"Your moral compass is not forged in moments of comfort. It is shaped in the fires of challenge, loss, and the choices you make when no one is watching."
In Forged: A Modern Day Moral Compass, lived experience and intrinsic motivation is the focus. The book shares the journeys of people who have endured profound trials, confronted life’s most brutal truths, and discovered in themselves a resilience and clarity of values that could only be forged through experience.
A Guide to Moral Clarity in a Changing World
This book is for readers who want to understand how values are tested and refined in real life. It speaks to anyone who has faced crossroads where the easy choice was not the right one, and to those who seek examples of courage, empathy, and transformation in action. Whether you are reflecting on your journey or seeking insight into the lives of others, Forged offers perspective on how to live with purpose and navigate complexity with integrity.
What the Book Covers
The stories span themes of identity, caregiving, resilience, and recovery. You will meet a former performer who reinvented her life after personal loss, an advocate who turned early hardship into a lifetime of service, a parent balancing professional ambition with the care of a disabled child, and individuals who confronted cultural barriers to live authentically. Each account shows how decisions, both large and small, can strengthen or compromise a moral compass.
My Journey to Forged
The creation of Forged grew from my work on Mindset to Mastery, where shorter examples brought leadership principles to life. These stories deserved more space to breathe, and the format was inspired by Tales from the City and other works of social narrative nonfiction. Their depth, complexity, and emotional truth could not be condensed without losing what made them powerful. Some accounts were so raw, even after careful anonymising, that they could not be included, yet they still shaped the spirit and intent of the book. In gathering these narratives, I have had the privilege of listening to voices that might otherwise have gone unheard, and of sharing them in a way that honours their truth.
Who This Book Is For
Forged is for anyone building their resilience and wanting to know if others have faced challenges like theirs, and how they found a way through. It is for those who value empathy as much as achievement, and who understand that strength is often built quietly over years rather than in moments of applause. At its core, it is about intrinsic motivation. The inner drive that helps you get up in the morning, make a brew, and keep going. It speaks to anyone reflecting on their values or seeking insight into the lived experiences of others. It is especially relevant for those who have faced adversity, navigated social or cultural barriers, or are preparing to support others through moments of profound change. This book celebrates the moments that shape us and, in some cases, the moments that forge us.
An Intentional Collection of Stories
The book explores stories of survival, self-discovery, and service. You will hear about people living with Emotional Dysregulation Disorder, Autism, and ADHD, and other complex chronic conditions and terminal illnesses. You hear how they adapted, persevered, and redefined what success meant for them. Not every challenge was of their own choosing or part of their biology. Some faced sudden tragedies, from fatal lightning strikes to violent environments where lives were lost. Others endured loss through illness, injustice, or circumstances beyond their control. These are individuals who broke cycles of disadvantage, rebuilt after devastating setbacks, and navigated systems not designed for their needs. You will learn what it means to stand up for others, to let go when it is the most loving choice, and to rebuild identity from the ground up.
How It Complements Mindset to Mastery
Forged began as part of Mindset to Mastery, but its stories became too layered to condense. While Mindset offers more than one hundred case studies and practical strategies across industries from hospitality and agriculture to technology, education, and public service, Forged provides the deep, personal narratives that show those principles in action. Reading both together gives you the tools to lead with purpose and the lived experiences that deepen moral clarity, empathy, and the confidence to act with integrity.
Final Stage Before Publication
The book is now in its final publishing stages, developed with the support of professional authors experienced in working with traumatic and challenging life stories. Every account has been reviewed by a mental health specialist as part of a sensitivity assessment, ensuring that kindness and care are embedded in how these stories are told. The work is being refined alongside Mindset to Mastery so that each book can be read on its own or as a companion to the other, offering complementary perspectives on resilience, values, and purposeful living.
