Better Than OK

Better Than OK

Author: Kelly Mantoan

Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor

Published: 2021-08-26

Total Pages: 126

ISBN-13: 168192417X

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“Every day is joyful. Every day is a gift. Every day I can thank God from the bottom of my heart.” Kelly Mantoan wasn’t always able to say these words. As a mother of five children, two with profound disabilities, all her energy and attention was focused on her children’s diagnoses and round the clock care. Drained and struggling, Kelly wondered if she had what it took to be the kind of parent they needed. She craved support as a Catholic mother with special-needs children, but felt lost and alone when she tried to rely on secular support groups or well-meaning friends and family who had no experience in the special-needs community. If you can relate to Kelly’s story, Better Than OK: Finding Joy with Special- Needs Children is the hope-filled book you need today. In her down-to-earth way, Kelly shares the steps parents need to take to shift their focus away from the negatives of a diagnosis and towards acceptance, renewed faith, and joy. This book is a must-read for special-needs parents, but I would recommend it to any parent who needs a dose of wisdom and encouragement. — Jen Fulwiler, bestselling author and standup comic Sometimes special-needs parents need practical tips. Sometimes we need prayers. And sometimes we just need to know that we're not alone. ... This engaging new book is a true gift to the parents of kids with special needs. — Bonnie L. Engstrom, mom of eight and author of 61 Minutes to a Miracle This book is a gem for all special-needs parents, by turns funny, poignant, and always honest. It's the book I wish my parents could've had when I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in the 90s. — Emily M. DeArdo, author of Living Memento Mori: My Journey Along the Way of the Cross A truly important book for Catholic parents of special-needs children, and for family members, friends, and members of parish communities who want to better understand and more effectively support them. — Kendra Tierney, author of The Catholic All Year Compendium ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelly Mantoan is the founder of Accepting the Gift, an online apostolate that provides resources and support to Catholic special-needs parents. She also blogs at This Ain’t the Lyceum about homeschooling, special-needs parenting, and Catholic family life. She enjoys creating useful posts and resources for her followers and speaking to groups about how God’s plan for our lives is often much better than anything we can imagine.


Better Than Ok

Better Than Ok

Author: Dr. Helen Street

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Published: 2014-06-01

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 192208980X

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This is a book of up-to-date strategies for helping children—from their earliest years into adulthood—and is all about helping kids do more than just survive; these are strategies to help kids flourish. These solution-focused and easy-to-read essays are by 27 of the world's top experts in positive education. Learn to help children develop a lifelong love of learning with this practical and positive guide. Contributors include Michael Carr-Gregg, Maggie Dent, Andrew Fuller, and Tim Sharp.


Better Than Okay

Better Than Okay

Author: Brandi Wilson

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2023-07-11

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1493442236

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Some seasons of life can seem inordinately more difficult than one human should ever have to endure. For Brandi Wilson, this was the year when her husband of more than 20 years--and a megachurch pastor--walked away from her and her family, her church community dissolved, and her dreams and identity were shattered. Yet God transformed this heartbreaking, overwhelming year into an invaluable lesson on the gift of healing. Here Brandi vulnerably and beautifully tells her story of confronting grief and heartache head-on and learning how to grow from the pain. She poignantly reminds us that your story is always evolving as she helps you · rely on and find comfort in the promises of God · endure the darkest moments and seasons of life · address your grief head-on · begin a new journey toward healing · find freedom in your new identity While grief and tragedy seem final and your life and dreams look drastically different, there is hope for renewed joy, peace, and redemption. Your pain doesn't get the final say; through God's grace and healing power, you will be better than okay.


OK

OK

Author: Allan Metcalf

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2010-11-08

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0199752524

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It is said to be the most frequently spoken (or typed) word on the planet, more common than an infant's first word ma or the ever-present beverage Coke. It was even the first word spoken on the moon. It is "OK"--the most ubiquitous and invisible of American expressions, one used countless times every day. Yet few of us know the hidden history of OK--how it was coined, what it stood for, and the amazing extent of its influence. Allan Metcalf, a renowned popular writer on language, here traces the evolution of America's most popular word, writing with brevity and wit, and ranging across American history with colorful portraits of the nooks and crannies in which OK survived and prospered. He describes how OK was born as a lame joke in a newspaper article in 1839--used as a supposedly humorous abbreviation for "oll korrect" (ie, "all correct")--but should have died a quick death, as most clever coinages do. But OK was swept along in a nineteenth-century fad for abbreviations, was appropriated by a presidential campaign (one of the candidates being called "Old Kinderhook"), and finally was picked up by operators of the telegraph. Over the next century and a half, it established a firm toehold in the American lexicon, and eventually became embedded in pop culture, from the "I'm OK, You're OK" of 1970's transactional analysis, to Ned Flanders' absurd "Okeley Dokeley!" Indeed, OK became emblematic of a uniquely American attitude, and is one of our most successful global exports. "An appealing and informative history of OK." --Washington Post Book World "After reading Metcalf's book, it's easy to accept his claim that OK is 'America's greatest word.'" --Erin McKean, Boston Globe "Entertaininga treat for logophiles." --Kirkus Reviews "Metcalf makes you acutely aware of how ubiquitous and vital the word has become." --Jeremy McCarter, Newsweek


Living More Than Ok

Living More Than Ok

Author: Frank Coulson M.

Publisher: Author House

Published: 2013-10-25

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 1491828331

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Living More Than OK Spiraling Up To Abundant Living Do you merely exist through each day? Do you ask yourself is this all there is to life? Then you are just living ok and that is not the way your life is meant to be. Living More Than OK Spiraling Up To Abundant Living takes you on a reflective journey on aspects of Positive Psychology, and other related concepts to help you to move beyond going through the motions to thriving with purpose and enjoying life to the full. Topics that will be considered are: Tapping Into Your Creativity Dream Big and Reach Your Goals Follow Your Purpose With Passion Aim For Natural Highs Thankfulness As A Lifestyle Take the risk today to begin Living More Than OK! You were created to live a life that is flourishing and abundant! Make the right choice to begin Living More Than OK!


It's OK That You're Not OK

It's OK That You're Not OK

Author: Megan Devine

Publisher: Sounds True

Published: 2017-10-01

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1622039084

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Challenging conventional wisdom on grief, a pioneering therapist offers a new resource for those experiencing loss When a painful loss or life-shattering event upends your world, here is the first thing to know: there is nothing wrong with grief. “Grief is simply love in its most wild and painful form,” says Megan Devine. “It is a natural and sane response to loss.” So, why does our culture treat grief like a disease to be cured as quickly as possible? In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides—as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner—Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, “happy” life, replacing it with a far healthier middle path, one that invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it. In this compelling and heartful book, you’ll learn: • Why well-meaning advice, therapy, and spiritual wisdom so often end up making it harder for people in grief • How challenging the myths of grief—doing away with stages, timetables, and unrealistic ideals about how grief should unfold—allows us to accept grief as a mystery to be honored instead of a problem to solve • Practical guidance for managing stress, improving sleep, and decreasing anxiety without trying to “fix” your pain • How to help the people you love—with essays to teach us the best skills, checklists, and suggestions for supporting and comforting others through the grieving process Many people who have suffered a loss feel judged, dismissed, and misunderstood by a culture that wants to “solve” grief. Megan writes, “Grief no more needs a solution than love needs a solution.” Through stories, research, life tips, and creative and mindfulness-based practices, she offers a unique guide through an experience we all must face—in our personal lives, in the lives of those we love, and in the wider world. It’s OK That You’re Not OK is a book for grieving people, those who love them, and all those seeking to love themselves—and each other—better.


The Great Mental Models, Volume 1

The Great Mental Models, Volume 1

Author: Shane Parrish

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2024-10-15

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0593719972

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Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.


There Are No Accidents

There Are No Accidents

Author: Jessie Singer

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2023-02-28

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1982129689

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A journalist recounts the surprising history of accidents and reveals how they’ve come to define all that’s wrong with America. We hear it all the time: “Sorry, it was just an accident.” And we’ve been deeply conditioned to just accept that explanation and move on. But as Jessie Singer argues convincingly: There are no such things as accidents. The vast majority of mishaps are not random but predictable and preventable. Singer uncovers just how the term “accident” itself protects those in power and leaves the most vulnerable in harm’s way, preventing investigations, pushing off debts, blaming the victims, diluting anger, and even sparking empathy for the perpetrators. As the rate of accidental death skyrockets in America, the poor and people of color end up bearing the brunt of the violence and blame, while the powerful use the excuse of the “accident” to avoid consequences for their actions. Born of the death of her best friend, and the killer who insisted it was an accident, this book is a moving investigation of the sort of tragedies that are all too common, and all too commonly ignored. In this revelatory book, Singer tracks accidental death in America from turn of the century factories and coal mines to today’s urban highways, rural hospitals, and Superfund sites. Drawing connections between traffic accidents, accidental opioid overdoses, and accidental oil spills, Singer proves that what we call accidents are hardly random. Rather, who lives and dies by an accident in America is defined by money and power. She also presents a variety of actions we can take as individuals and as a society to stem the tide of “accidents”—saving lives and holding the guilty to account.


Better Than Good

Better Than Good

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Published: 2013-07

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 1623806399

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Matt Sullivan understands labels: law student, athlete, heterosexual. He has goals: graduate and begin his career in law. One fateful night, Matt tags along with his gay roommate to a dance club and everything changes. Matt finds himself attracted to the most beautiful man he's ever seen. All labels go flying out the window. Aaron Mendez doesn't believe in labels, and he's leery of straight curious men. He makes it clear that he'll hide his fabulous light for no one. While Aaron can't deny the attraction between him and Matt, he is reluctant to start anything with someone who is still dealing with what this new label means-especially when that someone has a girlfriend.