What is it that separates the doers, leaders, and success stories among us from the dreamers, also-rans, and wannabes? To bestselling author James P. Owen, it’s all about having The Try— the quality of giving 110 percent to the task or challenge at hand. In The Try—a dozen true stories of ordinary people who’ve done extraordinary things across varied fields of endeavor—Owen reveals The Try as a character trait that can be forged in several ways. Some of those profiled are driven by a childhood dream or longheld ambition. Others are fueled by someone else’s belief in them, an unwavering belief in themselves, or the urge to pit themselves against daunting odds. Still others find The Try in a life-changing moment when they hit rock bottom or come face-to-face with failure. What all high achievers have in common, Owen believes, is a blend of inner drive, focus, and determination that pushes them to pursue their goals relentlessly, confronting every obstacle, and never, ever giving up. His insightful profiles bring to life new scientific evidence that effort trumps ability. In other words, how much you can achieve depends not on how smart or talented you may be, but instead on the quality of your efforts and how much you try. Owen provides inspiration that will strike a chord with anyone who has a lofty goal, a deep personal ambition, or a major challenge to face. By connecting the dots in this collection of stories, he also delivers practical “how to” advice for those who want to cultivate The Try in themselves, or to encourage someone else on the road to realizing his or her full potential. Owen’s conclusion: “If you’ve got The Try, anything is possible. All it takes…is all you’ve got.”

What is it that separates the doers, leaders, and success stories among us from the dreamers, also-rans, and wannabes? To bestselling author James P. Owen, it’s all about having The Try—the quality of giving 110 percent to the task or challenge at hand. In The Try—a dozen true stories of ordinary people who’ve done extraordinary things across varied fields of endeavor—Owen reveals The Try as a character trait that can be forged in several ways. Some of those profiled are driven by a childhood dream or long held ambition. Others are fueled by someone else’s belief in them, an unwavering belief in themselves, or the urge to pit themselves against daunting odds. Still others find The Try in a life-changing moment when they hit rock bottom or come face-to-face with failure. What all high achievers have in common, Owen believes, is a blend of inner drive, focus, and determination that pushes them to pursue their goals relentlessly, confronting every obstacle, and never, ever giving up. His insightful profiles bring to life new scientific evidence that effort trumps ability. Owen provides inspiration that will strike a chord with anyone who has a lofty goal, a deep personal ambition, or a major challenge to face. By connecting the dots in this collection of stories, he also delivers practical “how to” advice for those who want to cultivate The Try in themselves or those they love.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The Try Guys deliver their first book—an inspirational self-improvement guide that teaches you that the path to success is littered with humiliating detours, embarrassing mistakes, and unexpected failures. To be our best selves, we must become secure in our insecurities. In The Hidden Power of F*cking Up, The Try Guys - Keith, Ned, Zach, and Eugene - reveal their philosophy of trying: how to fully embrace fear, foolishness, and embarrassment in an effort to understand how we all get paralyzed by a fear of failure. They’ll share how four shy, nerdy kids have dealt with their most poignant life struggles by attacking them head-on and reveal their - ahem - sure-fail strategies for achieving success. But they’re not just here to talk; they’re actually going to put their advice to work. To demonstrate their unique self-improvement formula, they’ll each personally confront their deepest insecurities. A die-hard meat-lover goes vegan for the first time. A straight-laced father transforms into a fashionista. A perpetually single sidekick becomes the romantic lead. A child of divorce finally grows more intimate with his family. Through their insightful, emotional journeys and surprising, hilarious anecdotes, they’ll help you overcome your own self-doubt to become the best, most f*cked up version of yourself you can be!

Do anti-trespassing laws cramp your style? Yes, they do. But don't fear, as the Try Trespassing Party has come to save the day and to save the nation. 26 pages.

Jim Owen leads a massively successful seminar that is in huge demand by financial groups, teachers' organizations, and professional associations. His first book, Cowboy Ethics, has sold more than 60,000 copies in two years. Now Owen continues his nonpartisan message, offering the legacy of the cowboy as a model of accessible, positive qualities that all can agree on, regardless of religion or political persuasion.

In the wise and soulful tradition of teachers like Shauna Niequist and Brene Brown, therapist Aundi Kolber debuts with Try Softer, helping us align our mind, body, and soul to live the life God created for us. In a world that preaches a “try harder” gospel—just keep going, keep hustling, keep pretending we’re all fine—we’re left exhausted, overwhelmed, and so numb to our lives. If we’re honest, we’ve been overfunctioning for so long, we can’t even imagine another way. How else will things get done? How else will we survive? It doesn’t have to be this way. Aundi Kolber believes that we don’t have to white-knuckle our way through life. In her debut book, Try Softer, she’ll show us how God specifically designed our bodies and minds to work together to process our stories and work through obstacles. Through the latest psychology, practical clinical exercises, and her own personal story, Aundi equips and empowers us to connect us to our truest self and truly live. This is the “try softer” life. In Try Softer, you’ll learn how to: Know and set emotional and relational boundaries Make sense of the difficult experiences you’ve had Identify your attachment style—and how that affects your relationships today Move through emotions rather than get stuck by them Grow in self-compassion and talk back to your inner critic Trying softer is sacred work. And while it won’t be perfect or easy, it will be worth it. Because this is what we were made for: a living, breathing, moving, feeling, connected, beautifully incarnational life.