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For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love,
And how we spend our dash.

—An excerpt from The Dash by Linda Ellis

The Dash by Linda Ellis and Mac Anderson was originally published in 2005 and has since become one of Simple Truths' most beloved titles. None of our books has elicited as many emotional responses as The Dash.

We've heard from people all over the world telling us how The Dash has touched their souls and changed the way they think about their lives:

"I recently gave a copy to a longtime friend who was feeling depressed as she has not been as financially successful as many of her peers. She called me crying, saying this book had just made her feel wonderful about how she's lived the last 40 years of her life!"

– Debbie, Massachusetts

"I had just finished chemo treatment and a friend bought me this book and I read the whole book cover to cover in one night. I could not put it down. I will read it again and again. It was the PERFECT gift."

– Bec, Minnesota

"The Dash is poignant. There are life lessons to be garnered from this publication. It is worth a quarterly reread to keep you grounded."

– Matt, Georgia

Our new special edition of The Dash is meant to be a celebration of life, and we want to hear how YOU are living your dash! Share your stories, photos and thoughts about how you live—or plan to live—your dash on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtag #LiveYourDash

Need a moment to gather your thoughts? Think about the following questions:

• When was the last time you slowed down and appreciated the moment?
• What small pleasure can you savor today?
• When was there a time that you felt you were living your true purpose?
• What activity or work brings you joy?
• Give an example of how you live the Golden Rule in your life.
• How can you "pay it forward" this week?
• What baggage have you been carrying with you? Who do you need to forgive to release the weight of this baggage?
• Who has rekindled your inner light? If possible, reach out to them and tell them they have been on your mind.
• Tell the story of your best memory you shared with someone you love.
• Take a moment this week to send some positive energy to a stranger. Hold the door for them, share a kind word, give them a smile, etc.
• Tomorrow morning, take time to do something that will remind you to choose joy in this new day. This could be sitting down to enjoy your coffee, taking time to read, making time to cook breakfast…whatever makes you happy!

We can't wait to hear about all the ways you #LiveYourDash

We only have this one life, so let's start living it!

Shop The Dash >>

In order to reach your goals, it is absolutely crucial to unplug and recharge your batteries. Here are four simple ways that taking time for yourself will help you create greater success in your life...

The past year has been full of successes and challenges, and as we begin the New Year, we wanted to take a moment to consider what our most important goal for the coming year is… it's you!

Our goal this year is to help you find the inspiration and motivation you need to take the next step in your career, learn a new skill, and find new and better ways to find the energy and motivation you need to make this year your best ever.

Every year, Publishers Weekly's editorial team honors someone who has changed the business of publishing. In 2016, that someone is Sourcebooks CEO and publisher, Dominique Raccah!

"When Dominique Raccah started Sourcebooks in 1987, she had modest goals and saw hitting the $1 million sales level as a distant target. With her company poised to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, Sourcebooks, which recently passed the one-hundred-million-units-sold mark, now publishes about 500 books annually with a staff of 129, and its founder is seen as an industry visionary. This fall, Raccah was named BISG Innovator of the Year, and Sourcebooks was selected as a Rising Star by the wholesaler Readerlink. In recognition of her determination, creativity, and energy in making Sourcebooks one of the country's leading independent publishers, Raccah is PW's Person of the Year."

"Raccah's involvement with all aspects of publishing convince her that the industry has a bright future. She points out that publishing has navigated the digital transition much better than some other media segments… Among the company's best-performing areas in the year so far are adult fiction, up 37% in the first 11 months of 2016 over the same period in 2015; young adult, ahead 49%; and adult nonfiction, up 13%. The company also had 14 national bestsellers during the year, the most in its history."

It's been an incredible year at Sourcebooks, and this honor is extraordinary. But as Dominique said recently, this title doesn't really belong to one person. "It's something that I share with our authors, our employees, our partners, booksellers and librarians (without them, nothing in our world happens). One person can accomplish some great things, but working together we can create amazing."

Thank YOU for helping us make this our best year ever!

In my experience, I've noticed that the stories that touch people's lives always seem to have something about them that makes us feel a strong emotion. Whether it's nostalgia or joy that we experience, we often feel inspired or motivated to do something different in our lives, all because of a story.

I've always wanted to be able to share the stories that changed my life with as many people as I could. So several years ago, I started Simple Truths, and I've collected and published these stories to share with all of you.

I want to share a story that touched my life—it still gives me goose bumps when I read it.

Love and Be Loved

A story featured in Things That Grab Your Heart and Won't Let Go.

I recently had dinner with someone who told me that one of his best friends had been killed in a private plane crash. Something happened at the service that he'll never forget:At the memorial service, his friend's wife walked to the podium to speak to the gathering. She said a friend had asked her the best memory she had of their life together. At the moment, she had been too grief-stricken to answer, but she thought about it since and wanted to answer the question. They were in their late forties when he died, and she began talking about a time in their lives almost twenty years earlier. She had quit her job to obtain her master's degree, and her husband never wavered in his support. He held down his own job and also did the cooking, cleaning, and other household chores while she studied for her degree. One time, they both stayed up all night. She was finishing her thesis and he was preparing for an important business meeting. That morning, she walked out on their loft, looked at him over the railing, and just thought about how much she loved him. She knew how important this meeting was to his career, and she was feeling guilty that she didn't even have time to make his breakfast. He grabbed his briefcase and hurried out. She heard the garage door open and close, but much to her surprise, she heard it open again about thirty seconds later. From above, she watched her husband dash into the house and walk over to the neglected coffee table. Tracing his finger through the dust, he wrote the words "I love you." Then he raced back to his car. The new widow then looked out at her audience and said, "John and I had a wonderful life together. We have been around the world several times; we've had everything money can buy…but nothing comes close to that moment." Our lives move with lightning speed. It feels like yesterday that I graduated from college…and now forty years have passed. Although I'm very proud of my business accomplishments, in the end, my life comes back to loving and being loved.

This story about a husband's random act of love always reminds me that the smallest things can make the biggest difference to those around you. It reminds me to do little things for the people I love to show them how much they mean to me.

I hope this story inspires you to love and be loved. What are some life changing stories you know? I can't wait to hear them.

To Life and Love,

Mac Anderson

Simple Truths Founder

For a compilation of the best stories from Simple Truths, check out Things That Grab Your Heart and Won't Let Go