There are just too many books– good
books, great books, fun books, instructional books, spiritual texts, the
classics, beach novels, “serious” literature, and more. It goes on and on. If you could read a book a day for the
next ten years, you still wouldn’t even be close to reading all that’s
available. Bookstores can be
overwhelming. So can the
well-intentioned recommendations of friends – “You have to read this book.” (I’ve been guilty of saying that myself.) If the publication of all books, magazines,
newspapers, and Internet content stopped right now, we still would have too
much to read.
We could throw up
our hands in despair and look for the remote, but that won’t solve the
problem. We need to do
something. We need to read or at
least have an idea of what’s available to read. The more we read, and the more widely we read, the more we
think. Our thoughts, for better or worse, often determine the quality of our
lives. All of our loves, hatreds,
beliefs, and even our self-image come from our thoughts. We can also find our thoughts through
our Purpose.
So what do we
do?
Maybe I can help a
little.
I read…a lot. I’ve read at least 60 books over a wide
variety of subjects in the last five years alone. That’s not a lot, but it’s more than many. In addition to reading, I write…a
lot. I’ve kept private journals
for almost 40 years. I’ve written
three books, and published one. In
the last year and a half, I’ve written nearly 700 blogs. I love writing and I love
reading. Even more, I love sharing
what I’ve read in a way that’s practical and appealing. I want to share what I’ve read, how
it’s helped me, and most of all, how it might help you. This is part of my Purpose.
Here’s what I’m
not doing: I’m not writing book
reviews. I’m already recommending
these books, or I wouldn’t have read them in the first place and I wouldn’t be
taking the time to write about them. There won’t be a rating system. No books will be getting stars or happy
faces or a thumbs-up. While I may
point out merits or shortcomings of something I’m reading, that’s not the
purpose. The purpose is to share something that’s helped me in the hopes that
it will help you.
This will also not
be a “Cliff Notes” version of the book.
The main ideas will be present, but if I’m writing about a fictional
piece, I probably won’t be giving- away the ending. If it’s a self-help book or a spiritual text, I won’t be
covering every point, only the main ideas. If you don’t read the books I’m recommending, then you will
miss a lot. I want you to
read these books. They’ve helped
me and they can help you. But if you can’t or choose not to read the books
recommended here, at least you’ll be able to discuss them intelligently after
reading these blogs. You can agree
or disagree with my perspective, but you’ll have something to consider.
Using Steven
Covey’s idea in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I want to begin with the end in mind. Here’s the picture in my head. Eventually, this website will have
hundreds of books to choose from, across many genres. There will be indexes, by title and subject. I’d even like to create an app for
this. Most of all I want to see
people getting excited about reading books that might help them find their
Purpose.
Welcome then. I hope this is the beginning of an
exciting and fruitful journey for all of us. Now let’s Get Started and Keep Going!
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