This volume contains the unpublished writings of the late Joe Allmon, edited by his son, Warren. Joe Allmon grew up poor in Depression-era Mississippi, and became a Baptist minister like his father. But he suffered a crisis of faith as a young man, and switched careers to become a human resources executive, applying many of the counseling skills he had developed in the ministry. His life in corporate America, however, was unusual. As the writings collected here eloquently demonstrate, he was always in the process of becoming something else and expanding whatever mold he was in. Joe Allmon was a Baptist minister who became a Unitarian. He was a white southerner who became dedicated to equality of opportunity regardless of race. He was a corporate executive who unpretentiously quoted Shakespeare and the Bible, wrote poetry, and could read Greek and Hebrew. He was a Mississippian who had deep admiration for northeastern culture and Ivy-league education. He was a Republican devotee of laissez-faire who wound up proudly voting for liberal Democrats. His life was in a way dedicated constantly to struggle, to be smarter, more educated, more cultured, never poor again, and to leave the world a slightly better place. Although he spent almost 20 very influential years living in New York, Joe was rooted in the South. His strongest memories were always of Mississippi. He was shaped by the regions complex history and sometimes contradictory qualities: poverty, beauty, cruelty, grace, religion, gentility, ignorance, tradition, conservatism, and the struggle for a better life. His life spanned and contributed to a remarkable social and cultural transformation of this region. The writings in this volume are divided into three sections. First is a selection of the scores of sermons he delivered, from his time as a divinity student at Theological Seminary to his service as a Naval chaplain. The second includes speeches Joe gave from the 1950s to the 1980s. Most of these were given as part of his job as a human resources executive, but this included not just personnel matters (such as compensation, recruiting, and training), but also serving as a general spokesperson for the company to various public audiences. Toward the end of his career, Joe was not only invited to talk as a representative of the corporation, but also as a respected commentator on business-related topics in his own right. A number of the speeches are also connected to his not-for-profit involvements, including his association for 50+ years with Unitarian-Universalism. At the end of the volume is a short section that includes a short fragment of a novel, and the small number of poems and pieces of prose. In their emphasis on individual merit and effort combined with equal opportunity and an intellectual approach to human resources, the business speeches are valuable for their own sake. What holds them together with the rest is that they all focus on a limited set of themes -- the worth of the individual (regardless of race or background), the value of work, and the power of the mind. Joe Allmon strongly believed in these three things, and he applied them to almost everything he did from his paying job to his volunteer work to his family life. The worth of the individual. For Joe, every person was inherently important and worthy of respect and being listened to, no matter what their background or point of view. He loved to talk to people, and he loved to listen. He loved to hear peoples stories, where they were coming from, why they thought what they did. He loved conversation, and the learning that he said always resulted. He thought that everyone had something interesting to say, and that you could always learn something from talking to someone, no matter who they were. The value of work. Like many of his generation, which grew up in the Great Depression, Joe knew the importance of hard work. Although his family was not among the poorest of the poor, th

Originally written in 1938 but never published due to its controversial nature, an insightful guide reveals the seven principles of good that will allow anyone to triumph over the obstacles that must be faced in reaching personal goals.

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What if everything we think we know about how the world works--our ideas of love, education, spirituality, work, happiness, and love--are based on Brules (bullsh*t rules) that get passed from generation to generation and are long past their expiration date? This book teaches you to think like some of the greatest non-conformist minds of our era, to question, challenge, hack, and create new rules for YOUR life so you can define success on your own terms. The Code of the Extraordinary Mind is a blueprint of laws to break us free from the shackles of an ordinary life. It makes a case that everything we know about the world is shaped by conditioning and habit. And thus, most people live their lives based on limiting rules and outdated beliefs about pretty much everything--love, work, money, parenting, sex, health, and more--which they inherit and pass on from generation to generation. But what if you could remove these outdated ideas and start anew? What would your life look like if you could forget the rules of the past, and redefine what happiness, purpose, and success mean for you? Not Just a Book, but a Movement Blending computational thinking, integral theory, modern spirituality, evolutionary biology, and humor, personal growth entrepreneur Vishen Lakhiani provides a revolutionary 10-point framework for understanding and enhancing the human self. You will learn about bending reality. You will learn how to apply unique models like consciousness engineering to help you learn and grow at speeds like never before. You will learn to make a dent in the universe and discover your quest. This framework is based on Lakhiani’s personal experiences, the 5 million people he’s reached through Mindvalley, and 200 hours of interviews and questions posed to incredible minds, including Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Peter Diamandis, Ken Wilber, Dean Kamen, Arianna Huffington, Michael Beckwith, and other legendary leaders. In a unique fusion of cutting-edge ideas, personal stories, irreverence, and a brilliant teaching style, Lakhiani reveals the 10 powerful laws that form a step-by-step process that you can apply to life to shed years of struggle and elevate yourself to exceptional new heights. The 10 Laws to an Extraordinary Life This book challenges conventional ideas of relationships, goal-setting, mindfulness, happiness, and meaning. In a unique fusion of cutting-edge ideas, personal stories, and humorous irreverence, and not to mention, humor and napkin diagrams, this framework combines computational thinking with personal growth to provide a powerful framework for re-coding yourself--and replacing old, limiting models that hold you back with new, empowering beliefs and behaviors that set you on the path toward an extraordinary life. A life of more happiness and achievement than you might have dared to dream possible. Once you discover the code, you will question your limits and realize that there are none. Step into a new understanding of the world around you and your place in it, and find yourself operating at a new, extraordinary level in every way...happiness, purpose, fulfilment, and love. This Book Is a Living, Breathing Manifesto That Goes Beyond a Traditional Publication For those who want more, The Code of the Extraordinary Mind connects to a full on immersive experience including ways for you to dive into particular chapters to unlock additional videos or training and connect with each other and the author to learn via peer-to-peer learning networks.