Make Your Mess Your Message

Discover the Power of Meaningful, Life-changing Conversations We've all had unique-and often messy-life journeys. You know ... the good, the bad, and the ugly. But what if your "messy" life experiences have hidden meanings-that if uncovered could help you have mind-blowing insights about your life's purpose, and deepen your friendships? In this second book in The Friendship Series, life coach Shari Leid chronicles a round of dates with her girlfriends where she asks the question "What is the mess that became your message?" And the responses are astounding! Make Your Mess Your Message encourages each of us to not only give one another the gift of time but to have meaningful life-changing conversations.

These days, there's no better business tool than a book. But most people don't know how to write one-or even where to start. Turns out the best place is the messy middle.Anna David knows this more than anyone. When the New York Times bestselling author of seven books got sober and sold a book about her recovery to the biggest publisher in the world, she thought she'd made it. Then she learned the hard way that trying to make a living by selling books to traditional publishers was a cruel joke-and that accepting the unacceptable was no way to live. The publishing industry was ripe for disrupting. But first David had to make a mess and then learn from it.After years of struggle and self-discovery, she ended up not only mentoring and publishing hundreds of bestselling authors but also thriving personally and professionally. Now she's sharing what she's learned-and showing others how to do the same.In this page-turning and useful memoir-meets-manual, David reveals her personal lows (doing cocaine by herself while contemplating suicide), her career lows (a past-his-prime celebrity hurling a phone at her as she wrote his biography) and how her life today wouldn't be possible without those experiences.With deft humor and unique insight, David demonstrates how much early childhood programming can set us up to repeat our own dysfunctional patterns-until we're ready to shift our behavior. The last quarter of the book is a practical guide so that readers can make their own mess into a message-and memoir.

The beloved Good Morning America anchor shares the incredible journey that's been her life so far and the lessons she learned along the way as she battled breast cancer and a rare blood disorder and dealt with the death of her mother.

What Duke Ellington and Miles Davis teach us about leadership How do you cope when faced with complexity and constant change at work? Here’s what the world’s best leaders and teams do: they improvise. They invent novel responses and take calculated risks without a scripted plan or a safety net that guarantees specific outcomes. They negotiate with each other as they proceed, and they don’t dwell on mistakes or stifle each other’s ideas. In short, they say “yes to the mess” that is today’s hurried, harried, yet enormously innovative and fertile world of work. This is exactly what great jazz musicians do. In this revelatory book, accomplished jazz pianist and management scholar Frank Barrett shows how this improvisational “jazz mind-set” and the skills that go along with it are essential for effective leadership today. With fascinating stories of the insights and innovations of jazz greats such as Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, as well as probing accounts of the wisdom gleaned from his own experience as a jazz musician, Barrett introduces a new model for leading and collaborating in organizations. He describes how, like skilled jazz players, leaders need to master the art of unlearning, perform and experiment simultaneously, and take turns soloing and supporting each other. And with examples that range from manufacturing to the military to high-tech, he illustrates how organizations must take an inventive approach to crisis management, economic volatility, and all the rapidly evolving realities of our globally connected world. Leaders today need to be expert improvisers. Yes to the Mess vividly shows how the principles of jazz thinking and jazz performance can help anyone who leads teams or works with them to develop these critical skills, wherever they sit in the organization. Engaging and insightful, Yes to the Mess is a seminar on collaboration and complexity, against the soulful backdrop of jazz.

Have you ever thought your life is beyond repair? Perhaps you asked, “How could God possibly use my brokenness for good?” We all tend to look for purpose in our pain. We are broken people living in a broken world. Depression, anxiety, hurting relationships, unmet expectations, and just that constant feeling of unease and discouragement make us question God, wondering if there is even a purpose to be found. In Repurposed, Noe Garcia takes readers on a journey through Romans 8, which many have called “The Greatest Chapter in the Bible.” Noe shares his life story, including abuse, depression, and overwhelming hopelessness. He reveals how God has redeemed him, repaired his brokenness, and restored him to new life. Whether your life is like Noe's was, or your brokenness looks different, this book will meet you where you are, and: Provide hope for your future. Remind you of the promise that God is for you. Lead you to surrender your brokenness to God. Help you see how God is using all things together for your good.

We often hear that success requires pushing the boundaries, coloring outside the lines, stepping on toes, and breaking all the rules. But some rules are so critical they aren't meant to be broken. Here, perennially popular Good Morning America host Robin Roberts reveals the 8 rules that she has always honored on her road to success. Illustrated with stories from her work, her family, and her faith, she explains how deceptively simple maxims like "Never lose sight of the Big Picture" and "Give people the benefit of the doubt" are both deeply meaningful and crucial to happiness and genuine accomplishment. Combined with a good dose of Robin's trademark humor, warmth, and honesty, this book will be required reading for anyone in need of an infusion of sincere inspiration. And in light of her announcement in July 2007 that she had breast cancer, Robin's message is bound to touch an even larger audience.

Ever since Einstein's study of Brownian Motion, scientists have understood that a little disorder can actually make systems more effective. But most people still shun disorder-or suffer guilt over the mess they can't avoid. No longer! With a spectacular array of true stories and case studies of the hidden benefits of mess, A Perfect Mess overturns the accepted wisdom that tight schedules, organization, neatness, and consistency are the keys to success. Drawing on examples from business, parenting, cooking, the war on terrorism, retail, and even the meteoric career of Arnold Schwarzenegger, coauthors Abrahmson and Freedman demonstrate that moderately messy systems use resources more efficiently, yield better solutions, and are harder to break than neat ones.Applying this idea on scales both large (government, society) and small (desktops, garages), A Perfect Mess uncovers all the ways messiness can trump neatness, and will help you assess the right amount of disorder for any system. Whether it's your company's management plan or your hallway closet that bedevils you, this book will show you why to say yes to mess.

How do you turn your struggles into strengths? Beloved Bible teacher Sheila Walsh teaches readers how the daily spiritual practices of confession, meditation on God’s Word, and prayer result in fresh freedom in Christ. In her long-awaited book, Sheila Walsh equips women with a practical method for connecting with God’s strength in the midst of struggle. From daily frustrations that can feel like overwhelming obstacles to hard challenges that turn into rock-bottom crises, women will find the means to equip themselves for standing strong with God. Using the spiritual applications of confession, prayer, and meditation on Scripture to form a daily connection to Jesus, women will learn how to experience new joy as a child of God who is fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted. In In the Middle of the Mess, Walsh reveals the hardened defenses that kept her from allowing God into her deepest hurts and shares how entering into a safe place with God and practicing this daily connection with him have saved her from the devil’s prowling attacks. Though we will never be completely “fixed” on earth, we are continually held by Jesus, whatever our circumstances. Sheila Walsh acts as our guardian in In the Middle of the Mess as she shows us we’re not alone in our struggles, guides us through a courageous journey of self-discovery, and reminds us where to find hope, comfort, and strength in tough times.