Guided by "Akira-sensei," John comes to realize the greatest adversity on his journey will be the challenge of defeating the man in the mirror. This powerful story of one boy's journey to achieve his life long goal of becoming a samurai warrior, brings the Train to be CLUTCH curriculum to life in a powerful and memorable way. Some things you will learn... -No matter how it feels, you are always building your own house. -How and why you must surrender to the outcome in order to be at your best. -Why you never want to have your identity wrapped up in what you do. -Why your strength lies in faithfulness to the little things. -How to develop a heart posture of gratitude. -How to use the biggest challenges as a training ground for greatness. -Why the process is more important than the goal. -Why comparison is the thief of all joy. -How to develop a growth mindset. -Why talent is more of a curse than a blessing. "So many valuable stories and lessons!" -Nick Ahmed, Arizona Diamondbacks
More than a thousand years ago a Chinese Zen Master wrote: Magical Power, Marvelous Action! Chopping Wood, Carrying Water... The message is as true today as it was then: the greatest lessons and the profoundest heights of the spiritual path can be found in our everyday life. It is the greatest challenge for people living in contemporary society to find the spiritual aspects of working in an office, store, or factory; balancing a checkbook; raising a family; or making a relationship work. How can we make all these daily activities a part of the path? How can we apply the insights of great spiritual traditions, and our own experience, to the way we live and develop? This book is a guide - a handbook filled with information, advice, hints, stories, inspiration, encouragement, connections, warning, and cautions, for the inner journey as we live throughout our lives. Chop Wood, Carry Water contains much ancient wisdom, but the emphasis is on contemporary perceptions. Many of our guides have been known to humanity for millennia: they are the world's great spiritual teachers- Christ, the Buddha, Loa Tse, Confucius. Others are contemporary teacher and healers, widely recognized and respected. All offer ways to integrate the events, our focus on relationships and family, our struggle with technology, money, politics and more- into the quest for spiritual fulfillment.
"Through candor and comprehensiveness, Jackson writes a convincing revisionist take, in which he emerges as an excellent coach . . . highly readable . . . reflects Jackson’s polymathy." —The New York Times Book Review "Part sports memoir, part New Age spirit quest, part pseudo-management tract . . . But the primary thing with Jackson—as with all the old bards, who were also known for repeating themselves—is the voice." —Sam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine A New York Times Bestseller The inside story of one of basketball's most legendary and game-changing figures During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed. This is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head. In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he: • Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s • Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title • Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync • Inspired Dennis Rodman and other “uncoachable” personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves • Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team. Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.
"There's a secret to mastery that you may have never heard, a single little thing that only the very best in the world know how to do. In fact, I believe it is the only thing anyone can do to gain true mastery at anything, and it's an equal opportunity principle. It can be applied to fulfill your potential in business, in sports, in your relationships, as well as your overall life. Do you want to know what it is?" In the crowd, Jason leaned forward, laser focused. Kicked off his basketball team after a season-ending fight, his only chance to play ball again was to sell enough books door-to-door over the summer to get back on the team. He never needed wisdom like he needed it now. But little did he know that the answer he was seeking was about to change his life forever... Pound The Stone is the intense and inspiring story of a young man's journey through the obstacles, defeats, and eventual victories that come while developing grit on the path to mastery. Told in the same engaging fable style as Chop Wood Carry Water, this is a deeper dive into the timeless principles that guide and inspire anyone who seeks greatness in life, and covers everything from true success, to the perfection trap, the value of failure, why courage is contagious, and why vulnerability can save your life. Pound The Stone will move you, inspire you, and hopefully encourage you to choose love and courage over fear and shame.
We live in a drive thru culture. From the comfort of the driver's seat in your car you can get dinner, money, dry cleaning, a car wash, medicine and more. When it comes to success, we have the same expectation of convenience. We want better results and we want them now. While everyone is looking for a shortcut or a lifehack to success, the best know that the work is the shortcut. The future you want to create is about the small, simple actions you take today. It requires belief in the vision, commitment to the process and the discipline to do the work. We all have talent, but do you have the discipline to become great? Keep Chopping Wood is a short story and field guide about what it takes for ordinary people to live extraordinary lives.
“One of the great spiritual leaders of all times” offers mindfulness meditations and guidance on how to bring awareness into everyday life with “an illuminating wisdom that dances through every page” (Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance) The rewards of mindfulness practice are well proven: reduced stress, improved concentration, and an overall sense of well-being. But those benefits are just the beginning. Mindfulness in action—mindfulness applied throughout life—can help us work more effectively with life’s challenges, expanding our appreciation and potential for creative engagement. This guide to mindful awareness through meditation provides all the basics to get you started, but also goes deeper to address the questions that naturally arise as your practice matures and further insight arises. A distillation of teachings on the subject by one of the great meditation masters of our time, this book serves as an introduction to the practice as well as a guide to the ongoing mindful journey. “Mindfulness is the direct path to insight—and no one has ever illuminated that wonderful path more skillfully than Chögyam Trungpa.” —Pema Chödrön
A journalist embarks on the adventure of a lifetime—living in a remote cabin in Siberia—in this Thoreau-esque meditation on escaping the chaos of modern life and rediscovering the luxury of solitude. “…wry, exuberant, and a perfect balm for anyone who dreams of running away to the middle of nowhere.” —San Francisco Chronicle No stranger to inhospitable places, journalist Sylvain Tesson exiles himself to a wooden cabin on Siberia’s Lake Baikal—a full day’s hike from any “neighbor”—with his thoughts, his books, a couple of dogs, and many bottles of vodka for company. Writing from February to July, he shares his deep appreciation for the harsh but beautiful land, the resilient men and women who populate it, and the bizarre and tragic history that has given Siberia an almost mythological place in the imagination. Rich with observation, introspection, and the good humor necessary to laugh at his own folly, Tesson’s memoir is about the ultimate freedom of owning your own time. Only in the hands of a gifted storyteller can an experiment in isolation become an exceptional adventure accessible to all. By recording his impressions in the face of silence, his struggles in a hostile environment, his hopes, doubts, and moments of pure joy in communion with nature, Tesson makes a decidedly out-of-the-ordinary experience relatable. The awe and joy are contagious, and one comes away with the comforting knowledge that “as long as there is a cabin deep in the woods, nothing is completely lost.”
Dr. Bernie Siegel--revered thought-leader, retired surgeon, and prolific author--offers meaningful life-lessons inspired by the significant quotes pulled from his notebooks. "Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet." - Ralph Waldo Emerson We have all come across a sentence in a book or a line of poetry that seems to jump off the page as if it has been patiently waiting for you to discover it in this precise instant. At times, the lyrics of a song or words spoken in a play can feel as if God is speaking directly to you, guiding you on your quest for truth and authenticity in this weird and wonderful life. From the words of great thinkers and quiet moments with God, to snippets of conversation with patients, and moments shared with his late-wife, Bobbie, Dr. Bernie Siegel has curated his most meaningful stories, lessons, and quotes from a lifetime of journals in No Endings, Only Beginnings. With this book, he encourages you not just to learn from his advice and experience, but to create your own book of collected wisdom-your life manual for growing, loving, and healing-as you continue to shape your personal understanding of the answers to life's big questions.
Moving to America turns H&à's life inside out. For all the 10 years of her life, H&à has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by, and the beauty of her very own papaya tree. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. H&à and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, H&à discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape, and the strength of her very own family. This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.
