Hope and Other Superpowers: A Life-Affirming, Love-Defending, Butt-Kicking, World-Saving Manifesto
Author: John Pavlovitz
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: November 6, 2018
Length: 256 Pages
About the Author
John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. In the past four years his blog Stuff That Needs To Be Said has reached a diverse worldwide audience. A 20-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities.
What Kind of Person Does the World Need Right Now?
This book is a call to action. It is a call for activism and resistance against the upside-down world we live in. Americans (in general) and Christians (specifically) no longer seem burdened to love the least, or to be agents of compassion, or to care for your Muslim, gay, African, female, or poor neighbors as yourself.
The author uses popular comic book heroes to identify ways of cultivating key traits (ordinary superpowers) that will improve our lives and our outlook on the worldwide community.
The book warns about the weaknesses (our personal Kryptonite) that leaves us vulnerable to the adversaries and villains that we will face on the journey.
Superpowers don't work alone but in teams of other people with the ultimate goal of creating a global movement of radical goodness. This book provides guidelines for locating like-minded heroes and how to join together to achieve common goals.
Mr. Pavlovitz shares stories of some ordinary superhumans to illustrate how they triumphed against adversity, despair and opposition. These stories serve as an example to launch us into our greater purpose and destiny.
The author recently made the following plea on his blog, and this book provides guidance on how to take meaningful action.
"You and I need to pick a hill worth dying on right now, and we need to ascend it without delay. We need to speak and write and work and protest, and do all the things we’ve been waiting for someone else to do."
My Thoughts
I read this book from cover to cover and found it quite compelling. Mr. Pavlovitz is an excellent writer and expresses his ideas, views and opinions in a very articulate and meaningful manner. He has built a huge platform of supporters on social media sites and frequently expresses his dislike for President Trump and the current political environment in our country.
However, I don't think this book is about politics, religion or liberalism. I believe Mr. Pavlovitz is sincere in his desire to make this a better world. The purpose for this book is to inspire and motivate ordinary people to get off the sidelines and take a stand for their beliefs and convictions. He warns that there will be a price to pay for taking a bold stand on controversial social, political and religious issues. You will face the scorn and rejection of family members, co-workers, church members...your mother might think your brother/sister is better than you.
Put on your cape and use the superpowers described in this book to turn your back on fear and pick a hill worth dying on.
I feel like our country has lowered the bar on what is morally right and wrong. I don't even like watching the news anymore. The bad news just keeps coming. This book stirs something deep inside of me. It confirms the popular quotation by Edmund Burke; "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing."
Hope and Other Super Powers will be released on November 6...election day. A coincidence? No, I don't think so.
MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5
FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Thank you to Simon and Schuster for making this advance reading copy available.
Please FOLLOW this blog and share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. Thank you!
New Year's Resolutions, Goals, Dreams and Aspirations
Author: Suzanne J. Price
Publisher: Suzanne J. Price
Date: October 2, 2012
About The Author
Suzanne Price is a Personal Success Coach, Relationship, Interpersonal Skills & Personal Communications Coach, Life & Lifestyle Coach, Stylist & Image Consultant, Dating Expert, NLP Master Practitioner, TFT Consultant, Author & Workshop Facilitator and Professional Speaker.
Resolutions for the New Year
Are you writing your New Year's Resolutions today?
Do you have goals that you would like to achieve in the next 12 months?
It's the time of year which gives you the opportunity to wipe the slate clean. If you are up for the challenge and are willing to commit to the process, you may discover that achieving your goals could literally change your life.
Suzanne Price advices you to set "SMART" goals for the new year. SMART stands for;
- S - Specific or Stated in the Positive.
- M - Measurable.
- A - Achievable, Attainable, Actionable.
- R - Realistic.
- T - Timely or Tangible
Ms. Price introduces a series of exercises that will help you set crystal clear goals, prioritize and rate the goals and take action to achieve the goals.
I really like the following quotation from this book about the importance of taking action;
There is only so much planning and positive thinking a person can do before there comes a point in time where we just have to take action. After all, no matter how committed we are to a goal, or how determined we are to achieve it, we still must take action in order to reap the rewards.
Most people forget about their New Year's Resolutions by the first week of February. This book will teach you the secret to making 2013 your best year ever!
My Thoughts
This was a very inspiring and educational book to read on the last day of the year. If you are serious about making some changes in your life, this book will guide you in the right direction.
Suzanne Price introduces many concepts that are critical to making and achieving goals. I suggest you read and study this book as you write your own goals for the new year. The time you spend reading this book will be a great investment in your future.
My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5
FYI ~ This book is being offerered as a FREE digital download for the Kindle TODAY! Give yourself a great gift for the New Year and grab your copy NOW! These promotions do not last very long so please check the price before ordering.
I would love for you to FOLLOW this blog. You
may use either the Google Friend Connect or the Networked Blog widget to show
your support and encouragement.
Please share your thoughts in the
Comments Section
below.
Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success
Author: Rory Vaden
Publisher: Perigee Trade
Date: February 7, 2012
About The Author
Rory Vaden is a self-discipline strategist, co-founder of the international
training company - Southwestern Consulting, and a New York Times bestselling
author.
7 Steps To Achieving True Success
Rory Vaden believes we live in an "escalator world"... one that is filled with shortcuts, quick fixes and distractions that make it all too easy to procrastinate, compromise and fall into mediocrity. "Take The Stairs" is about self-discipline and doing things you don't want to do in the short term to bring success in the long term.
Mr Vaden shares seven steps to achieving true success in this book. These steps are;
- Sacrifice
- Commitment
- Focus
- Integrity
- Schedule
- Faith
- Action
The author uses case studies and experiences from his own life to explain how these seven steps can help you develop the courage, character and determination to succeed in anything you attempt.
My Thoughts
Mr. Vaden states in the Introduction of this book that there is a great chance that you won't finish reading the book. According to one major publisher, 95% of all books are never completely read. This same publisher states that 70% of all books that are purchased are never even opened!
I read the book from cover-to-cover and I am glad I did. This book does a good job explaining why the words "sacrifice" and "commitment" are not popular topics in our society today.
The book offers inspiring case studies about people who have found success by "doing things they don't want to do." The theme of self-discipline is repeated over and over in the text.
I love the analogy of the escalator and the stairs. I will think about this book each time I see an escalator crowded with people getting to their destination in the easiest and fastest way possible.
My very favorite part of the book is the chapter on commitment. Mr. Vaden shares the following thoughts on the subject of decision making and commitment;
"There will never be a perfect time, there will never be a perfect person, there will never be a perfect situation to start doing the things we need to get us where we want to go. We need to stop spending so much of our time trying to make the right decisions and instead start spending our time making decisions and then making them right".
This book will inspire and motivate you to take action. Recommended to all who have a dream and want to know how to make it come true.
My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5
FYI ~ I checked-out the print edition of this book from my local public library. The book is available in print and Kindle versions on Amazon.
I
would love for you to FOLLOW this blog. You may use either the Google Friend
Connect or the Networked Blog widget to show your support and encouragement.
Please share your thoughts in the
Comments Section below.
Is procrastination a problem for you? It sure is for me. I hate to think about all my good ideas that I have failed to act on.
The moment you started thinking, little involuntary muscles moved as you thought. But you mustn't let your idea stop with those small, involuntary muscles.
Thought must always lead to action.
You've set yourself a goal—improvement in at least one area. You've written it down. The third and final step is to initiate some action that will set you firmly on the path toward your goal.
Permit yourself no interruptions, no changes, no exceptions in your new pattern. You're building a new you. The time to start is—when? Next month? Next week? Tomorrow? You know better.
If you procrastinate, you may never start. William James, one of the world's greatest psychologists, said it would almost be better never to have an inspiring thought than to have it and fail to act on it. He didn't believe that even attending a concert was worthwhile, if you let the inspiration you got from it evaporate without action.
Inspiration and constructive thoughts must lead to expression. Or else you haven't moved forward to victory. Get moving!
