A high school teacher once told me that a heart attack is life’s way of telling you to slow down. He was joking… but a lot of us seem to take those as words to live by. You work flat out until your body gives way, and then (and only then) do you start taking your health seriously.

That’s something I see all the time in the nonprofit space, including the political sphere. Weekends at the office are badges of honour; not responding to emails in the evening earns you a reputation as a clock-puncher uncommitted to the cause.

Today sees the launch of a book that I hope helps to change that. The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit makes a powerful case for placing wellness at the heart of organizational culture and personal practice. And it offers a roadmap (or maybe a bike path) for nonprofits who want to put it there.

Authors Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman kindly asked me to draw cartoons for the book, and I’m thrilled it comes out today. This is the third of those cartoons I’ve posted, and you’ll see a bunch more this week.

But why wait? You can see them right away by ordering the book. More to the point, you’ll read a book that I honestly think can lead to a much stronger nonprofit sector. (And hey, you startup folks who like to read the tech cartoons? This stuff applies to you, too, you sleep-at-your-cubicle crazies.)

Congrats, Aliza and Beth. And if you’re a workaholic who wants to get off the pot and bring about some healthy changes, congrats to you, too. Because the first step is right here.