The Missing Piece: Finding the Better Part of Me: A Love Journey - Hardcover

Hill Sr., Rob

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1476791686 ISBN 13: 9781476791685

Verlag: Atria Books, 2018

Inhaltsangabe

For anyone who has suffered pain, disappointment, or a broken heart, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Rob Hill, Sr. shares the transformational personal story of his struggles and the invaluable lessons those difficult challenges have taught him about looking within to find the power to heal and live a purposeful life.

Often the greatest opponent we face in the game of life is ourselves. We spend hours, days, and years searching for answers to the questions of our hearts. But the answer is there. Our full awareness of self, our understanding of purpose, and our appreciation for the power of love are the missing pieces needed to heal the pain so many us feel. It was the answer to the pain I felt.

These inspirational nuggets of wisdom are just a few of the priceless life lessons that have struck a chord with hundreds of thousands of people and earned Rob Hill Sr. the title, “heart healer.”

Ever since Hill made the courageous decision to dedicate his life to helping others, his own painful coming-of-age experiences—homelessness, a damaged relationship with his father, hours spent contemplating suicide—have served as the basis for his positive message of healing and transformation. Whether you struggle with fostering healthy relationships, finding love, believing in yourself, overcoming the obstacles life tosses in your way, or any other number of conflicting human experiences, Hill’s perceptive, penetrating yet compassionate words will help you find your way. The Missing Piece is the captivating story of the man behind the powerful, uplifting message, part memoir and part roadmap to deep personal contentment and success.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Rob Hill Sr., affectionately known as the “Heart Healer,” is an author, a proud Navy veteran, and entrepreneur originally from Chesapeake, Virginia. With a social following of nearly one million people, Rob is sought after internationally as a speaker on relationships, purpose-filled living, and community organizing. His writing has become a staple in the lives of those ready to live with purpose, passion, and principle. As he says, “We are all one choice away from a completely different life.” His books—About Something Real, For Single People, I Got You, and Truce: Healing Your Heart After Disappointment—and further information about this “spirit on a mission” are available at RobHillSr.com.

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The Missing Piece

INTRODUCTION

Walk with Me

This is no fairy tale. Within the pages of this book you will find no mention of glass slippers, princes, fairy godmothers, sleeping beauties, or evil witches. A whale swallows no one, and a woodcarver’s puppet, magically sprung to life, won’t cry as his nose grows with each lie. You won’t find any of that here.

There is only me.

I’ll start by saying I’m no expert at life. My story is about a misguided young man dancing in the gray and choosing to live dangerously in the middle. I am a student of love. This book is about the period in my life when I was most broken, unable to gather all the pieces, much less put them back together. I’ve heard that “not all those who wander are lost,” but not all who are lost even know they’re wandering. I ran, mostly from the truth, but occasionally from myself. I was a runner by nature, and usually without a destination in mind.

Before getting too deep into my story, I want you to know five specific things about me:

1. I grew up as a military dependent, and our family traveled often.

When I turned seven, the world as I knew it changed. My mother met Frank Anderson III on a blind date at a Ruby Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. They were friends at first. Both were young divorced parents; Frank a father of one, Frank IV, and my mother, Monique, had two: my older sister, Elise, and me. They were careful about how their relationship progressed. Frank was a military man and he had a very dependable and trusting way about him. Nine months after their blind date, they married July 1, 1995, in Chesapeake, Virginia. They had my younger sisters Brianna and Ahmore a few years later, in 1998 and 1999. Up until this point, Chesapeake in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia was my home, but after that day my definition of home was never the same.

Starting a new school happens to most children three to four times throughout their lives. Preschool, elementary, middle, then high school are the usual transitions. But when you’re a military family like we were, you have to get used to relocating regularly. And with that comes new environments, schedules, social circles, and new schools. I was uncomfortable each time I had to start a new school, and the worst transitions often came in the middle of the school year. The best way to describe it is that it’s like walking into a room full of people who have known one another for years and everyone quiets to a hush as you take your seat. Nobody knows what to say, so they just watch and observe you. Now imagine having to do that as a child; then imagine that child having to do that eleven times.

There’s a certain rapport children build with one another that allows them to become comfortable. Over time you learn which friend is great for playing basketball, which friend’s mom buys all the good snacks, which always has the latest video games, who has the best manners so my mom doesn’t mind if he sleeps over. As a military child, the time needed to get comfortable in a new environment was rarely afforded. Once I got settled and at ease, I knew sooner or later I could be moving. Constantly walking into that room full of people who have known one another their entire lives became my normal. Only it wasn’t normal.

The experience at each school meant a lot to me. To give you a sense of just how many schools I attended, I’m listing them below.

• George Washington Primary School (Chesapeake, VA): kindergarten and 1st grade, 1992–1994

• College Park Elementary School (Virginia Beach, VA): 2nd grade, 1994

The sound of wedding bells ringing. Family moves to North Carolina.

• Millbrook Elementary International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Magnet School (Raleigh, NC): 3rd grade, 1995

The sound of relief. Family moves back to Virginia.

• Camelot Elementary School (Chesapeake, VA): 4th grade, 1996

Thinks that this is bullshit but kinda cool at the same time as family moves to California.

• Acacia Baptist Elementary School (Hawthorne, CA): 4th grade, 1996–1997

• White Point Elementary School (San Pedro, CA): 5th grade, 1997–1998

• Richard Henry Dana Middle School (San Pedro, CA): 6th grade, 1998–1999

The sound of crying. A whole lot of crying. Family moves to Germany, but back to Virginia first.

• Hugo A. Owens Middle School (Chesapeake, VA): 7th grade, 1999

• Baumholder American High School (Baumholder, Germany): 7th grade, 2000

If it’s starting to feel like a lot, imagine actually doing it.

• Hugo A. Owens Middle School (Chesapeake, VA): 8th grade, 2001

• Baumholder American High School (Baumholder, Germany): 8th and 9th grade, 2001

• Monmouth Regional High School (Tinton Falls, NJ): 10th and 11th grade, 2002–2004

• Deep Creek High School (Chesapeake, VA): 12th grade, 2004–2005

2. I’m a father. I have two dads.

Frank was the most consistent father figure throughout my life. He understood the value of discipline. He was patient. With him I always felt a sense of stability and safety. He was strict but he was a good guy, a man with clear principles. He provided for my sister Elise and me like we were his own. We spent quality family time and every day he made my mom light up with joy. I see how my mother knew Frank would be good for us.

Dana, my biological father, had to be a dad from a distance. I wondered how that affected him, but I also wondered if he really cared about me. I wasn’t sure.

At twenty years old, I became a father as well. I’ll get more into that later.

3. I am wandering romantic.

Relationships, be they platonic, romantic, or professional, are a big part of our lives.

Many of my adult frustrations and problems began when I traveled the world during my adolescent years. The constant travel and relocation influenced the way I approached relationships. I had to say too many goodbyes sooner than I wanted to. I got accustomed to running from problems rather than ever really solving them. I became a skilled runner whenever I was emotionally overwhelmed. I would hold in my pain and pass off a lot, always pretending as if I was okay. Unlike Frank, I rarely utilized patience or let things play out naturally. Instead, I looked for the shortcut before time ran out. “New move, clean slate” was my motto. I learned not to spend too much time missing places and people I knew I would never see again. And as I grew older and began searching for fulfillment, I oftentimes found myself coming up short.

4. I’m a proud navy veteran.

The US military legacy is in my family. My mother’s father, Papa, retired as a chief in the navy and my dad Frank retired as a colonel in the army. I served four years in the navy before separating. A military career until retirement wasn’t something I could commit to.

My decision to enlist in the navy was inspired by my son. More about that later.

5. I believe love is really all that matters.

There comes a time when our actions and desires have to balance out and we must choose the person that we most want to be. This book serves as my opportunity to look back, reflect, and to share the life lessons that helped me...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Atria Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2018
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1476791686
• ISBN 13: 9781476791685
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 208
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Simon and Schuster Netherlands BV; info@simonandschuster.nl; ; Herculesplein 96; Utrecht; 3584 AA; Niederlande