Ordinary to Extraordinary will give you valuable insights into developing your career, no matter your age or stage! Pursuing an extraordinary career is one of the best things you will ever do for yourself. It will bring you joy, friends, wisdom, treasures, stories, travels—and for author Pattie Dale Tye, a spouse. It will give you freedom and superpowers (to be used for good, not evil). You’ll be able to change lives—not just your own but legions of others. It will make you cry, wince, shout, curse, and miss vacations or family events. But in the end, it will be one of the best parts of your precious life.

Having a successful career—success means different things to different people—will enable you to live the life you want to lead and to give back and help others all along the way.

Too often, people have the mentality of “My job is nine to five.” Or, “I can’t wait for the end of the week and to end my thirty-year career so that I can move on with life.” But if you have the right perspective, your career—no matter what direction it takes or how many roles and titles it includes—can give you meaning and purpose, allowing you to use your gifts and talents in extraordinary ways. Tye’s goal is to help you see the treasure you are holding.

If you are at the start of your career, the world is your oyster, as the saying goes. Tye encourages you to enjoy the fact that you have this field of learning opportunity in front of you. Your gifts, talents, and drive to succeed are what others are looking for.

For those reentering the workforce, it’s important to reacquaint yourself with all the great things you’ve accomplished, the new skills you’ve acquired, and the education you have received from life itself. Tye wants to help you remember and then reimagine your career using the skills and experience that will set you up for success.

If you are entering the third stage of your career, the world needs your skills, wisdom, and experiences! Think about how your education and experience can promote you into higher positions you may have previously disqualified yourself from. Unlimited choices and paths lie ahead of you, and the great thing is that you get to choose where you want to go! If you still have it … use it!

And for everyone, from the day you graduate from college through to your third career stage, you will meet hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Treasure these connections, and maintain contact with as many people as possible. Maintaining these special relationships will build your network, which is one of the most important aspects of your career.

As you read this book, Tye would like you to keep in mind this universal principle: let each of you look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. No matter where you are in your career, if you are always looking to help others achieve their goals, you are giving back, and you will reap the rewards for that generosity during your lifetime.