Starting Out Starting Over

Sadie Starr attempts to leave her old self behind, but life at her new school proves starting over is more complicated than it sounds.

La Toya Jackson was always closer to Michael than anyone knew. In this heartfelt memoir, she pays tribute to his tortured soul, revealing the intimate moments she shared with the deeply troubled pop legend. The first sibling to arrive at the hospital after Michael was rushed there, and the informant on his death certificate, La Toya noticed suspicious details and demanded a second autopsy. For the first time, she unveils shocking behind-the-scenes dealings that she believes led to her brother's death, and she provides unprecedented insight into the destruction of one of the most dynamic artist/performers in history.

An inspiring collection of personal stories and wise words that celebrate the power of a fresh start. Some of us start over willingly, and others are forced by circumstance—but everyone who finds herself back at square one could use a dose of courage and comfort. Readers will discover both in O's Little Guide to Starting Over, a collection of stirring pieces on the topic of beginning again. Just a few of the compelling writers and astute thinkers in the mix: Martha Beck, who advises us that embracing failure may lead to our greatest successes; Kelly Corrigan, who writes that accepting our lack of control can be both freeing and healing; and Junot Diaz, who offers reassurance that pushing ahead, even when it feels impossible, is the way to become the person we were meant to be. With moving stories, practical insight, and unforgettable voices, O’s Little Guide to Starting Over is an essential road map for those who are breaking free, rising above, and making their way forward.

Its a fact: life happens. Its easy to feel that your life is beyond your control or that your dreams are out of reach. Occasionally, bad decisions or bad luck can put you in a place where you wish you could just start overand that first step is often the hardest to make. The Art of Starting Over allows you to look at your life from a variety of angles and to discover whats missing. Using the life lesson and exercises within, you can learn how to plan and take the steps you need to create the life you desire. Whether youre starting over by choice or from circumstances beyond your control, this guide can take you down a path that can make the journey back to your ideal new life more enjoyableand productive. But first, you have to understand what makes you happy. Whats important to you may not be important to someone else and vice versa. That is why you cant rely on what others say to determine what is right for you. Only you can know what your perfect life looks like. Be unapologetic and proud of the ideas you have for your life. You can achieve it. All you need is the guidance, accountability, and motivation. Life is not about keeping up with the Joneses or impressing others; its about discovering what makes you happy, whats important to youand why.

I wish I had loved more. I wish I had been smarter about money. I wish I had thought about God more. We all have regrets about the past. Many of them come from our attempts to fulfill unmet longings. Dave and Jon Ferguson call this back and forth between longing and regret the Sorry Cycle—and they want to help us escape it. In Starting Over, Dave and Jon show us how to recognize specific regrets and then release them to God as we learn to see our regrets as opportunities to start over. Finally, we can see God redeem our regrets as he takes the worst things in our lives and uses them for a greater good. Your regrets don’t need to keep you from the joy God has for your life. As you apply the recognize-release-redeem process to your financial, relational, and personal regrets, you will find new freedom in living out your God-given dreams. Fall in Love with Your Regrets It sounds impossible. How can we learn to love our mistakes and failures? Instead, we go over and over them in our mind. Could they ever bring us—or anyone else—good? Drawing from scientific research and biblical truths, Jon and Dave Ferguson give us tools to redeem our mistakes in five key areas: relationships, health, purpose, finances, and spirituality. Along the way, they teach us lifelong skills for getting unstuck when regret threatens to trap us again. We also learn how to help others escape the Sorry Cycle and experience the Starting Over Loop. It is possible to learn to love our regrets because through them we see God at work. We see that our weakness does not limit what God can do. Whatever regret is trapping you in the Sorry Cycle, God is big enough to redeem it. What could you do with a life beyond regret?

Unable to let go of her hatred for her father, Olivia instead directs her negative feelings toward her husband, Caspar, and insists on a divorce. Caspar thus sets off on a motorcycle journey across America, hoping he can ultimately reconcile with his wife. Olivia returns home to England along with her daughters and finds the life of a single mother challenging. She has hardly anyone to turn to, as the rest of the Crighton family have their own lives to attend to. Just when Olivia thinks all is lost, she is unexpectedly reunited with her father, who wants to make amends with his family. Can she really let this man back into her life? Could doing so heal her marriage?

This is the story of how we grow old – how we give up the dreams of youth for something better – and how many chances we have to get it right.

Sometimes rock bottom is the best place to rebuild. In a drunken stupor, Brandon O'Malley frightens his brother Aidan's girlfriend, enraging his brother and the rest of his family. Aidan offers Brandon the choice of rehab or jail, and Brandon reluctantly enters treatment. While in rehab, he confronts the lifetime of secrets and resentments that fueled his spiral into alcoholism, and these revelations have a major effect on his entire family. When he returns home expecting to resume his supervisory role in the family's construction business, Brandon learns his father has retired and put his younger brother, Colin, in charge. Brandon is unhappy to be given the job of renovating an apartment building where he loses his heart to an adorable five-year-old tenant named "Mike." After he falls hard for Michaela, Brandon becomes involved with her mother Daphne, who is running from a past that will later test his sobriety and his mettle as a man.