Sign-In
Cart
Broken Stools
Paperback
Publisher Price: $19.99
Publisher: Foot in Mouth Publishing
Published: Nov 11 2025
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.56
Height: 0.54 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
We've all fallen off a stool-metaphorically speaking. Some of us have done it literally.
Kirk Sheppard has done both, repeatedly. In this collection of fifty-two stories, he explores what happens when life knocks us off our perches and discovers that the opposite of humility isn't confidence-it's certainty.
From getting rejected twice from counseling school (then earning two degrees anyway) to calling his mother at forty-two for financial help, from watching lightning destroy a teacher's only way home to being inducted into a wrestling Hall of Fame for failing gracefully, Sheppard discovers that our most humbling moments often become our best teachers.
With the insight of a therapist and the self-deprecating humor of someone who still doesn't know what a cultivator does despite driving one for years, Broken Stools offers weekly reflections on becoming right-sized in the world-neither too big nor too small, but exactly who we are.
Inside you'll find:
- 52 weekly stories about falling down and getting back up
- Reflection questions to recognize humility in your own life
- Simple practices that turn cringe-worthy moments into growth
- The comfort of knowing someone else has failed spectacularly too
This isn't about perfection or false modesty. It's about the radical act of admitting we don't have it all figured out-and discovering that's exactly where wisdom begins.
Perfect for readers who:
- Appreciate humor mixed with hard-won wisdom
- Want bite-sized chapters they can read in one sitting
- Are tired of self-help books that pretend life is tidy
- Need permission to be imperfect
If you've ever felt like you're the only one who doesn't have it together, this book is for you.
1 different editions
Also available
Also from
Sheppard, Kirk
Soul Audit: A Not-So-Perfect, Broadly Spiritual (Or Not) Guide to Aligning Your Life
Sheppard, Kirk
Paperback
Soul Audit: A Not-So-Perfect, Broadly Spiritual (Or Not) Guide to Aligning Your Life
Sheppard, Kirk
Hardcover
Also in
Self-Help
Go-To Notebook with Mohawk Paper, Midnight Blue Blank: (Blank Notebooks, Simple Notebook, Blue Notebook)
Chronicle Books
Other
Go-To Notebook with Mohawk Paper, Brick Red Dotted: (Dotted Notebook, Notebook with Dots, Red Notebook)
Chronicle Books
Other
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
Brown, Brené
Paperback
The Craftivist Collective Handbook: Projects, Stories and Methods for Your Gentle Protests
Corbett, Sarah P.
Hardcover
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself
Beattie, Melody
Paperback
How Do You Feel?: A Spectacular Compendium of Ideas, Interactive Games, Provocations, Tests, and Tricks That Explore the World of What You Feel and Wh
Hughes, Edgar Gerrard
Paperback
Conscious Crafts: Knitting: 20 Mindful Makes to Reconnect Head, Heart & Hands
Koranteng, Vanessa
Kludje, Sicgmone
Hardcover
The Healthy Deviant: A Rule Breaker's Guide to Being Healthy in an Unhealthy World
Gerasimo, Pilar
Paperback
Inspired: Understanding Creativity: A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul
Richtel, Matt
Hardcover
1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round
Attenberg, Jami
Hardcover
Your Intuition Led You Here: Daily Rituals for Empowerment, Inner Knowing, and Magic
Naranjo, Alex
Vargas, Marlene
Hardcover
The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness [With CD]
Williams, Mark
Teasdale, John
Segal, Zindel
Paperback
Awakening the Chakras: The Seven Energy Centers in Your Daily Life
Daniels, Kooch N.
Weltevrede, Pieter
Daniels, Victor
Paperback
The Complete Guide to the Enneagram: A Modern Approach to Self-Discovery and Connecting Well with Others
MacKenzie, Sierra
Paperback
Someday Mija, You'll Learn the Difference Between a Whore and a Working Woman: A Memoir
Martinez, Yvonne
Paperback
Worthy as You Are: Weed Out Unhealthy Beliefs and Nourish Your Authentic Self
Duriel, Durgadas Allon
Paperback
The Danish Way of Raising Teens: What the Happiest People in the World Know about Raising Confident, Healthy Teenagers with Character
Sandahl, Iben Dissing
Paperback
Unlocking the 7 Secret Powers of the Heart: A Practical Guide to Living in Trust and Love
Tubali, Shai
Paperback
The School of Life: Stay or Leave: How to Remain In, or End, Your Relationship
Life, The School of
Paperback
Belief, Being, and Beyond: Your Journey to Questioning Ideas, Deconstructing Concepts & Healing from Harmful Belief Systems
Crow, Granddaughter
Paperback
The Power of Your Angels: 28 Days to Finding Your Path and Realizing Your Life's Dreams
Fallois, Isabelle
Paperback
Witch Wisdom for Magical Aging: Finding Your Power Through the Changing Seasons
Johnson, Cait
Paperback
Escribe El Guion de la Vida Que Quieres: Manifiesta Tus Sueños Con Tan Solo Lápiz Y Papel
Christyn, Royce
Paperback
Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick
Jen Sincero
Paperback
Creative Visualization: Using Imagery and Imagination for Self-Transformation
Shone, Ronald
Paperback
I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and #bethatgirl
Jones, Alexis
Paperback
The Art of Communication: How to Be Authentic, Lead Others, and Create Strong Connections
Apps, Judy
Hardcover
Martial Arts Teaching Tales of Power and Paradox: Freeing the Mind, Focusing Chi, and Mastering the Self
Fauliot, Pascal
Paperback
Catastrofobia: La Verdad Detrás de Los Cambios de la Tierra En El Arribo de la Era de Luz
Clow, Barbara Hand
Paperback
Princes, Frogs & Ugly Sisters: The Healing Power of the Grimm Brothers' Tales
Hunter, Allan G.
Paperback
The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest
Buettner, Dan
Hardcover
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Hardcover
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking about
Robbins, Mel
Robbins, Sawyer
Hardcover
Discover Your Soul Template: 14 Steps for Awakening Integrated Intelligence
Anthony, Marcus T.
Paperback
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
Gibson, Lindsay C.
Paperback
Unfuck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers
Harper, Faith G.
Paperback
How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself
Lawson, Jenny
Hardcover
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
Haidt, Jonathan
Hardcover
The Little Frog's Guide to Life: Love, Advice and Inspiration for Every Day from the Internet's Beloved Mushroom Frog
Eequay, Maybell
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Duckworth, Angela L.
Review, Harvard Business
Gervais, Michael
Paperback
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century
Hill, Napoleon
Paperback
The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness
Kishimi, Ichiro
Koga, Fumitake
Paperback
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Pressfield, Steven
Paperback
How to Be a Rich Old Lady: Your Guide to Easy Investing, Building Wealth, and Creating the Wild, Beautiful Life You Want
Holden, Amanda
Hardcover
Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
Through Mom's Eyes: Simple Wisdom from Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans
Jones, Sheinelle
Hardcover
No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
Schwartz, Richard C.
Paperback
As a Man Thinketh - the Original 1902 Classic (includes the Mastery of Destiny) (Reader's Library Classics)
Allen, James
Paperback
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
McMillan, Ron
Patterson, Kerry
Grenny, Joseph
Paperback
Be Your Own Bestie: A No-Nonsense Guide to Changing the Way You Treat Yourself
Brown, Misha
Hardcover
Don't Believe Everything You Think (Expanded Edition): Why Your Thinking Is the Beginning & End of Suffering
Nguyen, Joseph
Hardcover
Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being
Diaz, Keith
Zomorodi, Manoush
Hardcover
The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something
Johnson, Shawn
East, Andrew
Hardcover
Stop Letting Everything Affect You: How to break free from overthinking, emotional chaos, and self-sabotage.
Chidiac, Daniel
Paperback
Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity--One Step at a Time
Conley, Courtney
McDowell, Milica
Hardcover
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships
Rosenberg, Marshall B.
Paperback
Rewrite the Program: How to Stop Conforming, Start Exploring, and Find Fulfillment
Bowman, Eli
Paperback
Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts
Burkeman, Oliver
Paperback
Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Johnson, Spencer
Hardcover
Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability
Briggs, John
Paperback
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Holiday, Ryan
Hanselman, Stephen
Hardcover
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World
McRaven, William H.
Hardcover
Reparenting the Inner Child: The New Science of Our Oldest Wounds and How to Heal Them
Lepera, Nicole
Hardcover
Are You Mad at Me?: How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You
Josephson, Meg
Hardcover
Doing Small Things with Great Love: How Everyday Humanitarians Are Changing the World
Eubank, Sharon
Hardcover
The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything
Jezer-Morton, Kathryn
Hardcover
Burn the Haystack: Decode Dating, Torch the Duds, and Make Room for Men Who Matter
Young Phd, Jennie
Hardcover
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
Manson, Mark
Hardcover
The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life
Warren MD W. Lee
Hardcover
Tarot for the Wild Soul: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Growth, Healing, and Grounding in the Present Moment
Mack, Lindsay
Hardcover
The Overthinker's Guide to Making Decisions: How to Make Decisions Without Losing Your Mind
Nguyen, Joseph
Hardcover
The Company We Keep: Friendship, Connection, and Redefining What It Means to Grow Together
Elle, Alexandra
Hardcover