MSI Press Blog

  Unity is one of those words we toss around as if it were simple. As if it were a slogan, a mood, a group photo with everyone smiling. But unity is not the absence of conflict, nor is it the flattening of difference. Unity is a discipline. A choice. A way of being in relationship with others and with ourselves. And in a world that feels increasingly fragmented—politically, socially, spiritually—unity is not a luxury. It’s a survival skill. What Unity Actually Is Unity is the capacity to hold many truths without collapsing into chaos or retreating into rigidity. It’s the ability to stay in conversation when it would be easier to withdraw. It’s the courage to see the humanity in someone whose worldview challenges your own. Unity is not sameness. It’s coherence. It’s the difference between a choir singing in unison and a choir singing in harmony. One is uniform. The other is alive. Why Unity Matters 1. Unity strengthens resilience When people feel connected—to a purpose, to ...

  If you’ve ever made a snap decision based on a gut feeling—whether to trust a stranger, dodge a goat, or say yes to a second helping of pie—you’ve tapped into one of the oldest survival tools in our species’ toolkit: emotion. Long before spreadsheets and strategic plans, our ancestors relied on feelings to navigate danger, forge alliances, and choose where to build the next fire. Emotions weren’t distractions from rational thought—they were the scaffolding that made thought possible. 🧠 Emotions as Ancient Algorithms Fear, for example, isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a finely tuned alarm system. It evolved to help us detect threats faster than conscious reasoning could. Disgust? A microbial defense mechanism. Joy? A social glue that reinforced cooperation and trust. These emotions shaped decision-making long before language. They helped early humans decide whom to approach, what to eat, when to flee, and where to settle. In essence, emotions were the original decision-making soft...

    It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.  This week, we share some of the reasons we've seen why would-be authors never get their first book out the door. We also look at what could be done about each of these reasons. Lack of Focus The problem: Many new authors try to cover too much ground, making their subject too broad. They end up feeling overwhelmed and directionless. A possible solution: List a narrow group of people you want to address and then, in one sentence, write an overarching summary of what you want them to come away from your book knowing, thinking about, or feeling. Then use only related details, no matter how tempting to throw in your entire expanse of ...