Vulnerability Is My Superpower

Author: Jackie Davis
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ISBN: 1524870404
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
By being her anxious, honest, and just plain silly self, Jackie Davis’ potato-shaped character proves that, even though opening up to others is scary at first, vulnerability can be a superpower. Vulnerability Is My Superpower features Jackie Davis's relatable diary comics about self-discovery, mental health, relationships, and childhood. From bouts with anxiety and insecurity to the thrill of simple pleasures like secretly trying on other people’s coats at a party, she’s figuring things out as she goes along, navigating domestic life with her husband, Pat (aka “the Purple Guy”), and sharing her most embarrassing thoughts and habits so you don’t have to. For anyone who struggles with self-confidence or just likes to scrutinize the curious workings of relationships and everyday life, the confessional comic gems in this book invite laughter at even the most awkward and vulnerable moments while making you feel less alone.

Humor, Seriously

Author: Jennifer Aaker
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 0593135296
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take humor seriously,” online now. “The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline. This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high. That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds infuse more humor and levity into their work and lives. In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, world-class comedians, and inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and—more important—how you can use more of it, better. Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and simple ways to identify and leverage your unique humor style. They show how to use humor to rebuild vital connections; appear more confident, competent, and authentic at work; and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive. President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Dwight David Eisenhower, the second least naturally funny president (after Franklin Pierce), thought humor was necessary to win wars, build highways, and warn against the military-industrial complex, then you might consider learning it too.

Crazy Is My Superpower

Author: A. J. Mendez
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 045149668X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Book Description
The New York Times Bestseller Recently retired WWE superstar AJ Mendez Brooks is a powerhouse—strong, quirky, and totally confident. But that wasn’t always the case. With humor and tremendous heart, she opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life. Everything I was told should be my greatest insecurities and weaknesses, everything that I’ve been labeled—SHORT, NERDY, SKINNY, WEAK, IMPULSIVE, UGLY, TOMBOY, POOR, REBEL, LOUD, FREAK, CRAZY—turned out to be my greatest strengths. I didn’t become successful in spite of them. I became successful because of them. Growing up AJ was a quiet girl trying to act “normal” when she felt anything but. As her family struggled with drug addiction, poverty, and mental illness, she found escape through comic books and video games, and was inspired by the tough and unconventional female characters. It wasn’t until she discovered pro wrestling that she learned superheroes could be real. Determined to become the superhero she’d always admired, AJ trained and sacrificed for years to achieve her dream of wrestling professionally. Yet she quickly faced industry pressure to play the role of the damsel in distress and to dress more provocatively to cater to male fans. But she fought back and created an ass-kicking alter ego that was a genuine representation of herself: nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy. With humor and tremendous heart, AJ opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the mental illness diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life. What most people view as a hardship, AJ embraced as inspiration for her superhero persona, shattering the stigma attached to mental illness. Charting her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to an empowered wrestling champion, Crazy Is My Superpower is an unflinchingly honest story and brave confessional about her long road to self-acceptance.

The Pragmatic Superpower: Winning the Cold War in the Middle East

Author: Ray Takeyh
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393285561
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 475

Book Description
A bold reexamination of U.S. influence in the Middle East during the Cold War. The Arab Spring, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Iraq war, and the Syrian civil war—these contemporary conflicts have deep roots in the Middle East’s postwar emergence from colonialism. In The Pragmatic Superpower, foreign policy experts Ray Takeyh and Steven Simon reframe the legacy of U.S. involvement in the Arab world from 1945 to 1991 and shed new light on the makings of the contemporary Middle East. Cutting against conventional wisdom, the authors argue that, when an inexperienced Washington entered the turbulent world of Middle Eastern politics, it succeeded through hardheaded pragmatism—and secured its place as a global superpower. Eyes ever on its global conflict with the Soviet Union, America shrewdly navigated the rise of Arab nationalism, the founding of Israel, and seminal conflicts including the Suez War and the Iranian revolution. Takeyh and Simon reveal that America’s objectives in the region were often uncomplicated but hardly modest. Washington deployed adroit diplomacy to prevent Soviet infiltration of the region, preserve access to its considerable petroleum resources, and resolve the conflict between a Jewish homeland and the Arab states that opposed it. The Pragmatic Superpower provides fascinating insight into Washington’s maneuvers in a contest for global power and offers a unique reassessment of America’s cold war policies in a critical region of the world. Amid the chaotic conditions of the twenty-first century, Takeyh and Simon argue that there is an urgent need to look back to a period when the United States got it right. Only then will we better understand the challenges we face today.

The Lightmaker's Manifesto

Author: Karen Walrond
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
ISBN: 1506469957
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Book Description
"Karen Walrond shines her light so we can find our own." —Brené Brown Many of us have strong convictions. We want to advocate for causes we care about--but which ones? We want to work for change--but will the emotional toll lead to burn out? Leadership coach, lawyer, photographer, and activist Karen Walrond knows that when you care deeply about the world, light can seem hard to find. But when your activism grows out of your joy--and vice versa--you begin to see light everywhere. In The Lightmaker's Manifesto, Walrond helps us name the skills, values, and actions that bring us joy; identify the causes that spark our empathy and concern; and then put it all together to change the world. Creative and practical exercises, including journaling, daily intention-setting, and mindful self-compassion, are complemented by lively conversations with activists and thought leaders such as Valarie Kaur, Brené Brown, Tarana Burke, and Zuri Adele. With stories from around the world and wisdom from those leading movements for change, Walrond beckons readers toward lives of integrity, advocacy, conviction, and joy. By unearthing our passions and gifts, we learn how to joyfully advocate for justice, peace, and liberation. We learn how to become makers of light.

Your Hidden Superpower

Author: Adrienne Bankert
Publisher: HarperCollins Leadership
ISBN: 1400218209
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Book Description
Kindness isn’t merely about getting along with people and being nice. It’s a game changer in business, the door-opener to opportunity, and the key to authenticity and confidence. Discover the true potential of kindness and harness its power. Through years of developing her own kindness practices and studying those of others, Good Morning America correspondent and ABC News journalist Adrienne Bankert has experienced firsthand the unbeatable power of kindness and witnessed its transformative impact on others. Adjusting our perspective from being closed off and self-centered to a mindset of kindness ripples into a staggering amount of personal fulfillment and growth. No matter our age or ethnicity, where we come from, or how much money we make, every one of us can be kind. Every one of us can be a change agent. In Your Hidden Superpower, Adrienne will help you: See simple acts of kindness from a new and empowering perspective; Learn how to make kindness a habit and experience more peace, inspiration, and impact; Engage kindness at work and enjoy remarkable opportunities—plus, know how to get from “here” to “there” quickly; and Activate kindness as a force to reconnect you to your authentic self, replenish your passion and creativity, and find your voice. Your Hidden Superpower describes how kindness is a superpower that can be honed through an intentional lifestyle of kindness and is especially important in these divisive times.

Long Walk Out of the Woods

Author: Adam B. Hill
Publisher: Central Recovery Press
ISBN: 1949481239
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 146

Book Description
A physician shares the darkest depths of his depression, suicidal ideation, addiction, and the important lessons he learned through years of personal recovery. Pediatric oncologist and palliative care physician Dr. Adam B. Hill suffered despair and disillusionment with the culture of medicine, culminating in a spiral of depression, alcoholism, and an active suicidal plan. Then while in recovery from active addiction, he lost a colleague to suicide, further revealing the extent of the secrecy and broken systems contributing to an epidemic of professional distress within the medical field. By sharing his harrowing story, Dr. Hill helps identify the barriers and obstacles standing in the way of mental health recovery, while pleading for a revolutionary new approach to how we treat individuals in substance use recovery. In fighting stereotypes/stigma and teaching vulnerability, compassion, and empathy, Hill’s work is being lauded as a road map for better practices at a time when medical professionals around the world are struggling in silence.

Atlas of the Heart

Author: Brené Brown
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0399592571
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her latest book, Brené Brown writes, “If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection.” Don’t miss the five-part HBO Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. Over the past two decades, Brown’s extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Atlas of the Heart draws on this research, as well as on Brown’s singular skills as a storyteller, to show us how accurately naming an experience doesn’t give the experience more power—it gives us the power of understanding, meaning, and choice. Brown shares, “I want this book to be an atlas for all of us, because I believe that, with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves.”

Chakra Rituals

Author: Cristi Christensen
Publisher: St. Martin's Essentials
ISBN: 1250754631
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Book Description
Cristi Christensen's Chakra Rituals is a book that makes the ancient science of Chakras accessible to spiritually conscious women, and offers a seven-week step-by-step program. Learn how to tap into the single most perfect system living inside of each of us—the seven Chakras. While Chakras have become trendy, sexy, cool, and very spiritual, few people today really know how to activate the Chakras’ powerful energy for deep transformation. Cristi Christensen aims to change that, and Chakra Rituals offers readers a multi-dimensional, practical, and inspiring structured seven-week step-by-step program. Each week, readers are instructed how to activate a different Chakra, and each weekday they are led through a dynamic, easy, and motivating practice (altar building; breathing; meditation; vinyasa yoga flow, mudra, writing contemplation, and embodiment) which distills the esoteric concepts and makes them tangible, living experiences. A self-discovery and self-help guide with striking full-color illustrations, Chakra Rituals employs the Chakras’ potential to open the pathways to a full, enlightened “aliveness.” Seasoned practitioners and newcomers alike are invited to flow with their emotions, claim their power, transform their lives, and align with the divine.

Skate for Your Life

Author: Leo Baker
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593223470
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 65

Book Description
Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us. "Wow! Leo's vulnerability and authenticity allowed me to experience his pain and triumph. A great testament to the positive power of skateboarding and the dangers of gender." --Elissa Steamer (skateboarding pioneer) "In Skate for Your Life, Leo Baker invites us on the intimate journey toward self-realization. Leo's deep passion for skateboarding is beautifully communicated while bringing to light the difficult reality of breaking the mold on a public stage. This book synthesizes what so many LGBTQIA people can relate to--the lifelong journey of seeking out spaces where we fit in, and when we don't find them, making new ones." --JD Samson (musician, producer, and songwriter) In this moving, personal story, professional skateboarder Leo Baker shares their journey within the sport and the importance of authenticity and allyship as a non-binary athlete. Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists. "Your authenticity is your superpower." That's the motto that professional skateboarder Leo Baker lives by and champions. But like any hero's journey, learning about their power didn't come easy. In this installment of the Pocket Change Collective, Baker takes the reader on a complicated, powerful journey through the world of skate and competitive sport as a non-binary athlete.