The Journey to Cloud Nine: Confront the Past, Redefine the Future

By Jordan Gross

"As meaningful as The Alchemist; as brilliantly told as The Life of Pi, and as inspirational as Eat, Pray, Love"

This thought-provoking allegory offers an innovative approach to understanding meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. It tells the story of what is, what was, what could have been, and what could

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jordan Gross
• Release date: Feb 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781945252747

Book preview

Praise for The Journey to Cloud Nine

"The Journey to Cloud Nine presents an emotional fictional tale that will leave you laughing, smiling, crying, thinking, and considering what you can be doing differently in your life to live more on cloud nine. This book really takes on a new approach to personal development, and it is one that I definitely see working for many in the foreseeable future!" 

— Hal Elrod, international keynote speaker and best-selling author of The Miracle Morning and The Miracle Equation

The most successful professionals are those who aren’t afraid to reinvent themselves and ask: am I living the life I’m truly meant to? Jordan Gross’ new book reminds us that we can always take stock, improve, and move toward our dreams. 

— Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing You and Stand Out, and executive education faculty, Duke University Fuqua School of Business 

"The Journey to Cloud Nine is an enlightening and entertaining read. With quick wit, jaw-dropping surprises, and life lessons sprinkled throughout, readers will take an enjoyable journey of their own and perhaps even elevate their own minds to the clouds."  

— Bruce D. Schneider, founder, iPEC Coaching and author of Energy Leadership and Uncovering the Life of Your Dreams

We all wish for an author who inspires us to see the world in a whole new light. Jordan Gross is that mentor who blazes an entirely new trail by using a fictional novel to teach lessons about personal development. Readers will smile, laugh and cry as they personally relate to the journey of Jerry, the main character, as he learns the importance of living life according to his own intuition. Both readable and relatable, The Journey to Cloud Nine is a trip worth taking!

— Rich Keller, personal branding motivational speaker and founder of SCORE platform

"As meaningful as The Alchemist; as brilliantly told as The Life of Pi, and as inspirational as Eat, Pray, Love, The Journey to Could Nine will prompt you to examine your own life and make positive changes."

— Margaret H. Greenberg, executive coach, positive psychology pioneer, and bestselling author of Profit from the Positive

We spend all our time looking at the big picture of how we can improve, but we rarely break it down to allow ourselves to do it. The Journey to Cloud Nine is a road map to help us do just that - To get where we want to go, using actionable strategies that will put us on a wonderful new path towards our own growth.

— Peter Shankman - entrepreneur, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Faster Than Normal: Unlocking the Productivity Secrets of the ADHD Brain

"The Journey to Cloud Nine is an excellent book that reminds you to ask yourself … Am I living the life of my dreams? You can never be happy or successful if you are not aligned with what your true north is. This book takes a riveting and enlightening approach that gives you the mindset to dream big and be bold".

— Mahesh Thakur, CEO and leadership coach

Meet Jerry — a man who is most definitely not living his best life. He’s mopey, house-bound, barely going through the motions. In this engaging parable, Jordan Gross leads Jerry on a journey to the clouds, where he revisits a life of regrets and missed opportunities, absorbs new lessons, and resolves anew to live life according to his values. I learned a lot from Jerry’s journey. So will you.

— Daniel H. Pink, author of WHEN and DRIVE

"Somebody once told me the definition of hell: On my last day on this earth, the person who I became will meet the person I could have become, and those two people are total strangers.

But somebody also once told me the definition of heaven: On my last day on this earth, the person who I became will meet the person I could have become, and those two people are identical twins.—Ed Mylett

The Journey to Cloud Nine

Confront the Past, Redefine the Future

Copyright © 2019 Jordan Gross

The views expressed by the author in reference to specific people in this book represent entirely their own individual opinions and are not in any way reflective of the views of Capucia, LLC. We assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or contradictory interpretations of the subject matter herein.

Capucia, LLC does not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any websites listed in or linked to this publication. The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Capucia, LLC shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental, or any other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material. Techniques and processes given in this book are not to be used in place of medical or other professional advice.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the author or publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Published by:

Capucia, LLC

211 Pauline Drive #513

York, PA 17402

www.capuciapublishing.com

ISBN: 978-1-945252-73-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019919923

Cover Design: Ranilo Cabo

Layout: Ranilo Cabo

Editor and Proofreader: Janis Hunt Johnson (Ask Janis LLC)

Book Midwife: Carrie Jareed

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

Prologue

Reality

Play

Cloud 1

Camaraderie

Cloud 2

Love

Cloud 3

Responsibility

Cloud 4

Benevolence

Cloud 5

Calling

Cloud 6

Empathy

Cloud 7

Realization

Cloud 8

Resurgence

Cloud 9

Acknowledgements

A Gift for You!

Who is Jordan Gross?

PROLOGUE

It had been a tremendously introspective weekend. I had just finished reading a gut-wrenching novel, and an acquaintance from high school had just passed away. I trekked to Alphabet City from Midtown, New York to spend the day at a friend’s apartment, and after watching football, slow-roasting a pork shoulder, and talking about nonsensical guy stuff on a Sunday evening, we began to speak about life. We began to speak about death. We began to speak about purpose.

I got in an Uber to head uptown, and I solemnly stared out the window at the East River. Naturally, I am a positive, upbeat, and curious person, always asking questions of my Uber driver. But after the night’s discussion, I was eager to sit in the backseat, reflect, and let the thoughts from the day simmer in my mind. However, my driver and I passed a dock with multiple boats, and the name of one boat jumped out at me: Cloud Nine.

Without thinking of the state of silence I desired, I asked the driver the question, When have you felt like you were on cloud nine?

His response was fascinating. He talked about a childhood memory, his friends, his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his parents, his job. He mentioned how some of these experiences may not have given him a cloud-nine feeling had he made a different decision in the moment. He thanked me for allowing him to reflect upon these momentous occasions, and I immediately knew I had a new concept to explore further.

After this discussion, and after presenting this question to everybody I encountered for the next few days, I discovered that there were transformative life experiences we could all encounter to intentionally develop this cloud-nine euphoria. It was my mission to craft a story about a character who had the opportunity to live a cloud-nine life but ultimately chose a different path.

I created a narrative that juxtaposes these two separate lives, revealing just how critical each choice we make is to the person we ultimately become. The protagonist, Jerry, dissatisfied with his isolated reality, is able to see what his life could have looked like, presenting a potential opportunity for redemption.

This book is a true representation of me and the way that my life has transpired. I have been Jerry—going through the motions, making my decisions based on what other people want, and on what society expects of me. But I have also made choices that are more aligned with my heart, my gut, and my intuition. It was not until I embraced the latter that I truly began living a life of meaning, purpose, and genuine fulfillment.

One of the overarching aims of this book is to help others realize that there are positive moments in our days and lives to look forward to, and that there have been miraculous moments that we can reflect upon. We choose the path we take. We write the story we wish to tell. We fly our own planes across the sky.

I hope you laugh. I hope you smile. I hope you cry. I hope you think. As my mom and I always say, I hope you feel all the feels. And finally, I hope more than anything that you live and act a little bit differently on your own journey to cloud nine.

REALITY

Jerry decides to stay in bed.

The bed looks more like a pillow barricade. There are two pillows on each side, so he doesn’t knock into the bedposts surrounding him. There is a pillow at his feet so that if he extends his toes he doesn’t hit the metal bar at the base of the bed. There is one large pillow behind his head, so he can lean straight back. He has a pillow above his right and left shoulders in case he tosses and turns in his sleep or looks out the window, as he often does. He has a pillow underneath him for butt and back support, and finally there is a cylindrical pillow beneath his legs, so his calves don’t get sore.

Jerry is prepared for the pillow fight of the century. The only thing missing from his bedroom is a cavalry of pillow-fighting warriors