As an author, this could be my favorite day of gratitude so far! Books are such an underrated resource! People often put 5 or 10 years of experience and lessons in books that you can read in a few hours to a few days. Some great stories are a world that you can escape to when reality gets to be a bit too much. All that for less than a dinner out. Books are great gifts as well as great legacies. Can you think of your favorite book? I will give you a few of mine and you can share yours with me as well.
Let us start with my favorite book of all time. How to Win Friends and Influence People changed millions of lives including my own. It helped me develop my people skills which have propelled me to most of the success that I have experienced in life. It also fostered an interest in the world of self-improvement and becoming the best version of yourself in me. Although it is still a work in progress, it would be fairly safe to say that it has been impactful so far!
My first book, A Happy Life for Busy People. This book showed me what I was capable of accomplishing when I stayed focused. After it was written, I recalled my high school English teacher telling me that she “Prayed to God I would never have a career in writing.” To her credit, at the time I would have agreed with her. Still, the point is that you should never let someone’s opinion of you become your reality. Unless, of course, it is a good one. Most importantly this book showed me that by sharing my experiences and what I have learned that I can positively impact the lives of others. It is now owned not only by rock stars, movie stars and billionaires, but by countless people across the globe who are in pursuit of a better life for themselves and those they love. What an incredible blessing and responsibility all at once!
My second book, Living the Dream, allowed me to feel like an author verses someone who wrote a book. The difference was quite a bit. It also allowed me to work together with the love of my life who wrote the foreword. In addition, I was able to bring to light some of the challenging, but inspiring stories of dear friends who have overcame challenges and went on to demonstrate many secrets to an amazing life. That these people trusted me enough to share their stories in my book for the benefit of inspiring and giving others hope was life-changing. It has went on to become my most critically acclaimed book as well.
This book is also one of my favorites and one of the most entertaining I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It is the story of the author, Bill Bryson, and his childhood friend walking the Appalachian trail and the adventures that ensue. Not only does it share a good story with lots of humor, but conveys a good deal of knowledge as well. It also sparks an urge for adventure every time that I read it. Margie may tell you that this may not exactly be something to be grateful for. It is hard to read a book like this and not want to go for a walk after. The movie made from this book was good too, but getting lost in the book was a far better experience.
This may have been a bit more than you expected to read here, but as you can see there are lots of books that I am grateful for. These are just four examples, but there are so many more that have both impacted and changed my life. It would seem each year brings a new book and a new chapter of life to be discovered. How about you? Has there been something you have read that has impacted your life that you are grateful for? Share with all of us in the comments. We all are on the lookout for great new books to read.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 