THIS Dozen is Priceless.
My friend Jason Merson asked me a question yesterday. Jason is also a key Lifeplus partner in our local team, and has a heart to help people. He gets completely, that what you become in life is the precursor to what you achieve. He also gets that this is relevant to all areas of life, and while the thrust of his question came from a business perspective, it is much bigger than that.
what you become in life is the precursor to what you achieve
Everyone is blessed uniquely and is on this planet to make their own unique contribution. We are not born to simply go through life consuming resources. We are meant to add value in our own special unique way. Personal development is the key to us becoming what we are blessed to become. And through this, all corners of our life flourish such that there is an amazing synergy and harmony in how we live. Obviously this bodes well for business success as well. Because it is what ensures lasting business success. I once heard it said that you will never out-earn your level of personal development, and if you do, it will not last, unless you grow yourself to meet the success you have attained. We have all seen this truth over and over in our lives. People who suddenly had a lot of money but were not personally developed enough to handle it…the money only made them more of what they already were…and ultimately it was all gone. The flip side is also easily recognizable when we meet someone who is successful in our eyes and they seem to have it all together in every corner of their life. This is usually a highly developed person.
it is what ensures lasting business success
I still have a long way to go in my own personal development journey, everyday I do and say things that remind me of how much I still need to work on. Having said that, I have also come a long way. I’m not the most beautiful and bountiful garden you’ve ever seen, but I’m also no longer the barren and desolate wasteland I once was. What has helped me immeasurably to carve out a very cool life where I am blessed in so many areas, was and is, a disciplined and dedicated approach to personal development. I started reading books to learn on purpose, 15 minutes per day 26 years ago. Over the years I have read thousands of books. They have been my educators, mentors, and developers. I will never stop. It takes consistent and disciplined effort to grow on purpose and it comes a little at a time…but each little tiny thing you learn that makes you better has the potential to move you in a quantum way over time.
each little tiny thing you learn that makes you better has the potential to move you in a quantum way over time
So…to Jason’s question…in order to serve the people he is touching in his life he wants to be able to provide a reading list. Now he is a highly developed person who reads a great deal on his own, so I know he will have his own list too. His question: What are the ten best personal development books (aside from the Bible) you’ve read?
A mind-blowing question to ask me. How can I possibly come up with ten? For example, I have some books listed from Og Mandino and John Maxwell…these stand out, but I have read all that I know of from those authors and they were all excellent….so I did my best and went with my gut and couldn’t get it to ten…so here is a dozen incredible books. Any one of which could have a profound impact on your life, and subsequently the lives of those you care about. I hope this is helpful for you in your journey, it sure has been on mine.
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey)
- The Greatest Salesman in the World (Mandino)
- The Five Major Pieces of the Life Puzzle (Rohn)
- The Magic of Thinking Big (Schwartz)
- The Law of Success (Napoleon Hill)
- You Can if You Think You Can (Peale)
- Failing Forward (Maxwell)
- Winning with People (Maxwell)
- Today Matters (Maxwell)
- Self-Help (Samuel Smiles)
- Secrets for Success and Happiness (Mandino)
- The Big 5 for Life (John Streleky)
Thanks for asking Jason my friend. I hope our readers will share this article and list with everyone they care about. Imagine a world where all people are striving to be the best they can be?
