Settle for Best lists the common mindsets and actions of renowned philanthropist millionaires and encourages readers to develop and rely on the skills and mindsets that successful people still use to win big, no matter what shape the economy is in.Written for start-up entrepreneurs and anyone else anyone in search of the "keys to the kingdom" in whatever realm you travel, SETTLE FOR BEST will encourage, inspire and light a fire under you if you truly want to build the life and legacy your heart most desires.
If not for a question I couldn't answer back in 2000, this book probably would never have been written. When DeForest Kelley's biographer Terry Lee Rioux asked me, "How did you go from being a fan-on the outermost reaches of fandom-to being at Mr. Kelley's bedside when he died?" I was struck speechless. Finally, I responded, "I have no idea. That's something only De could answer. I can't speak for him."Terry persisted: "You know the answer. You just have to connect the dots..."The question pestered me. My 30-plus year association with DeForest Kelley had all just seemed so miraculous to me. That's because I still hadn't come to grips with the reality that De and Carolyn Kelley weren't just being kind to one of their most ardent fans. I had become a friend.Terry's question led me to re-visit the scores of journals and four behemoth three-ring binders that I had filled with the conversations I had painstakingly recorded after each visit and call. You wouldn't think-as crazy about the Kelleys as I was-that I would have forgotten a single moment. But I had. This is how I discovered, for the very first time, the path that our friendship took. My hope is that my precious journey will bring you as close to meeting "the real McCoy" up close and personal as I was blessed to experience.
If not for a question I couldn't answer back in 2000, this book probably would never have been written. When DeForest Kelley's biographer Terry Lee Rioux asked me, "How did you go from being a fan-on the outermost reaches of fandom-to being at Mr. Kelley's bedside when he died?" I was struck speechless. Finally, I responded, "I have no idea. That's something only De could answer. I can't speak for him." Terry persisted: "You know the answer. You just have to connect the dots..." The question pestered me. My 30-plus year association with DeForest Kelley had all just seemed so miraculous to me. That's because I still hadn't come to grips with the reality that De and Carolyn Kelley weren't just being kind to one of their most ardent fans. I had become a friend. Terry's question led me to re-visit the scores of journals and four behemoth three-ring binders that I had filled with the conversations I had painstakingly recorded after each visit and call. You wouldn't think-as crazy about the Kelleys as I was-that I would have forgotten a single moment. But I had. This is how I discovered, for the very first time, the path that our friendship took. My hope is that my precious journey will bring you as close to meeting "the real McCoy" up close and personal as I was blessed to experience.
WOMB MAN: How I Survived Growing Up in a Booby-Trapped WorldWhen I was 32, I did something that made my father immensely proud. Spontaneously, he proclaimed "That's my boy " Immediately realizing his error, he shot a panicked look at me, eyes wide with horror. Equally shocked and catching my breath, I responded, "It's all right, Dad." And it really was all right. Because-for the first time in my life-I felt recognized for who I really was: a remarkable man.We never spoke of it again. But I began to wonder why it had taken Dad 32 years to "get" me. Or had it? Did he know something I didn't? And if he did, why was he keeping it a secret? Was I born intersex and surgically altered as an infant to meet gender norms (the default solution in the mid 50's for ambiguously-gendered babies, then called hermaphrodites)? Or am I naturally transgender-a man housed in a female body? There are countless people like me who don't fit gender norms. Many feel the need to hide who they truly are, to exist without being scolded as strange or feared as foreign. You probably know several of them; they just might not trust you enough to tell you. Something needs to change. I hope my own story helps that happen. "Kris Smith's writing is powerful and funny without being mean; compassionate and courageous without asking for a scrap of pity. This is the transgender life story you want to give your teen and pre-teen, your grandmother, pastor, congressman, barista and school counselor." - Joy Shayne Laughter, Author, Speaker"Kris' story gives voice to the complexity of gender assignment and gender identity. A must read for everyone, including those who are secure in their own gender identity. Chances are we all know someone who is struggling and could use support. Kudos to Kris for bravely and openly sharing her personal story." - Lynda Lien, M.A. Psychology, B.A. Education
List five things about yourself that you think others would wag their fingers at if they were exposed on the front page of a national newspaper. (Don't worry. You can destroy them right away. No one will see them but you.)If you're like most people who are living on the right side of the law, it wasn't easy to come up with five things, was it?Now answer this: Unless any of them would get you locked away for some horrific crime, why are you letting them keep you from feeling fantastic about yourself?The fewer secrets you keep, the better off you'll be.In this helpful, proactive guide, we'll visit the secret shames that so many people carry around with them. Once they're exposed, it will be easier to respect and embrace your potential so you can step out of the shadows and into the spotlight where your unique contributions can help change the world.
