If you were to account for your life at this moment—are you living up to your own potential? Does your present state of affairs give you reason to be disappointed or discouraged? Is your job unsatisfying...your relationships far from what they could be...your spiritual life a mere shadow of what it once was? If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, then there is a very good chance you--like scores of other Americans--have been lulled into accepting a life that is simply "good enough." This is what I term a Mediocre Me Mindset--a confining way of thinking about your role in the world that convinces you to settle for the perceived safety of the status quo rather than push outside your comfort zone to try and make tomorrow a little better than you found it today. In Mediocre Me, you will find a simple, yet profoundly powerful approach to rethinking the way you view your role in the world. It’s a proven means of breaking free from the grasp of mediocrity so you can lead a life of true purpose, meaning, and significance. And perhaps the best part of all...it’s not a new idea! The concepts in Mediocre Me are actually anchored in an over two thousand year old legend. One that reminds us we are at our individual and collective best not when we are standing still, unwitting prisoners of the status quo, but rather, when we are unafraid to reject apathy and embrace action by leading the positive change we want to see occur in our surroundings. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “America is another name for opportunity.” At a time in our nation’s history when we seem more divided than united, more fearful than hopeful, there can be no more fence-sitting. It’s time to begin writing a different, more empowering personal leadership story of your own. One that will energize you to do what you can, when you can, where you can, to be a force for good in your part of the world when doing so is needed now more than ever.

From the author of the smash hit #1 New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, an "illuminating" (New York Times Book Review) history of white male identity in America What happens to a country that tells generations of white men that they deserve power? What happens when their identity is defined by status over women and people of color? Through the last 150 years of American history, Ijeoma Oluo exposes the devastating consequences of white male supremacy. She then envisions a new white male identity, one free from racism and sexism. Now with a new preface addressing the harrowing 2021 Capitol attack, Mediocre confronts our founding myths, in hopes that we will write better stories for future generations.

Nothing fully prepares one for service in a combat zone. When I was selected to command the NATO Air Training Command Afghanistan and the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kabul, I had almost a quarter century of uniformed service to prepare me for this dynamic assignment. Dynamic because the mission would be to develop an independent, self-sustaining Afghan Air Force in an active war zone. The book you hold in your hand is a collection of the most important lessons we learned. Lessons which anyone, be it a parent, pastor, politician, soldier, teacher, or office teammate, can use to begin transforming ordinary interactions into powerful, positive experiences. War zone not required. I was honored to have served with General Michel in Afghanistan and observed first hand true leadership in practice under the most difficult conditions - In the Art of Positive Leadership, General Michel has captured the essence of the leadership style and skill that made him so successful in a theater of war - he has used a unique blending of axioms and stories, born from the very best leaders, in an amazingly powerful message about the techniques and impact of leaders that unselfishly focus on what can be, what should be, and the people that actually make it happen ~ John Johns, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Maintenance)

This book provides you with the tools to tap into the capabilities that already exist in your organization, but are as yet inaccessible. The book shows you how to make maximum use and accessibility of existing knowledge by implementing a successful tool, The River Diagram. This tool will help reveal your organization's strengths and weaknesses, which will aid you in resolving an internal problem. Illustrated using an exciting range of case studies including BP, Oracle, UNAIDS, and others, this book will guide you towards saving both time and money.

"The exciting news is learning how to develop an extra mile mentality is easy. After reading this book, you will be equipped to routinely transform ordinary encvounters into extraordinary opportunities to create the positive change you want to see - one interaction at a time."--Back cover.

Drawing on a lifetime of experiences, author Julie McCulloch Burton shares a compilation of short stories and vignettes that reflect her self-deprecating sense of humor and her positive outlook on life, turning ordinary moments into meaningful lessons. Including personal photographs of a wide range of subjectsfood, flowers, animals, people, landscapes, seasons, studies in lines, and studies in water movementMediocre also presents a varied collection of writings, many of which originated as e-mails to family and friends. Burton offers narratives relaying the realities and absurdities of humorous, everyday situations; accounts of what its like to live with multiple sclerosis; favorite family recipes; philosophical thoughts; poetry; and reflections on moments in life when you wish you had thought things through just a little bit more. In Mediocre, Burton provides enlightenment about an ailment that does not define her, entertains with the humor that does, and teaches that the object of this game is not only to do your best on your best day, but also to do your best on your worst day.

Author Robert M. Chiusano never considered mediocrity an option, and neither should you! As one who climbed from an entry-level engineering position to become the COO of a Fortune 500 company, Chiusano's personal story will inspire and drive you to reach your full potential. First, he asks you to look in the mirror to improve your self-awareness; only then can you discover who you are and define the path toward reaching your longer-term vision. Then you'll be ready to recognize and adopt the skills and behaviors necessary to enable you to achieve those objectives and become a leader in your field, empowered to take on and conquer every challenge that comes along. Learn to respect and value yourself without bias. Willingly accept ownership for your actions and outcomes. Utilize the power of mentoring, building networks, giving back, and striving to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Most importantly, learn, have fun, and make a difference in everything you do. The energy that comes from the passion you demonstrate will inspire those around you. You will find that opportunities start seeking you out, both personally and professionally-all because, for you, mediocrity is not an option!

A hilarious, candid account of what life in France is actually like, from a writer for Vanity Fair and GQ Americans love to love Paris. We buy books about how the French parent, why French women don't get fat, and how to be Parisian wherever you are. While our work hours increase every year, we think longingly of the six weeks of vacation the French enjoy, imagining them at the seaside in stripes with plates of fruits de mer. John von Sothen fell in love with Paris through the stories his mother told of her year spent there as a student. And then, after falling for and marrying a French waitress he met in New York, von Sothen moved to Paris. But fifteen years in, he's finally ready to admit his mother's Paris is mostly a fantasy. In this hilarious and delightful collection of essays, von Sothen walks us through real life in Paris--not only myth-busting our Parisian daydreams but also revealing the inimitable and too often invisible pleasures of family life abroad. Relentlessly funny and full of incisive observations, Monsieur Mediocre is ultimately a love letter to France--to its absurdities, its history, its ideals--but it's a very French love letter: frank, smoky, unsentimental. It is a clear-eyed ode to a beautiful, complex, contradictory country from someone who both eagerly and grudgingly calls it home.

Thomas Rosanoff was used by his father, an esteemed psychiatrist, as a test subject when he was a boy, being watched by researchers behind one-way glass for his entire childhood. Now a gifted med student, Thomas is the researcher, and his subjects are three homeless men, all of whom claim to be messiahs. But when Thomas's father intervenes in the experiment, events spin out of control and Thomas must confront the voices he hears in the labyrinth of his own mind.

Discover how the freedom of sucking at something can help you build resilience, embrace imperfection, and find joy in the pursuit rather than the goal. What if the secret to resilience and joy is the one thing we’ve been taught to avoid? When was the last time you tried something new? Something that won’t make you more productive, make you more money, or check anything off your to-do list? Something you’re really, really bad at, but that brought you joy? Odds are, not recently. As a sh*tty surfer and all-around-imperfect human Karen Rinaldi explains in this eye-opening book, we live in a time of aspirational psychoses. We humblebrag about how hard we work and we prioritize productivity over play. Even kids don’t play for the sake of playing anymore: they’re building blocks to build the ideal college application. But we’re all being had. We’re told to be the best or nothing at all. We’re trapped in an epic and farcical quest for perfection. We judge others on stuff we can’t even begin to master, and it’s all making us more anxious and depressed than ever. Worse, we’re not improving on what really matters. This book provides the antidote. (It’s Great to) Suck at Something reveals that the key to a richer, more fulfilling life is finding something to suck at. Drawing on her personal experience sucking at surfing (a sport she’s dedicated nearly two decades of her life to doing without ever coming close to getting good at it) along with philosophy, literature, and the latest science, Rinaldi explores sucking as a lost art we must reclaim for our health and our sanity and helps us find the way to our own riotous suck-ability. She draws from sources as diverse as Anthony Bourdain and surfing luminary Jaimal Yogis, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jean-Paul Sartre, among many others, and explains the marvelous things that happen to our mammalian brains when we try something new, all to discover what she’s learned firsthand: it is great to suck at something. Sucking at something rewires our brain in positive ways, helps us cultivate grit, and inspires us to find joy in the process, without obsessing about the destination. Ultimately, it gives you freedom: the freedom to suck without caring is revelatory. Coupling honest, hilarious storytelling with unexpected insights, (It’s Great to) Suck at Something is an invitation to embrace our shortcomings as the very best of who we are and to open ourselves up to adventure, where we may not find what we thought we were looking for, but something way more important.