Black Sheep , livre ebook

Xlibris US - Joe Small

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44 pages

English

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Utilize your uniqueness to stand up, stand out, and change your world.
Black Sheep is a book for the overlooked, cast aside, seemingly different, and unique individuals in our world. This book will help you tap into every inch of talent and ability you have been blessed with. You are unique—there never has been and never will be another you. You are here for a purpose. By reading this book, you will find purpose, find community, and leave encouraged to be the black sheep you are!

Sujets

health

Self-help

Unity

Informations

Publié par	Xlibris US
Date de parution	17 juillet 2023
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9798369403242
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Black Sheep
Dare to Live an Audacious Life
Joe Small

Copyright © 2023 by Joe Small.

Library of Congress Control Number:
2023913104
ISBN:
Hardcover
979-8-3694-0325-9

Softcover
979-8-3694-0326-6

eBook
979-8-3694-0324-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 07/17/2023

Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
850946
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1What the S heep?
Chapter 2Joseph
Chapter 3Winds of Change
Chapter 4Cap’n Season
Chapter 5Hurricane SZN
Chapter 6Jails, Institutions, and Death
Chapter 7Sorry, We Almost Killed You
Chapter 8The Name Game
Chapter 9I Noah guy
Chapter 10Dirty Jobs
Chapter 11Hall of Faith
Conclusion
Introduction
Since the beginning of time, there has been a hierarchy that rules both our conscious and our subconscious. This hierarchy is one that somehow determines what is valuable in life. People, places, things, and all of nature are a part of this. You can see this illustrated even from the creation of the world where God was creating our universe. There is a reason for the order in which He did things. There are no coincidences in His actions. It is not to say that this hierarchy is right or wrong, but it is important that we acknowledge it. Once we do, there are simple yet profound truths that will unlock potential in many of our lives. It’s important to realize God doesn’t make mistakes.
You may be thinking, “Great. Another self-help book.” Look, I get it. I am always skeptical at first about opening a book and investing my time. I usually think the author must live in an ivory tower and probably hasn’t put his money where his mouth is. Or, as kids in East Vegas, where I was raised, say, “This guy is writing checks his body can’t cash.” As you read how transparent, real, raw, and even funny this book is, you will know I have lived this stuff. I am a black sheep, and I think you might agree with that by the end of our journey together, and spoiler alert, don’t tell anyone just yet; you might be a black sheep yourself.
Throughout this short yet impactful book, we are going to look at what the Bible calls “the least of these,” which means those the world has seemingly overlooked. Yet even though we all go through things, somewhere, somehow in our society, we have decided to focus on the things that divide us rather than the things that unify us. We have far more in common with one another than we have differences.
What I will be sharing with you is stuff that all of us go through. Not a single person has walked the face of the earth and remained untouched by things such as abuse, poverty, war, hunger, ego issues, and so much more we will get into shortly. But time and time again, God uses the people who the world has either outright rejected or have been overlooked. It is these individuals who God uses to bring about revolutionary change. It’s these individuals who were looked at as out of the ordinary that God, time and time again throughout the history of this planet, continues to use and shape the world we live in.
These individuals who are overlooked or ignored are not just biblical but are found in our everyday lives. There is, without a doubt, one in every home, workplace, and group of friends. They are the individuals who are a part of the group but, for some reason or another, have been looked at as an outcast. Sometimes, that reason is that someone finds that person a bit annoying. Other times, it is because that individual made a mistake in their past. Sometimes, it is because they simply are the newest part of the social group. What is wild is that, at times, some groups don’t even know that they are ostracizing this individual, and if that individual leaves that group, the group finds a new person to take on that role.
Odds are, if you are reading this book, you have been this person at some point in time, or you have felt like the one who has been left out. You have felt as if others feel a certain way about you. It is important to know that you are not alone! Nearly all of us over the course of our lives have felt this way. Sure, some have felt it more deeply than others, but it is something that we can all relate to. Throughout this book, you will be reminded of God’s promises and that they never fail. No matter how difficult things might be in your life, He sees you, and He uses all things for good.
The purpose of this book is to educate and inform us regarding the black sheep’s role in society. The goal is to encourage and empower those that have felt left behind. Raising awareness will also raise the level of empathy for those that battle this stigma. We are going to dig into the individuals throughout history who have dealt with this and have overcome it and become legends. We will look at individuals not just in the Bible but also throughout history and even a bit of pop culture. By accomplishing all of this, not only will people who have felt the way we do, be impacted, but it will also help leaders of organizations recognize these individuals and begin to utilize them at a much greater capacity. Doing so will benefit not only organizations but the black sheep themselves.
You will notice at the end of each chapter, there is a place for you to engage. The heart behind this is that this technique of stopping and pausing, connect with the heart of what you read, being able to explain how you are going to use what connected with you as a positive force for change,and finally praying and meditating are all a part of what has healed this Black Sheep. Reading, writing out thoughts or ideas or emotions or epiphanies, praying and meditating are crucial things that I have found helped me to cope with the trauma that life brings.
Join me on this journey. Let’s change the narrative around the black sheep, discover more about our unlimited potential, and together! I believe by the time we end our journey together, we will realize all of us have far more in common than we could have ever imagined, so welcome to Black S heep .
Chapter 1
What the Sheep?
For those of us living in our modern world, the concept of shepherding is way outside of the lens through which we see the world. Most of us wouldn’t have the slightest clue as to how to begin shepherding. Not only that, but we certainly wouldn’t have any idea of which sheep would be considered more valuable or less valuable. We would just be knee-deep in wool, wondering how in the world we get rid of it. Think about it. Here is one of the crazy things about sheep: while most of us couldn’t pick a sheep over a lamb or ram or deer if our lives depended on it, shepherds can. Shepherds know every intimate detail of every member of their flock—every scratch, bruise, different eye color, literally anything. Shepherds are meticulous in how they tend to their flock. Why? Because they love them. They value them. It is the sheep that feed the shepherd, keep the shepherd warm, and keep the shepherd active. If you still don’t believe me about how obsessed shepherds are with their sheep, even today, when we can’t fall asleep, we are told to count sheep! Sheep are a big deal in our world!
There are many references to what a black sheep is. Some will say that a black sheep is an oddball member of a family. Everyone has a “crazy” uncle, aunt, tio , or tia . You know the person I’m talking about. That person who makes decisions that make you go, “Huh, I wouldn’t have done that, but alright,” and you shrug your shoulders and go about your life. You love them, and they add to your life, but there’s no doubt they are unique. They are the ones who, at every family gathering, you can’t wait to show up because then, it’s a party! And everyone knows there isn’t a party like a black sheep party because a black sheep party doesn’t stop!
But I want us to dive into this concept and really sink our teeth into it because, in the end, we will all be better for it. There is more to “black sheep-ness” than just it being an idiom. There is something significant here, something powerful that if we grasp it, we can begin to put the black sheep to work in the areas of their strengths, and our life and world become a better place.
Historically, the black sheep phrase can be traced back to the sixteenth century. During this period of time, the color of the sheep’s wool, if dark, was considered undesirable. Everyone wanted white wool. The black sheep couldn’t create white wool; it could only produce black wool. It is of no fault of its own. The black fleece was caused by a recessive gene. However, it happened. There was a stigma attached to this sheep that was different from the others. The black sheep brought shame to its flock. Black sheep never asked to be different. They never asked to