Text of a commencement address given on May 2, 2014 at Southern Utah University.

The hidden patterns behind the way we make decisions Several recent books, from Blink to Freakonomics to Predictably Irrational, have examined how people make choices. But none explain why different people have such different styles of decision making—and why those styles seem consistent across many contexts. For instance, why is a gambler always a gambler, whether at work, on the highway, or in a voting booth? Scott de Marchi and James T. Hamilton present a new theory about how we decide, based on an extensive survey of more than thirty thousand subjects. They show that each of us possesses six core traits that shape every decision, from what to have for lunch to where to invest. We go with “the usual” way of deciding whenever there’s a trade-off between current and future happiness, when facing the risk of a bad outcome, or when a choice might hurt other people. We’re also consistent about how much information we want and how much we care about the opinions of others. Readers can determine their own decision-making profile with a test in the book. Once they understand the six core traits, they’ll have a big advantage in their marketing campaigns, management strategies, investments, and many other contexts.

For centuries, women have been mistaking Empowerment with something which poses a longterm chaos for society. Something which has apparently been designed to grant women their deserved rights, but, has proved to disturb societal and family relationships, as well as healthy development of soceities. This literary criticism throws light upon true nature of Feminism and redefines the term Woman Empowerment for general public esp. women. It aims to illuminate the real meaning of slavery and woman imprisonment on contrary to that which feminism describes to be. Furthermore, this book describes the two paths for women, in order for them to choose whichever path they may want to walk upon. Because, what they choose makes a difference!

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.

We expect that getting what we want will finally make us happy, but what we find is that it mostly just leads to wanting more or wanting something different. Our desires toss us to and fro until we tire of this and begin to question the value of following our desires. Being Happy (Even When You Don't Get What You Want) will help you understand desire and its purpose in your life. It will also help you discriminate between your Heart's desires and the ego's and to relate to the ego's desires in a way that reduces suffering and increases joy. By pointing out the myths about desire that keep us tied to our ego's desires and the suffering they cause, Being Happy (Even When You Don't Get What You Want) will help you be happy regardless of your desires and whether you are attaining them. So it is also about spiritual freedom, or liberation, which comes from following the Heart, our deepest desires, instead of the ego's desires. It is about becoming a lover of life rather than a desirer. A review from Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God: "Conversations with God says that happiness is not getting what you want, it is wanting what you get. Others have made the same observation, and in fact, this thought seems to be as old as time. Still, it is good to hear it again, to visit it once more, to connect with the wisdom yet one more time. And few books do as good a job, as quickly, of reconnecting us with that wisdom than this one by Gina Lake. This book had a lasting impact on me. I highly recommend it.... It offers a simple, accessible, articulate, and interesting take on the very human experience of desire and gives us the tools to make clear choices about how we want to live our lives. An excellent read." This book was formerly titled Anatomy of Desire.

CHANGE HOW YOU USE YOUR MIND MAKE PERSONAL SUCCESS A FACT NOT A DREAM! Achieve what you want in life: -Using six mental laws for success. -Harnessing the power of your subconscious mind. -Boost your self-confidence and self-belief. 'The author explains in a psychological context how the mind works and how this knowledge can be used to improve the quality of your life in many positive ways.' Chris Smith: Former Director of WellMind Training Ltd 'This book does not indulge the reader with reasons why you cannot achieve what you want in life. Instead it suggests you become aware of what is stopping you.' Jenny Lynn: Co Founder of the 'Open Mind College' 'Achieve What You Want In Life' includes the basic psychological concepts the author used during his 23 years as a successful professional therapist.

Tired of not getting what you want? Don't know how to ask for it? Best-selling author Richard Templar brings his inimitable blend of originality, imagination, wisdom, and straight talk to the challenges of negotiation, persuasion, and influence. Templar offers up 100 clever, simple, pain-free ways to get people to happily say "yes" to you! Templar is the world-renowned author of best-sellers like The Rules of Money and The Rules of Life. In this new book, he offers practical principles and strategies covering a wide range of situations, both at work and beyond. You'll learn how to get what you want without saying a word... and, for those rare occasions when you have to ask, you'll find the techniques and words that'll get the job done. Every solution gets its own "bite-size" two-page spread, making this book incredibly easy to read--and use. Some people seem to get what they want consistently and effortlessly. It's not luck: it's knowing how. Read this fresh, funny, and relentlessly practical book, and you'll know how, too.

Co-editor of Yes Means Yes gives young women the tools to decipher the modern world's confusing, hypersexualized, sometimes dangerous landscape so they can define their own sexual identity. In this empowering, accessible guide, Jaclyn Friedman-co-editor of Yes Means Yes-gives young women the tools to decipher the modern world's confusing, hypersexualized, sometimes dangerous landscape so they can define their own sexual identity. Friedman decries the hypocrisy and mixed messages of our culture (we're failures if we don't act sexy, but we're sluts if we actually pursue sex; we need to be protected from rapists lurking in bushes, but deserve "whatever we get" if we have a drink at a party and wear a skirt), and encourages readers to separate fear from fact, decode the damaging messages all around them, and discover a healthy personal sexuality.

Tony Burroughs was a young man living in Hawaii, when an older philosopher sage took him under his wing and became his mentor at an exotic fruit farm on the big island. Over a period of ten years, Tony learned how to farm as well as "The Information," a series of oral lessons, comprising a body of deep teachings about the very meaning of life, the history of mankind, and how to not just exist but to evolve and live a meaningful life filled with love, peace and abundance. A core teaching was in regard to intention-setting and Tony and two friends started a weekly circle to try it out. This first humble circle of three people had dramatic and life-changing effects that have resulted in Tony Burrough's life-long mission to guide others in the art of manifesting the best in themselves, their lives, and for the highest good of all. The tenet of Get What You Want is simple, powerful and profound: "that which you are reaching toward is also reaching out toward you." And, for the first time, Tony has gathered manhy of the key teachings of "The Information" into one book. Get What You Want shows how to set your intention to have that which you desire come to you as easily and effortlessly as possible.