A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one. ~George R.R. Martin.
Reading has become an energizer for me. As a younger man, I didn’t have time to read, but I have learned the art of making time for it as I get older. As I catch up from years of undernourishment in this area, I enjoy sharing some fruits of my labor.
Here are some quotes and thoughts from some of my recent readings.
When life happens, you can be either the author of your life or the victim of it. ~Gary Keller.
Let that sit for just a minute. You can reread it and maybe again. The key is we have a choice. As Chuck Swindoll says, “Life is 10% what happens to it, and 90% how we react to it.” The default is to blame others or circumstances beyond our control and bury ourselves in self-pity and WIMS (Woe Is Me Syndrome).
Question: What will you
choose?
Make your sole and all-encompassing focus on the other person and what they say. ~Chris Voss.
You should try this today. Don’t wait. Keep your mouth shut, sit on your hands, and keep your thoughts to yourself, at least for one conversation. Listening is difficult, and most of us don’t do it well. Let’s say it: We are not very good at listening. We hear what we want to hear, and we want to fix it, tell them how they should do it, and answer the question they aren’t even asking. Tip: Ask lots of questions.
Question: Who can you listen to today?
Just say no. Enforce your boundaries.
Everyone struggles with this, and it’s entirely within our control. Saying ‘yes’ is the easy way out. But remember: When you say ‘yes’ to something or someone, you probably say ‘no” to you. It may be a win for someone else or something else, but if it’s a ‘lose’ for you, you have to count the cost.
Question: What — or who — do you need to say ‘no’ to? Today? Next year?
Be ruthless and be shrewd.
I’m preaching from my life experience and preaching to me right here. You don’t have to be involved in everything. You don’t have to chase two rabbits at the same time. Forget FOMO. Let go of FOBI. You don’t have to answer everyone on Facebook (they probably won’t take your advice anyway). You don’t have to get every last email from the experts (hit unsubscribe). Separate yourself from the people and situations that drain you. Get rid of the little chihuahuas that nip at your pants leg, and be done with the little foxes that spoil the vine.
Question: What are you still tolerating?
Destiny predates birth.
This is your get-out-of-jail-free card. Are you puzzled by that saying? Here it is in a nutshell. You have a destiny and a plan that was settled before you were born. Nothing you have done, encountered, or experienced can change that. You may be delayed or on the wrong track, so getting on the right path is up to you. You don’t need to worry; you can do it. Your destiny is still waiting for you.
Question: Today is the first day of the rest of your life. What is the first step to creating your masterpiece?
If you wouldn’t say it to someone else, stop saying it to yourself.
John Delony is one of the top thinkers of our time. If you haven’t read his stuff, start today. Today! This thought sounds so simple that it’s really a duh moment. Check out these affirmations and start talking to yourself — in a good way.
Question: What are you telling yourself that you need to stop?