Why must we be SELF-ish? Service before Self. This mantra for living life hasn’t stood the test of time very well, and the recent Covid-19 pandemic confirmed that building physical immunity is much easier than strengthening one’s emotional self. Humanity is struggling with this enigma. This book provides new insights on how to use values to shape your SELF, navigate the path of life with your own SPS (SELF-Positioning System), build your emotional immunity and unlock your full potential by being SELF-ish.

“An intelligent, thoughtful look at the complex journey that is gender transition” from an openly transgender Quaker woman and human rights activist (Joy Ladin, author of Through the Door of Life). SELF-ish is a narrative drawn from an international life, beginning with some early glimpses out at the world by a girl in a boy’s body. Chloe Schwenke was raised as Stephen in a Marine Corps family, and was sent off at age fourteen to “man-up” at a military academy. Later—and still embodied as a man—she ventured abroad to work in some of the roughest regions of Africa, the Gaza Strip, Turkey, and many other locales. Her far-flung global journey was matched in intensity by an inner identity and spiritual struggle and the associated ravages of depression, before she came to the revelation of being a transgender woman. At a time when many Americans are just waking up to the reality of the transgender phenomenon, this portrayal of Chloe’s life, her challenging gender transition, and her many accomplishments and adventures along the way (including being among the first three transgender political appointees in U.S. history, under President Obama), creates a poignant story of authenticity, self-discovery, and the meaning of gender set against a fascinating international backdrop. “Takes the reader through a powerful, heart-wrenching journey of the innumerable, daunting challenges of gender transition confronted by a transgender woman. It is ultimately also a story of extraordinary courage in persevering through formidable odds to be true to oneself. Schwenke underscores the moral, human and societal imperative to confront and ameliorate the challenges faced by transgender people, and others marginalized by mainstream society.” —Sanjay Pradhan, CEO, Open Government Partnership

I always played it safe and never took risks. I had complete control over my life. The year before I turned twenty-five everything changed. I experienced true love and true heartbreak, career success and failure, and crossed the bridge of fear leaving everything behind to move to another country. How did I avoid a quarter life crisis? By learning to be self-ish."I choose to not look at this quarter life milestone as a crisis, but to look at it as a solution. To choose not to drown, but to float, and take the time to figure out my next destination. That sink or swim millisecond is the exact moment to acknowledge that we always have a choice to make in our lives. The Quarter Life Solution: Reflect on where you are in your life. Contemplate. Are you happy here? If not, what would you change? Is this job working for you? Is this relationship fulfilling you? Is this life serving you? Think self-ishly. It's okay in these moments to put yourself first. You will find that the only person who can truly make you happy, is you."

Redefining Being Self-ish: My Journey From Escort to Monk to Me is an inspirational and intimate memoir. An unorthodox story told with unflinching candor, it will appeal to all readers on the quest for a meaningful life. Meet Sarah. She’s twenty-two and facing a second unplanned pregnancy. Depressed and disillusioned, she sets out on a pilgrimage to understand sex, God, and herself. Sarah’s path includes revisiting her ancestral roots in Judaism, exploring transformational work in the sex trade, and diving into Eastern-inspired new age spirituality. While wandering, she meets Sam, a New York baby-boomer-turned-monk living a life unplugged from society in remote, rural Oregon. With Sam, Sarah settles into a disciplined life of study, contemplation, meditation, and silence—leaving her career, friends, and family behind. Bound by the tranquility of intentional simplicity and navigating the wilderness of her own mind, Sarah unravels. She could never have anticipated what her journey of self-discovery would ask of her next. Redefining Being Self-ish sheds light on the value and trade-offs of being wisely selfish and illuminates the importance of self-inquiry in finding your unique path and purpose. Book Review 1: "Sarah’s heroine’s journey shows us a pathway to deep healing and the courage to follow our own truth, no matter what.” -- HeatherAsh Amara ~ Author, Influencer, Teacher Book Review 2: "This is the story of a true seeker, a woman whose dedication to authenticity, to love, and to beauty comes through in every page." -- Diane Musho Hamilton ~ Author, Award-winning Mediator, Teacher of Zen Book Review 3: "Her exotic, erotic unusual life story is priceless. Don’t miss this true adventure tale. This divine feminine voice has much to share." -- Jun Po Denis Kelly ~ Abbot at Hollow Bones Zen

Welcome to your Pocketbook Guide to start the path of living your most fulfilling life. Incorporate more feel-good days without the GUILT in this journey of replacing selfless acts with the positivity and necessity of being SELF-ISH! What was once considered a societal negative- toned word, selfish, has since been renewed with this author's remarkable perspective of breaking down the word into two distinct parts: self and -ish. The takeaway here is- we cannot be our best for others unless we are our best for ourselves. Covering talking points of self-care, communicating with purpose, navigating relationships, and prioritizing your needs. Don't be selfless and focus on others... be SELF-ISH and focus on yourself, how you spend your time alone, and how and when you will spend your time with others. After all... haven't you heard? Self-ish is the new selfless! Throughout this guide, you can find the following short but sweet reads that consist of 3 sections: The Pocketbook Guides, The Heartfuls, and The Random Stuff. Readers are encouraged to embrace putting themselves first. The Pocketbook Guides are focused on deciding who you want to be a part of your life and how. With an emphasis on choice, communication, and maintaining boundaries. The Heartfuls encompass compassion and empathy towards ourselves and others. The Heartfuls enhance mental health well-being through self-care, self-love, and a special focus on self-worth when seeking a life-long partner. The Random Stuff is a hodgepodge focus of: Friendly reminders to keep ourselves healthy Reminders to do what we love most How to support "young ones" in recognizing and developing a passion A discussion of "college or no college" Preparing for a job interview Making time to do things you enjoy and are interested in (even alone-embrace it) is what promotes a feel-good-more-often kind of life. A life that everyone deserves. This book represents embracing the self with self-care, self-love, self-compassion, and SELF-ISH decisions. Remember, we can't be our best for others if we are not our best for ourselves. After all, didn't you hear? Self-ish is the new selfless.

SELF-ISH: Mastering self in a selfish business world is a humorous, honest, no frills business book that offers 28 business and life lessons to start up owners on managing their small businesses. The book offers a series of social commentary that ranges from the impact of black tax amongst black entrepreneurs, dealing with depression as an entrepreneur, personal branding for your brand as well as dealing with egotistical and greedy entrepreneurs in the business world. The book offers a business canvas section that has easy-to-use business templates for day to day operational management, cash and income statement planning, human resources interview forms, marketing and digital branding plans and other relevant business templates for any start up professional that wants to manage their business effectively and efficiently. SELF-ISH offers a real-life mosquito view of the business world by Mbali Bhengu, a businesswoman who has experienced business in a crude and honest manner, yet has easily juxtaposed her small business experience with insight, empowerment and hope for entrepreneurs. The Lessons presented in SELF-ISH range from "Dealing with Ringleaders and Bullshitters", "Build it, brand it & boast about it", "Know your numbers, period" and "How to secure the bag (a personal branding perspective)" amongst many other informative business and life lessons. Grab your copy today.

Sixteen literary luminaries on the controversial subject of being childless by choice, in this critically acclaimed, bestselling anthology One of the most provocative and talked-about books of the year, Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed is the stunning collection exploring one of society’s most vexing taboos. One of the main topics of cultural conversation during the last decade was the supposed “fertility crisis,” and whether modern women could figure out a way to have it all—a successful career and the required 2.3 children—before their biological clocks stopped ticking. Now, however, the conversation has turned to whether it’s necessary to have it all (see Anne-Marie Slaughter) or, perhaps more controversial, whether children are really a requirement for a fulfilling life. In this exciting and controversial collection of essays, curated by writer Meghan Daum, thirteen acclaimed female writers explain why they have chosen to eschew motherhood. Contributors include Lionel Shriver, Sigrid Nunez, Kate Christensen, Elliott Holt, Geoff Dyer, and Tim Kreider, among others, who will give a unique perspective on the overwhelming cultural pressure of parenthood. This collection makes a smart and passionate case for why parenthood is not the only path to a happy, productive life, and takes our parent-centric, kid-fixated, baby-bump-patrolling culture to task in the process. In this book, that shadowy faction known as the childless-by-choice comes out into the light.