difference. Condoleezza Rice has excelled as a diplomat, political scientist, and concert pianist. Her achievements run the gamut from helping to oversee the collapse of communism in Europe and the decline of the Soviet Union, to working to protect the country in the aftermath of 9-11, to becoming only the second woman--and the first black woman ever--to serve as Secretary of State. But until she was 25 she never learned to swim, because when she was a little girl in Birmingham, Alabama, Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor decided he'd rather shut down the city's pools than give black citizens access. Throughout the 1950's, Birmingham's black middle class largely succeeded in insulating their children from the most corrosive effects of racism, providing multiple support systems to ensure the next generation would live better than the last. But by 1963, Birmingham had become an environment where blacks were expected to keep their head down and do what they were told--or face violent consequences. That spring two bombs exploded in Rice’s neighborhood amid a series of chilling Klu Klux Klan attacks. Months later, four young girls lost their lives in a particularly vicious bombing. So how was Rice able to achieve what she ultimately did? Her father, John, a minister and educator, instilled a love of sports and politics. Her mother, a teacher, developed Condoleezza’s passion for piano and exposed her to the fine arts. From both, Rice learned the value of faith in the face of hardship and the importance of giving back to the community. Her parents’ fierce unwillingness to set limits propelled her to the venerable halls of Stanford University, where she quickly rose through the ranks to become the university’s second-in-command. An expert in Soviet and Eastern European Affairs, she played a leading role in U.S. policy as the Iron Curtain fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated. Less than a decade later, at the apex of the hotly contested 2000 presidential election, she received the exciting news--just shortly before her father’s death--that she would go on to the White House as the first female National Security Advisor. As comfortable describing lighthearted family moments as she is recalling the poignancy of her mother’s cancer battle and the heady challenge of going toe-to-toe with Soviet leaders, Rice holds nothing back in this remarkably candid telling.




Find Your Extraordinary


Book Description

In this Wall Street Journal bestseller, Jessica Herrin, serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of the Stella & Dot Family Brands, shows how the classic traits of successful entrepreneurs are ones each one of us can develop--and use not only to create a company, but also to create an extraordinary life. What if you could, with a little effort, live an extraordinary life? A life in which you felt deep passion for everything you did, and always had time for what matters most? A life in which you had the power, the daring, and the will to make your boldest dreams come true, all while you happily left feelings of inadequacy or guilt behind? It is possible to take your life from ordinary to extraordinary. The secret? Cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit inside you--the spirit that allows you to embrace your individuality, to look not just at what is but at what could be, to believe in yourself beyond reason and to step up to creating your own definition of happiness and success--a version of success in which work and family life happily co-exist--instead of chasing a cookie-cutter version. Whether we work a corporate job, run a family, or run our own business, Herrin offers realistic, attainable steps each one of us can take to achieve extraordinary success on our own terms. Through candid and inspiring lessons from her life as a successful CEO and working mother of two, as well as stories of many amazing individuals she’s met along the way, Herrin inspires and empowers us to dial up the sound of our own voices and make our authentic dreams a reality. This book isn’t about having it all; it’s about having what matters most to you. It is about how to find your extraordinary--your extraordinary career, your extraordinary happiness, your extraordinary life.




Be Extraordinary


Book Description

Some people can get over anything. Doctors diagnose them with a rare form of cancer and they recover. They are viciously attacked and blinded yet pull through to start a successful business improving other people's lives. They survive injury in the military, and campaign across the country to raise awareness about the emotional difficulties linked to combat service. These people bounce back from horrendous trauma that would emotionally and physically cripple most people. They flourish with renewed resolve to face any problem with grace and ease. Knowing how people in challenging circumstances such as these transition from ordinary to extraordinary gives us the knowledge to transform our own lives without first suffering trauma. Be Extraordinary reveals a life-changing formula that will lead us on the path to being extraordinary even when we encounter setbacks along the way. Jennifer Wild has discovered that overcoming adversity and becoming extraordinary tap the same factor. People who flourish with or without trauma as their catalyst naturally draw on seven key processes - the unwavering belief in recovering against all odds, the conviction to reach one's goals, the courage to focus on the future rather than the past, and the invaluable, necessary conscious and continuous process of updating out-dated memories and self-concepts. These factors drive people to overcome adversity. They drive people to become extraordinary. Some people have them. Some people don't. This book is about what those factors are, how to get them and why they work. Linking science to achievable transformation, Dr Wild reveals the seven processes and gives inspiring real-life examples of how ordinary people have used them to come through astonishing adversity. Offering an accessible, practical no-nonsense plan of how to overcome everyday setbacks, this is the essential guide if you want to Be Extraordinary.




The Fred Factor


Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The true story of an ordinary mail carrier whose approach to work and life has the power to transform the everyday into the extraordinary—now in an updated twentieth-anniversary edition “This beloved business classic has inspired millions of people over the years, and today Mark Sanborn’s transformative insights are more timely and necessary than ever.”—Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus and co-author of The Coffee Bean Meet Fred. In this timeless and powerful book, Mark Sanborn, member of the Speaker Hall of Fame, recounts the true story of Fred, an ordinary USPS carrier who introduced himself one day shortly after Sanborn had moved to a new home in Denver. Fred, however, was no average mailman. As Sanborn came to discover, Fred was the kind of worker who exemplifies everything “right” with customer service. Did people want packages left on the porch or prefer a notice to pick them up at the post office? Fred made sure he knew the answer. When another delivery service left a package at the wrong house, Fred shepherded it safely to the intended recipient. Others might have seen delivering mail as routine work, but Fred seized the chance to find meaning in the mundane, competing with himself every day to find opportunities to make his customers smile. We’ve all encountered people like Fred. In this deeply inspiring book, Sanborn illuminates the four basic principles anyone can use to bring fresh energy and creativity to our work and life: how to make a tangible difference every day, build stronger relationships, create real value for others without spending a penny, and constantly reinvent yourself. In this updated edition, Sanborn speaks to the seismic changes that have transformed the world of work in recent years—with employees increasingly hungry for purpose in their jobs—and outlines the book’s fresh applications. By following his principles, you, too, can find more excitement, fulfillment, and success in your career—and in your life.




From Ordinary to Extraordinary


Book Description

A blend of teaching and inspiration from John MacArthur's popular books Twelve Ordinary Men and Twelve Extraordinary Women. Includes daily readings and scripture verses. --from publisher description.




Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen


Book Description

A gorgeous and inspiring picture book biography of Jane Austen, one of the most beloved writers of all time, from award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of our greatest writers. But before that, she was just an ordinary girl. In fact, young Jane was a bit quiet and shy; if you had met her back then, you might not have noticed her at all. But she would have noticed you. Jane watched and listened to all the things people around her did and said, and locked those observations away for safekeeping. Jane also loved to read. She devoured everything in her father’s massive library and before long, she began creating her own stories. In her time, the most popular books were grand adventures and romances, but Jane wanted to go her own way...and went on to invent an entirely new kind of novel. Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen includes a timeline and quotes from Austen's most popular novels. Parents and grandparents, as well as teachers and librarians, will enjoy introducing children to Jane Austen through this accessible, beautifully packaged picture book.




Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace


Book Description

A deeply personal introduction to the biblical theology and spirituality of Opus Dei by the bestselling Catholic author Scott Hahn. To conspiracy theorists, Opus Dei is a highly secretive and powerful international organization. To its members, however, Opus Dei is a spiritual path, a way of incorporating the teachings of Jesus into everyday life. In Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace, Scott Hahn, a member of Opus Dei, describes the organization’s founding, its mission, and its profound influence on his life. Hahn recounts the invaluable part Opus Dei played in his conversion from Evangelical Christianity to Catholicism and explains why its teachings remain at the center of his life. Through stories about his job, his marriage, his role as a parent, and his community activities, Hahn shows how Opus Dei’s spirituality enriches the meaning of daily tasks and transforms ordinary relationships. He offers inspiring insights for reconciling spiritual and material goals, discussing topics ranging from ambition, workaholism, friendship, and sex, to the place of prayer and sacrifice in Christianity today. Engaging and enlightening, Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace is at once a moving personal story and an inspiring work of contemporary spirituality.