In New Book, John Maxwell Delivers Lessons in Faith and 'Intentional Living'
In his new book, Intentional Living: Choosing a Life that Matters, released on Tuesday, leadership expert John Maxwell describes a journey into a life of significance that will gut you, overwhelm you and inspire you all at the same time through truths that are so intentional, they could also possibly hurt you if you have been stuck in a rut with your life for a while.
And when I say hurt, I mean that in a good way.
It's the kind of hurt that you might feel after looking at the results from taking stock of your life, which the book asks you to do. If you discover that your life hasn't been very significant up to this point, chances are that might hurt.
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The good news, though, is that Intentional Living inspires you to do something about it by starting where you are with whatever it is that you are good at and then trusting God to do the rest if you are a believer.
"Living intentionally will motivate you to start asking questions and begin prioritizing whatever is important to you. That's what it did for me. I began by asking how I could be successful. When I had begun to achieve some success, I realized that I needed to be asking questions about significance. Can I make a difference? Whom should I help? How can I help them? How can I add value to them?" writes Maxwell.
The 271-page book is like a spellbinding Joel Osteen pep talk (maybe Maxwell would prefer a Rick Warren comparison since he quotes him in the book) in tone with a little bit more panache, which hits you so hard in the heart it eventually forces you from your feet to shout mental amens ever so often. My amens came in the form of highlighted text on almost every other page.
And he is so invested in spreading the gospel of Intentional Living, Maxwell, the leadership guru fueled by his faith in Jesus who has written more than 75 books and sold 25 million-plus of those titles globally, has for the first time made his narrative deeply personal, warts and all.
"It's the most personal I've been in any book. And the reason I was inspired to do that is I think people are inspired not by perfection. I think they are inspired by somebody who overcame," says Maxwell during an interview with The Christian Post in Manhattan's Flatiron District in New York on Wednesday.
In Intentional Living, Maxwell discusses his struggles with personal flaws such as selfishness and opens up about the role his faith plays in his life of significance.
"My life is flawed, yet I believe I need to share it with you in a way I never have before because I don't know of any better way to teach you how to embark upon intentional living," Maxwell declares early on in the book. "I believe that if you know my story and how it unfolded, it will help you to write your own story of significance. It will empower you to lead yourself to a life that matters."
