the reader in you
I believe in the power of a good book. I believe that those before us who have lived and learned and have wanted to share their stories are gifts for our eyes and ears and brains. I believe in the importance of sharing what we learn for the greater good. The reader in me feels a deep knowing that the books I’ve read have encouraged me to grow and to learn and to become a better and better version of myself. I’ve definitely enjoyed reading a lot of different kinds…Today I want to share some of my “aha’s” from those I’ve read that have positively influenced my life. Over the years I’ve kept a journal of my favorite one-liners and my own takeaways, and here I present some of the knowledge I’ve gained with the reader in you. I hope that within this page there is a moment you feel called to read a new book and search for something even greater within yourself. Some of these were very challenging for me, and for that I am even more grateful to the creative soul that shared their story in a book.
I’ve broken it down into time frames…This post covers the books I read during my early 20’s…
The books I read mid 20’s-present will be compiled in a future post.
Here goes…
Heads Up Baseball -Ravizza and Hanson
Fully focus on what I have to do each day. Focus on the things I can control.
Play with confidence, trust my abilities and let-go.
You can’t control what happens to you - but you can control your reaction to it.
Practice matters. Prepare with purpose and intent.
Three Feet from Gold -Lechter and Reid
“Before great success comes, you will surely meet with temporary defeat”
“Work your strengths, hire your weaknesses”
“Sometimes the worst situations turn out to be the best opportunities”
“A dream is just a dream until it’s written down. Only then does it become a goal”
Here is a picture from my journal:
IMPORTANT: I didn’t even come close to accomplishing this goal. It was one of those temporary defeat moments…
It did not stop me.
Mindset -Carol S. Dweck
Fixed Mindset: it creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. Ex: Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb?
Growth mindset: it’s based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Ex: Everyone can change/grow through application and experience
Effort matters. Confront a challenge and attempt to make progress.
“Mental toughness and the heart are a lot stronger than some of the physical advantages you might have”
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team -Patrick Lencioni
Take your issues directly to your teammates.
“Trust is knowing that when a teammate does push you they are doing it because they care about the team”
Leaders must create an environment that does not punish vulnerability!!
The Talent Code -Daniel Coyle
Practice deeply.
Make mistakes and pay attention to those mistakes.
Repetition is the key to learning.
“Don’t look for the big, quick improvement, seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens-and when it happens, it lasts”
The Noticer -Andy Andrews
“If you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose…but a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a persons life”
First thing in the morning list all the things I’m grateful for.
“Wisdom is the ability to see into the future the consequences of our choices in the present”
“Even during trying times it’s important to understand that such times are a normal part of life’s ebb and flow”
Mind Gym -Gary Mack
Don’t put my focus on what I don’t want to happen. Focus on what I do want to happen.
Actions follow our thoughts and images.
“Confidence comes from knowing and feeling you are physically and mentally prepared”
Don’t be afraid of failure. Look at failure as feedback. Learn how to fail successfully!
Turn the negative critic into a positive coach.
Watch and visualize myself playing at my best.
You Can Heal Your Life -Louise Hay
*quite possibly my saving grace- this was the first book I read when I was deep into a state of depression (age 22)*
Affirmation: “Love is everywhere, and I am loving and lovable”
We are each responsible for all of our experiences.
“When we create peace, harmony, and balance in our minds, we will find it in our lives”
“The point of power is always in the present moment”
Bless everyone around me with love every time I think of them.
Look into my eyes and say something positive about myself every time I pass a mirror
Daring Greatly -Brene Brown
If I want to fully experience love and belonging, I must believe that I am worthy of love and belonging.
Believe that I am enough.
Recognize the difference between aspirational values and practiced values. Practice what I aspire to be.
“Connection is why we are here; It is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives”
Have the courage to be imperfect, vulnerable and creative.
I must be what I want my children to become.
The Things They Carried -Tim O’Brien
“…but the presence of death and danger has a way of bringing you fully awake. It makes things vivid. When you’re afraid, really afraid, you see things you never saw before, you pay attention to the world”
The Pilgrimage -Paulo Coelho
“Changing the way you do routine things allows a new person to grow inside of you. But when all is said and done, you’re the one who must decide how you handle it”
“The journey, which prior to this was torture because all you wanted to do was get there, is now beginning to become a pleasure. It is the pleasure of searching and the pleasure of an adventure”
“But it was useless to try to save the world: I hadn’t even been able to save myself yet”
“People don’t like to ask too much of life because they are afraid they will be defeated. But if someone wants to fight the good fight, that person must view the world as if it were a marvelous treasure waiting to be discovered and won”
“Agape is total love. It is the love that consumes the person who experiences it. Whoever knows and experiences agape learns that nothing else in the world is important-just love”
Books I didn’t take notes on but are still great:
Mastery -Robert Greene
Invisible Forces -Nancy Privett
Crucial Conversations -Kerry Patterson
The Way of the Champion -Jerry Lynch
The Power of Positive Thinking -Norman Vincent Peale
The Alchemist -Paulo Coelho
The 5 Love Languages -Gary Chapman
Men, Women and Relationships -John Gray
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus -John Gray
Thank you for reading <3