University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Die Empty
Book

Die Empty

Unleash Your Best Work Every Day

Todd Henry
Portfolio, 2013
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Putting off the occasional tedious job until tomorrow won’t upset your life. Constantly delaying big moves – writing your book, changing careers, and so on – can be devastating. The problem is that you will eventually run out of tomorrows. Many people succeed at the daily rush of life but never accomplish their “most important work.” Author Todd Henry – who resolved to make the most of his life after a serious childhood illness – offers worthwhile ideas on how to reorganize your life and mind-set to accomplish everything you can. Though Henry writes with passion about the moral and practical urgency of not wasting your life, his editorial presentation is a bit formulaic and burdened by platitudes, albeit sweet ones. Still, he has much to teach. getAbstract recommends his insights to people seeking the boost they need to seize their future.

Summary

Am I Going to Die?

When author Todd Henry was 16, he underwent a frightening medical emergency. He woke up during the night and found he could not move his legs. Terrified and in pain, he crawled to his parents’ room and moaned for help. His frantic parents called an ambulance. Henry came to in the hospital the next morning with his worried family gathered around him. The doctors couldn’t diagnose Henry’s problem, but spotted an unknown mass in his stomach. To determine the nature of the mass, they scheduled Henry for surgery.

The doctors identified the mass as a muscle that had swollen and expanded due to an infection in Henry’s stomach. The enlarged muscle put pressure on a central nerve, hampering Henry’s ability to walk and telling his body to shut down. The doctors successfully diagnosed Henry’s problem, but could do nothing about his horrible pain. Henry stayed in the hospital for almost two months, wracked with pain much of that time. He lost close to 50 pounds and had to learn to walk again.

While in the hospital, Henry passed his time listening to the radio. The reception was poor and the only station the radio could pick up played adult contemporary...

About the Author

Todd Henry, founder and CEO of Accidental Creative, a consulting firm, also wrote The Accidental Creative, the name of his business podcast.

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