Living A Life That Really Matters

"In this book Michael Snyder is going to share with you what he has learned about living an overflowing life. We were designed to love, to laugh, to discover, to create and to live lives that are filled with passion. Unfortunately, so many of us have bought into lies that have enabled the enemy to steal all of that from us. No matter how bad things may seem right now, God can take the broken pieces of your life and turn them into a beautiful thing. But you have got to be willing to break your old patterns and start doing things that will produce good fruit in your life. This book will help you to do that"--Back cover.

In this inspiring, uplifting and timely book, Harold Kushner addresses our craving for significance, the need to know that our lives and choices mean something. We sometimes confuse power, wealth and fame with true achievement. We can do great things, and occasionally terrible things, to reassure ourselves that we matter to the world. We need to think of ourselves as good people and are troubled when we compromise our integrity to be successful and important. In Living a Life That Matters, Rabbi Kushner suggests that the path to a truly successful and significant life lies in friendship, family, acts of generosity and self-sacrifice, as well as in God's forgiving nature. He describes how, in changing the life of even one person in a positive way, we make a difference in the world, give our lives meaning, and prove that we do, in fact, matter.

In this moving and thought-provoking volume, Arthur Kleinman tells the unsettling stories of a handful of men and women, some of whom have lived through some of the most fundamental transitions of the turbulent twentieth century. Here we meet an American veteran of World War II, tortured by the memory of the atrocities he committed while a soldier in the Pacific. A French-American woman aiding refugees in sub-Saharan Africa, facing the utter chaos of a society where life has become meaningless. A Chinese doctor trying to stay alive during Mao's cultural revolution, discovering that the only values that matter are those that get you beyond the next threat. These individuals found themselves caught in circumstances where those things that matter most to them--their desires, status, relationships, resources, political and religious commitments, life itself--have been challenged by the society around them. Each is caught up in existential moral experiences that define what it means to be human, with an intensity that makes their life narratives arresting. These stories reveal just how malleable moral life is, and just how central danger is to our worlds and our livelihood. Indeed, Kleinman offers in this book a groundbreaking approach to ethics, examining "who we are" through some of the most disturbing issues of our time--war, globalization, poverty, social injustice--all in the context of actual lived moral life.

The celebrated author of Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life delivers a unique look at happiness, sharing a Jungian approach to finding a fearless, authentic path. Why are we here? What is the meaning of existence? What truly matters the most in life? To even begin to answer these questions, we must start by exploring our own internal ideals, values, and beliefs. Presenting the unique perspective of respected analyst and author James Hollis, Ph.D., What Matters Most helps readers learn to appreciate (even be amazed by) events unfolding within, even as the external world creates constant struggles. Taking a fresh look at the concept of happiness, Hollis uses a warm, accessible tone to encourage readers to learn to tolerate ambiguity, embrace growth rather than security, respect the power of Eros, engage spiritual crises, and acknowledge the shadow of mortality. Providing inspiring wisdom and personal reflections to address our deepest worries, What Matters Most yields far more than mere self-help clichés. Instead, Hollis guides readers in uncovering the heart of the matter, discovering what it means to truly live life to its fullest, most meaningful state—as fully engaged citizens of the world.

The Get Wisdom Bible Studies help women connect with Scripture in an accessible and energizing way. Teresa Swanstrom Anderson guides with a winsome style that is rich in depth, but still approachable for newer readers of the Bible. What Are You Hustling For? We glorify busyness. We hustle, hoping to gain approval and find acceptance. Yet for most of us, we simply hustle our way to burnout. But what if it's only pointless hustle that leads to burnout? What if meaningful struggle can lead us to growth and depth and even joy? The apostle Paul understood hustle--and struggle--better than most. But in prison, where we'd expect him to be burned out and depressed, he wrote a letter to his Philippian friends seeking to build them up, a letter filled with thankfulness, generosity, and joy. Focused on Jesus rather than concentrating on his own discomfort, Paul's actions brilliantly display what happens when hardship is used for the glory of God. We might feel that life is trying to bury us . . . but what we forget is that we're a seed. Philippians will show us how we can grow deep roots and blossom by finding the meaning in our struggle.

A pioneer in the field of behavioral science delivers a groundbreaking work that shows how finding your purpose in life leads to better health and overall happiness. Your life is a boat. You need a rudder. But it doesn’t matter how much wind is in your sails if you’re not steering toward a harbor—an ultimate purpose in your life. While the greatest philosophers have pondered purpose for centuries, today it has been shown to have a concrete impact on our health. Recent studies into Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke, depression, functional brain imaging, and measurement of DNA repair are shedding new light on how and why purpose benefits our lives. Going beyond the fads, opinions, and false hopes of “expert” self-help books, Life on Purpose explores the incredible connection between purposeful living and the latest scientific evidence on quality of life and longevity. Drawing on ancient and modern philosophy, literature, psychology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and neuroscience, as well as his experience in public health research, Dr. Vic Strecher reveals the elements necessary for a purposeful life and how to acquire them, and outlines an elegant strategy for improving energy, willpower, and long-term happiness, and well-being. He integrates these core themes into his own personal story—a tragedy that led him to reconsider his own life—and how a deeper understanding of purposeful living helped him not only survive, but thrive. Illuminating, accessible, and authentically grounded in real people’s experiences, Life on Purpose is essential reading for everyone seeking lasting improvement in their lives.

Combining the practical with the spiritual, Kris Reece guides you through discovering who you are, developing the skills and traits you need, and designing a plan to launch you into your destiny.If you are longing to take control of your life and make it what God intends it to be, you're ready to Make it Matter.

John C. Maxwell, #1 New York Times bestselling author, helps readers take the first steps to living a life that matters inIntentional Living. We all have a longing to be significant. We want to make a contribution, to be a part of something noble and purposeful. But many people wrongly believe significance is unattainable. They worry that it's too big for them to achieve. That they have to have an amazing idea, be a certain age, have a lot of money, or be powerful or famous to make a real difference. The good news is that none of those things is necessary for you to achieve significance and create a lasting legacy. The only thing you need to achieve significance is to be intentional. And to do that, all you need to do is start. You can't make an impact sitting still and doing nothing. Every major accomplishment that's ever been achieved started with a first step. Sometimes it's hard; other times it's easy, but no matter what, you have to do it if you want to get anywhere in life. In Intentional Living, John Maxwell will help you take that first step, and the ones that follow, on your personal path through a life that matters.