Literary Las Vegas

When Office Dynamics International CEO and founder Joan Burge decided to write "Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life," she pursued the project with humility. "It's time to pen my memoirs, not because I'm a celebrity," she wrote, "but because I'm an ordinary but very determined woman who feels the force of something far greater than I am prodding me to write this book."

Burge shares stories of the abuse that ended her first marriage, her mother's struggle with bipolar disorder and her second husband's battle with pancreatic cancer. Along the way, she explains her philosophy of a life founded on five pillars: wellness, financial, spiritual, family and career.

Excerpt from 'Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life'

The BIG Life for me includes doing what is important to me and doing it well. I believe that God has blessed each of us with some talent. We're not here to just hang out. We're here for a reason. Each person has a special gift... Shakespeare told us that the world is a stage and we each have our roles to play. In order to embrace the BIG Life, you must find out what makes you special. What is your unique gift that you must deliver to the world? We each have something in our DNA. Yours is different from mine. Mine is different from my neighbors'. When you find your unique gift and leverage it, the hours of the day go by almost without notice.

What you're doing is natural to you, and therefore it's easy. You're in this kind of happy zone, and you're at peace. Writing for you fills me up and buoys my BIG Life!