Readers are bombarded with the contradictory claims that their lives are both predestined and the results of their personal choices. "Destiny vs. Choice" examines the philosophical, spiritual, and scientific evidence for both claims, and shows readers how they can live better lives no matter which side ultimately "wins" the debate.

Since the day we are born, we are bombarded with the contradictory claims that our lives are predestined and that Fate deals us the cards we must play, or that our lives are the results of our choices and that we shape it as we go along. Destiny vs. Choice examines the philosophical, spiritual, and scientific evidence for both claims, and shows us how we can live better, more fulfilling lives no matter which side ultimately "wins" the debate. Destiny Vs. Choice explores: The historical battle between Fate and free will. Intelligent design, evolution, the Big Bang, and DNA as blueprints for life. The Law of Attraction, intention, and consciousness as ways to create reality. How quantum physics offers evidence for both destiny and choice. Fate and the paranormal: ghosts, life-after-death experiences, and astrology.

Space technology has an important role to play in shaping a sustainable future, employing both human and robotic spaceflight capabilities. But the U.S. civil space program focuses the majority of its resources on the traditional paradigm of sending humans to increasingly distant targets (the Moon, Mars, and beyond). Rather than picking the destinations first and figuring out the goals later, the book suggests that NASA’s spaceflight programs should primarily target the creation of advanced capabilities, especially space infrastructure in the Earth-Moon system, and facilitate a greater role for the commercial sector in this endeavor. This will bring direct benefits to Earth more quickly and at the same time enable steady progress in the exploration and development of the solar system. The narrative begins by examining space in the context of today’s globalized world. Globalization has been a good news/bad news story, and space technology has been an important factor in this process. New wealth and international collaboration have been generated, but so have new problems and old problems have accelerated and spread. If we make the right choices, space development can do more to provide solutions in the decades ahead. The work of noted space futurists of the Cold War era is reviewed, with particular attention to the question: Why have things turned out differently from what most experts predicted and most advocates expected? The NASA exploration program finds itself locked into the “Von Braun paradigm” of the 1950s, which focuses on human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars without adequately explaining the reasons for doing it. This situation is not well suited to the political, economic, and societal environment of the 21st century. At a time when long-term strategic thinking is needed to address enduring global issues, many forces drive us to short-term thinking. The most significant of these forces for the nation’s top decision-makers come from the election cycle, the budget cycle, and the news cycle. Their effects on the presidency, the Congress, and the bureaucracy are examined using examples from recent history and current practices. The emphasis is on the need to change the incentive structure to promote long-term thinking since big technology projects have multi-decade life cycles and are aimed at problems that are national and global in scope. This shift in thinking leads to a revised rationale for spaceflight for the coming decades that is more directly tied to societal needs and ambitions. Space development will require more resources than NASA—or even all of the world’s civilian space agencies combined—can devote to the effort. Partnership with the commercial sector will be essential. Will space commerce be the stimulus for moving out into the solar system? If so, will it contribute to improvement of life back on Earth at the same time? Space commerce is growing fast, but is still small compared to other major global industries. Possibilities and pitfalls are discussed, along with examples of the checkered history of public and private sector attempts to promote space commerce. Making wise choices that have implications lasting decades is a daunting challenge, even when there’s broad agreement on a course of action. The book includes a chapter that warns: be careful what you wish for. Real-world examples (including the space shuttle and space station) demonstrate the difficulties of long-term strategic planning, and two futuristic thought experiments provide further illustration. The chapter concludes by demonstrating the long-term repercussions of poor choices, citing a current problem that has proven hard to fix despite widespread recognition that it needs fixing: export control for space technologies. If 21st century reality is driving us toward a course of action different from that of the Apollo/Cold War era, what should it look like, and what rationale should drive it? Voices of authority and advocacy for space ex

In this penetrating book, renowned intuitive, speaker, and teacher Robert Ohotto guides us on an investigation of the Heroic Journey of the Soul. Exploring three modern-day manifestations of Fate, he shows how psychic energy from family patterns, cultural influences, generational legacy, and global evolution inform our self-concept every day, and how they often block our highest potential and "Fate" us to challenging circumstances and relationships. But, he reveals, these Fated encounters are actually the keys to our unlived life. Each chapter maps our psyche and unravels the mysterious connections of Fate, Free Will, and Destiny, transforming our Fate into Destiny and our limitations into gifts. Through this seminal work, based on years of experience, discover how we’ve made two fundamental agreements with the Universe as part of our Heroic Journey—one with Fate and the other with Destiny. As we learn to dance with these two forces, they become two voices challenging and beckoning us to discover our ultimate purpose—the primary task of the modern-day Hero and Heroine; and in the process, serve to unleash the power of our Soul in delivering grace to the world.

Get the Knowledge Without the College! You are a writer. You dream of sharing your words with the world, and you're willing to put in the hard work to achieve success. You may have even considered earning your MFA, but for whatever reason--tuition costs, the time commitment, or other responsibilities--you've never been able to do it. Or maybe you've been looking for a self-guided approach so you don't have to go back to school. This book is for you. DIY MFA is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. By combining the three main components of a traditional MFA--writing, reading, and community--it teaches you how to craft compelling stories, engage your readers, and publish your work. Inside you'll learn how to: • Set customized goals for writing and learning. • Generate ideas on demand. • Outline your book from beginning to end. • Breathe life into your characters. • Master point of view, voice, dialogue, and more. • Read with a "writer's eye" to emulate the techniques of others. • Network like a pro, get the most out of writing workshops, and submit your work successfully. Writing belongs to everyone--not only those who earn a degree. With DIY MFA, you can take charge of your writing, produce high-quality work, get published, and build a writing career.

THE THIRD EDITION of the classic book Coaching for Leadership is written for today’s coaches who are challenged with the task of combining concepts from various disciplines in order to help their clients, especially high-potential leaders, learn and succeed. In this sense, coaches have to become discriminating eclectics, developing a keen sense of judgment to select which ideas are best woven into their coaching method and which concepts are best to ignore. Coaching for Leadership is intended to be a cherished companion in that learning journey presented by the world’s greatest coaches, including: Marshall Goldsmith, Paul Hersey, Beverly Kaye, Dave Ulrich, and many more. This comprehensive resource offers a wealth of material for established and novice coaches including proven coaching techniques, key principles, and important learning points. The book offers a concise overview of the foundations of coaching and reveals What it takes to coach for engagement and retention Why mentoring is circular How to build a team without wasting time What it means to be a purposeful leader How to write like a leader The right stuff of leadership What is needed to lead across national boundaries How to coach high potential women Why coaching is empowerment How to influence decision makers Why you should double your value The ten suggestions for successful peer coaching The coaching tools for the leadership journey How to coach executives for succession Coaching for Leadership is a proven resource that offers best practices, sample scenarios, case studies, and practical tools.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The End of Faith, a thought-provoking, "brilliant and witty" (Oliver Sacks) look at the notion of free will—and the implications that it is an illusion. A belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of remorse or personal achievement—without first imagining that every person is the true source of his or her thoughts and actions. And yet the facts tell us that free will is an illusion. In this enlightening book, Sam Harris argues that this truth about the human mind does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of social and political freedom, but it can and should change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life.