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Or what I’ve been reading lately

If it’s true that you are what you eat and you become what you read, I may be in trouble! Or perhaps my eating an apple a day and the books I’ve been reading will help create a better me. I have no doubt.

I hated reading when I was a kid. As a matter of fact, I do not remember reading a complete novel until 9th grade which was The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. That book changed my whole perception of reading and I’ve enjoyed reading since.

Good books are those that help you in some way. They do not have to be best sellers. If you are feeling burned out, unmotivated, bummed out, find a book to read. It is one of the best steps to staying motivated and preventing being stuck.

Here’s my best reads over the last year:

• Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive by John Eldredge. Wow. One of the greatest deceptions today is revealed here. It is something I am still internalizing. I am re-reading much of it again as it has challenged a paradigm widely accepted as truth.
• How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gill. This caught my eye and found it interesting. It’s a quick read. I got the sense that the author really didn’t finish the story. I kind of had a feeling that maybe there will be another part to come. I have to wonder if Gill is still working at Starbucks.
• Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t by Michael Losier. I read somewhere that this book was one of the best at explaining what most of us by now have heard is The Secret. Definitely found this book beneficial. It best illustrates the truth that if you change your thinking, everything changes!
• Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week! by Phil Town. I saw the author on CNBC and what he said about investing in stocks made huge sense. I’ve always had some money in mutual funds (bad idea), but always thought that investing in a great company (gooood idea) was too risky. Read it for yourself to find out why I will look for stocks to put my money in from here on out.
• The Tao of Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett’s Words of Wisdom by Mary Buffett and David Clark.
• When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado. Lucado is my author of the year. Better than any source I’ve known, his ability to take the Christian spiritual perspective and make it relevant is beyond any other I’ve read or heard. Read this book and be encouraged.
• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Farriss. If you haven’t read this one, you certainly have probably heard about it. I saw him on The Big idea and his story intrigued me. Lots of good suggestions on simplifying your life and enlightenment on pursuing your passionate interests. But I find his minimalist lifestyle not to my liking.
• The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey. Possibly the best action you can take for gaining higher personal achievement is getting control of your finances. Dealing with debt is very important. I love Ramsey’s words he has become famous for, If you live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.
  

Each book has contributed new ways of thinking about things. I encourage you to pick out a book that interests you. Relax and spend a few minutes a day reading. It will make a difference.