Mike Hayes

Ever wondered what it takes to get into one of the toughest branches in the military? This book has answered that question and so many more. And this story is more than just his experiences during his life fulfilling careers, but he gives us lessons he has learned from these experiences and how many of us, even us regular people, can learn to be better.

One of my favorite things about this book was the stories he shares of his career as a SEAL. That is what drew me to this book in the first place. I don’t normally read books like this but from the very beginning, I knew this would be the exception. Not only the mind-boggling, life-changing, stories he shares but the way he executed sharing them. I thought that him being a SEAL would make this book hard to understand and to enjoy because I have nothing in common with him, but he wrote in a way that anyone can follow and learn from. He not only has wonderful skills in leadership but can write so well. Every word flowed together, and it was truly pleasing to read his words.

I wouldn’t say this book is exactly a memoir but more of lessons you can learn. Every chapter is a new lesson to learn and each chapter is broken down into even more subtopics that help to achieve the main goal. At first, I thought that he had unrealistic expectations to tell people that they will never be enough. I thought his view would be a person has to be tough, show no weakness, work until they die, push and push until you wither away, but that was far from the truth. Yes, this book is called never enough, and to some extent, he is saying you are never enough, but not in the way I first thought. He explained that being Never Enough doesn’t mean we don’t have our limits, because all of us do and each of them are different, but instead explains that we can always improve our skills, we can always learn more, and try to take the mistakes we have made and learn from them. He teaches that we need to think of others before ourselves, and how we should think of ourselves and others, that even if in a position of power, we need to be flexible to let others take the lead too. I could truly go on and on with the lessons to be gleaned from this book. And all of these lessons have personal experiences to back them up. Some are happy, some are sad, but they all are inspiring.

He has had the life experiences that 10 people combined couldn’t have in their whole lives for his half a life he has lived so far. I do recommend this book because I think everyone can learn something, and the stories of his life are truly eye-opening. I was hooked from page one and engaged the whole time. A true work of art, and well deserved.… (plus d'informations)

First I would like to say a HUGE thank you to CELADON books , Bookishfirst.com (for holding the raffle) and Mike Hayes for the ARC proof of this book.
On bookishfirst this is labeled as a biography/memoir - which is correct - it is however also a motivating Self Help piece of art , bookshelf staple.
THIS BOOK !
When I read the first few pages on bookishfirst to write my first review I was under the impression from what I read that these were war stories - which they are - but boy was I wrong . This is much more than a book about A mans service as a SEAL , its an uplifting lesson giver . It Teaches you about what Mike values are . But not just that how he has learned to be so mentally strong and physically capable awhile serving our county . I learned so much not only about Mike but about myself while reading this book . I learned a lot of valuable lessons , and words to help me do better ( I was about to say be , but dont be a Be-er be a Do-er ). This book made me reflect on my own life while learning a glimpse of what SEAL life was like . This book is SUPER motivational, Its moving . This book will make you Reflect on life , it will make you cry , laugh , and learn . It was super easy and face paced read , I did NOT want to put this down ; one I will re-read over and over again for a lifetime !
My favorite things from this book .

"we can never be present enough , purposeful enough and thoughtful enough . Act with intent"
"Don't be afraid to aim high and miss, but to aim low and hit"
"moving to a hard path and failing -but learning - is still a better outcome than doing what's easy"
"challenge yourself and do not limit your ambition"
"the day you stop improving is the day you stop being excellent"
"realize there is more growth ahead"
"all we have on every topic is varied levels of ignorance . No one has it all figured out"
"everyone is motivated by different things"

the list goes on ....
To sum it up , GO BUY THIS BOOK . If you are interested in moments in this mans life as a SEAL , what it takes , what it took , what he conquered , grew , learned , failed , succeeded - How he built Strong relationships with peers and overall keep striving to be his best , BUY THIS BOOK . If you need an extra pick me up and to be reminded that life is worth living and that you are worth it and how to daily remind yourself of that , Read this book . If you are stuck in a rut -Or just need a good read this book is for you .

Thank you again CELADON books for the ARC… (plus d'informations)

I'm a fan of Mike Hayes from the BustedHaloCast so I read his book Googling God: The Religious Landscape of People in their 20s and 30s (2007). This thin volume is basically a guide for ministers to young adults in the Catholic Church, although I read it more as a young adult looking for ministry. Like libraries, the Church is good at ministering to children, teens, parents, and the elderly, but skip right over the (unmarried and childless) people in their 20's and 30's.

Hayes' first lesson is the difference between people in their 20's (the Millenials) and their 30's (Generation X). Generation X tend to more progressive in their worship and seek community at their churches. The Millenials look more for contemplative worship and are more orthodox in their beliefs (or at least seek hard and fast answers to faith questions). Hayes conducts interviews with 6 people of each generation to learn about the typical faith stories of young adults today. I appreciate Hayes honesty when he disagrees with the opinions of the young adults he interviews, but finds value and importance in their beliefs all the same.

In the later chapters Hayes offers useful resources for ministering to Young Adults. This includes a critique of World Youth Day (the Pope's biennial celebration with Catholic teens and young adults), a checklist for starting a young adult ministry at one's church, and helpful tips for using technology and new media to attract and retain young adults. This is a very useful resources for those who want to learn about this important ministry written in a warm, readable style. Who knows? Maybe as I grow too old to be a young adult, I may be called to mentor the next generation.… (plus d'informations)