Curious minds seek like-kind and quality. The quest for learning is a path that leads to applied knowledge. When we learn, we can apply – when we apply, we can communicate. We can converse and exchange ideas more effectively with the power of knowledge at our disposal. It’s a powerful weapon, an ally and an advocate.
Enlightenment enables us to connect with a wider base of people, over a more expansive range of subjects. Much more than we could if we simply became captive to cable TV every night. Hey, there are shows that I don’t miss – DVR is good for that – a respite for the restless mind.
We become interesting when we’re interested and others become interested in us when we become interesting.
There is a time and a place – for me it’s Sunday. A day to uncouple from the “Always Forward!”, perpetually engaged mind that attempts to hold myriad thoughts simultaneously in its consciousness. Once in a while, our brains just need a break. I spend my Sundays glued to DirectTV and Steelers football games. Or, I’ll read discursive genre – from Stephen King to William James. I read both for pleasure, believe it or not – and I look to pull the “nuggets”, the examples, the message, from the page or the screen, independent of source – fact or fiction.
I’ve had the privilege to speak to individuals and groups across the country – different forums, private and public companies comprised of individuals from various backgrounds. But they share some similarities – from New Jersey to California – the inquiring minds want to know, the engaged minds need to know – “What do you read?” Great question… Interested minds are interesting.
So, I’m committing myself to a quarterly offering of what’s on my table, nightstand, Kindle or iPad. Hey, I don’t think of myself as an omniscient font of learning. I like what I like, and when people ask, I tell them what I like and why I like it.
Without further ado, or preamble – let’s kick it off!
• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz – My mother gave me this book as a gift. I thought it was a joke. I looked at the four chapters, each outlining an agreement and said, “Come on… this is for kids!” Wow, was I wrong. Easy concepts to understand – the most difficult directives to apply. What this book offers is awareness. I think if I get it right 51% of the time, I’m winning.
Okay, here’s your teaser, The Four Agreements: (Yeah, from 30,000 feet it looks easy… good luck!)
1. Be Impeccable With Your Word.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions.
4. Always Do Your Best.
• Life From The Top Of The Mind by Bill Crawford, Ph.D. – This book was referred to me by a friend of mine, professional speaker and author, Dean Minuto. This book is a practical guide to understanding and limiting the effects of stress. Crawford writes with a fluid ease that I only wish I could emulate. 80% of our activity is directed by 20% of our brain – the lowest level, the reptile brain. He offers examples of how to summon and wrestle awareness from the tug of instinct and bring forth thought from the top of our brain (the pre-frontal cortex) to understand and contain the negative effects of the stressors in life. His explanation of the physiological process and the effects that occur from the psychological – cortisol release, adrenaline, etc. make you feel the tension or release from the example.
Crawford offers easy steps to alleviate the day-to-day stress in our lives. His section on serenity, that elusive time to ourselves (what’s that?), a time of peace and respite, and what happens to us physically when we’re stuck in California traffic, are lessons to decompress by.
• Iconoclast by Gregory Berns, Ph.D. – This book will give you an entirely different perspective on the way your brain works. An iconoclast is “a person who does something that others say can’t be done.” This will speak to the inner maverick in you. While the ordinary person perceives the world based on his past experience and “what other people say,” the iconoclast is both willing and able to risk seeing things differently.
You’ll learn where perception comes from – this awareness can bring a whole different “perspective” to perception. Believe me, it’s a game-changer.
I researched over 70 books, read most, and applied the teaching of some, to write my book. This one has stuck with me and has become a significant part of my navigational system as I move “Always Forward!” (you knew that plug was coming somewhere, didn’t you?) in the “mind-field” of business life.
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, Ph.D. – I took an entire day, stacked books four feet high, from Tony Robbins to Steven Covey (and all points motivational in between), just to look for similarity and theme. Took me a while, but I found the kernel, the seed, the source. The so-called “gurus” built empires from one word. The word begins with the first letter of the alphabet – “A”… Attitude. These “gurus” have Frankl to thank for much of their material, and most of them, to their credit, cite him in their early works. But, nobody does it better than Frankl; he was a Holocaust survivor, a neurologist, psychiatrist, and the father of logotherapy.
This best-selling book chronicles Frankl’s experience as a concentration camp inmate, deriving meaning from the condition led him to discover the importance of finding meaning in all forms of existence, even the most brutal ones.
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius – Marcus has been a well-worn traveling companion of mine for over a decade. A dog-eared copy of Meditations is a permanent fixture in my suitcase. While still in the netherworld of jetlag, I first cracked this book open in the hotel lobby of the Covent Garden. (My favorite getaway in London.)
Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, the most powerful man in the world at the time, the Roman Emperor from 161–180 CE. He was the Emperor/philosopher – his thoughts are applicable today and resonate as a way to live, with respect for others and an understanding that to stumble through life holding grudges, malice or ill-will in your heart is a useless waste of energy, time and emotional capital.
At the end of the day (and it does come soon, regardless of span of years), we’re all going to end up the same way – dust, according to Marcus. Live your life in the best possible way, and ignore the noise and bullshit that people try to burden you with. This is not a book you should try to read in one sitting – this life-guide is marked by pockets of brilliance, phrases that jump from the pages – it will resonate with those who are open to a better way forward.
• Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King – King is so gifted; it’s like watching a movie. You can’t wait for the next scene. It feels like you’re viewing, not reading. Oh wait, they do turn his books into movies…
Just to dip into his lured imagination, even for a short time, which is probably enough time, is worth your time. I’m not going to spoil this one – Mr. Mercedes is a fun ride, no pun intended.
From this reviewer’s roundtable to you, I hope you enjoy with my compliments.
“Always Forward!”
