People of the Second Mile is a book in progress about those who go over and beyond the call of duty. Read below about the book, and then read few sample chapters to get a feel of what is to come.
The Hook
Why do some individuals break free from the pack and excel, while the majority seem to be trapped in the midst of mediocrity, surviving without hope or distinction? It is my belief that most people, both students and professionals, long to be unfettered from the limitations of “average” performance, but simply don’t know how to make it happen.
My book provides a realistic, time-tested path for those who aspire to travel from plain-ordinary to breathtakingly-exceptional. Based on age-old principles, and modernized by a breezy writing style coupled with vivid storytelling, the book’s applications are both motivational and practical. When properly implemented, the suggestions provided will lead to increased success in most fields of endeavor, from home to the marketplace, from early life to the golden years.
The Synopsis
In a single verse buried within the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaims that we should rise in revolt against doing the minimum. “Forget about reluctantly trudging the obligatory single mile when compelled to carry the knapsack of a surly Roman soldier”, Jesus said. “Turn a resented hike into an adventure! Go the second, yes, the extra mile. Shock the sergeant or the centurion who has sought to demean you by making you carry his gear. Upset the system by doing more, not less. Learn to make traversing an additional mile a lifestyle and you, not the Roman, will be the ultimate winner!”
People of the Second Mile is a modern interpretation of Jesus’ first century admonition to always “go over and beyond”. Each chapter serves as another marker along the two-mile road, which Jesus suggested that we traverse as an intentionally cultivated habit.
In each chapter stories are told, most of them unique and personal, with the intent of emphasizing the need to develop a perpetual two mile mindset. Each chapter hammers home one distinct idea. (The chapter title typically is the precept the reader is intended to take away.)
For example, chapter three states that Two Mile people do more than merely double the first mile. Two single miles, traveled reluctantly, don’t necessarily equal two concurrent miles walked with a positive attitude.
This postulate is taken from Jesus’ enjoinder that a person, serving a friend or a client a cup of cold water (versus tepid H20), will be amply rewarded for the extra effort. The emphasis is not on the water, but the temperature of the water. Cold water trumps lukewarm water every time.
The point is this: Make the effort to go out and find cool water in a desert country and you will become an award-winning thirst quencher! Jesus says in effect: “You can serve many cups of lukewarm water without anyone ever noticing. But a solitary cup of pure cold water, replete with tinkling ice cubes, will make you a person of distinction among your unremarkable water-serving peers.”
Of course, in the original context of Jesus’ message he wasn’t trying to provide a template for salespeople to sell more cars or for athletes to win multiple gold medals. But by extension, the initial idea, while spiritual and eternal, can apply to our daily lives, as well. (Two Miles will get you where you want to go, way up the road, whereas one mile will get you, well, just one measly mile from where you started resisting the Centurion.)
The Book’s Uniqueness
People of the Second Mile is unlike other “success” books. Using the words and teachings of Jesus, it is spiritual without being preachy; soft-sell without compromising the message; lengthy enough without becoming tedious.
Divided into 31 chapters, it can be read at a clip of one chapter daily for a month, or it can be read like any other book (at a speed suitable to the consumer).
A book about excelling personally, based on Matthew 5:41 (the Two Mile passage), is one that has not been marketed, making the proposed volume truly unique.
The Author’s Credentials
A bit of bio is in order. I was born in the Dominican Republic to missionary parents. My teen years were spent in Argentina, where I attended a British school, returning to the USA to go attend college (BA Clearwater Christian College/ MA Wheaton College/ D. Min. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). I have been in the ministry for 38 years, mainly as a senior pastor, speaker/communicator, and denominational official.
What qualifies me to write this book, however, is life experience. I have watched too many gifted people settle for plain-vanilla mediocrity.
Those who live thus with no qualms are beyond easy remedy. But the vast majority merely needs a modicum of encouragement and they will excel for all the right reasons. It has been estimated that successful people do merely 3% more than the rest of the pack, but it is in that slim margin that careers, marriages, and futures are either made or broken.)
Hence, I am qualified to write this book because I was once a one miler who became a two miler, and I have known both the agony of mediocrity and the joy of going the golden extra mile!The Target Audience
The bull’s eye is success-oriented adults with a spiritual bent, though not necessarily committed Christians. The book is written equally for men and women. It will fit in best in the business or self help section of a secular bookstore.
OK, you have piqued my curiosity and nowl I feel like I need the rest of the book. M2 IS what we all need…Reminds me a little bit of “Pilgrims Progress”