To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Book Reviews

Top books for 2021! (Coming in hot as you plan 2022)

Okay, so for me, reflecting on the prior year takes a bit of time and thought. I’m so thankful for each of you that ask me for this each year. I do love my reading and find that it is primarily how I connect with my creative side – generating thought, learning, and spurring me on to what life is showing me in that moment.

My count for 2021 was around 58 total books. Honestly, a few of them I struggled to get through. My mind didn’t want any “heady” reading this year. I did two re-reads (“Stillness is the Key” and “Atomic Habits”), which I recommend we all do each year. For those of you who follow the Bible, I do think it is beyond powerful to re-read all or focused parts each year. I can’t express enough how much I learn by doing this and although I’ve only done it over the last decade or so, I wish I would have done it earlier. If you ever have a goal to do that, I learned a wonderful strategy that I’d love to share if you are interested, just comment or message me. It’s been a life game changer.

So, here you go… my 2021 recap! Of course I have to have #13, since that’s my lucky number. These are in no particular order, except for #1, which is an absolute must-read book, in my opinion!

  1. Courage is Calling, Ryan Holiday

Why: These quotes capture the heart of it well: “Do you want to think about a world where Florence Nightingale did not revolutionize nursing? Because she didn’t want to piss off her parents, because she didn’t want to confront bureaucrats in charge? We cultivate courage so we can do important work that people are counting on. We can’t just be brave when it counts. It has to be something we cultivate. No athlete just expects to hit the game-winning shot- they practice it thousands of times. So, we must test ourselves. We make courage a habit.”

(Okay, so I am apparently a huge Ryan Holiday fan. He also wrote “Stillness is the Key” and “Ego is the Enemy.” The books are short and easy reads and powerful! He also has his newsletter, “Daily Stoic,” that I love, but I will say his podcast just wasn’t my thing. It always strikes me as odd when I love someone’s writing, but not their voice. Interesting fact of life!)

2. The Art of Being Unmistakable, Srinivas Rao

Why: I picked up this VERY short book from someone sharing on a podcast how this is one of the most successful/most sold self published books. It is touted as a “Pep talk for creative people,” which I think is fairly accurate, but I found it to be excellent in many areas. Here’s a quote I marked: “Books, destination, and callings tend to reveal themselves to you while you pursue them. We often do not know where stories end, where unpaved roads lead, and who we’ll become along the way. Therefore you just have to start.”

3. Brown Girls Can, Kamara White

Why: First of all, I am a friend of Kamara, otherwise known as “KK,” and I’m so proud of her for following her dreams and publishing. She has this amazing little girl and her heart is in ensuring she does all she can do to sow love, dreams and invaluable life lessons to her. This quote in this children’s book covers it best, but really the whole things is just all of the good things in life – powerful: “Do you believe that, Laila,” Mommy asked. “Yes, Mommy! I believe it because … well, because I see you,” said Laila. “That, my dear, is called a ‘role model,'” Mommy replied. “My job as your mother is to show you all the things you can be. Your job as my little girl is to become what you want to be.” “That’s pretty cool, Mommy!” said Laila.

4. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer

Why: My son Sam recommended this to me and just as he thought it might, I found it to be incredibly impactful. The chapters on technology were really good, and I blogged about this earlier in the year. I loved the simplicity in this statement: “I think it’s wise to cultivate a healthy, suspicion of technology. Technological, and even economic, progress not not necessarily equal human progress.” Folks, this is so good, I highly recommend it!

5. Outlove, Julie Rodgers

Why: This is Rodger’s first book and it followed with a film called “Pray Away.” The topic is a sensitive one for some and I feel it is so important that we all stretch ourselves to understand the people in our midst. I loved her vulnerability overall. This message was very helpful: “Things were shifting inside of me. I didn’t necessarily read new theological argument and then change my mind, beliefs aren’t formed that simply. I began to ask different questions.”

6. Healing a Shattered Soul, Mindy Corporon

Why: Mindy is a dear friend and I am so proud of her for sharing her journey with the world through her first publication recounting the tragic loss of her father and son and sharing parts of the healing process. Mindy is a world-changer and has been since day one, obedient to the calling to play an instrumental role in our nation’s overall healing in the areas of hate and misunderstandings of others.

I loved the part of the book where she talks about her vision for seeing black and white women together. “I recall the sun shining brightly and bird flitting here and there as I stopped in my tracks to contemplate how many black women I might know. Hmmm. I had never stopped to think about how many I knew, let alone how many I knew well enough to ask them to join me for this gathering. Nicole chuckled as I proudly announced that I could name eight Black women off of the top of my head who I could call or email, asking them to join us for a conversation. I felt stupid: Why had I never reached out prior to now?” (I resonate with that reaction: “I felt stupid.” Some of the most important things we need to do are literally right in front of us.).

In the next few days, Mindy would create “Respect. Engage. Appreciate. Trust, (REAT, the name of her son) to engage a diverse group of women in life changing conversation… Mindy ACTS and we are all better for it.

7. Think Again, Adam Grant

Why: Adam Grant can pretty much do no wrong in teaching in one way or another. If you don’t follow him, I have no doubt that it will be a great move for you! His latest book “Think Again” offers us all manner of thought leadership around why we need to reconsider how we process and think, including long-held stories and beliefs, including the famous story of the frog and hot water. Can you guess where that goes in this book? The title captures it best, but I loved this, “We laugh at people who still use Windows 95, yet we still cling to opinions that we formed in 1995. We listen to views that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard.” So true!

8. Deep Work, Cal Newport

Why: The subtitle here is helpful: “Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.” After reviewing the list, there seems to be a bit of a theme around distractions and anchoring. Hmmmm?

Newport dives into many areas, but I particularly loved the neurological arguments for depth. He walks through “tool selection” and proposed that knowledge workers (most of us in this century) treat our tool (software, apps, etc as examples) selection with the “same level of care as skilled workers, such as farmers. Identify the core factors that determine success and happiness in your professional and personal life. Adopt a tool ONLY if its positive impact on these factors SUBSTANTIALLY outweigh its negative impacts.” This “craftsman” approach is in opposition to the “any benefit” approach as justification for adoption.

9. Wholehearted Faith, Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu

Why: I have been waiting for this one, and of course it was brilliant. Rachel Held Evans left his world way too early and her writing through her young life was profound. Jeff Chu, a long time friend, pieced together what she left to publish her last book. No doubt that proceeds will greatly help her young family over the years. Evans pushes the reader on the “path from unquestioning certainty to wholehearted vulnerability.” I’ve used this a few times since I heard it in the book, and will no doubt use it for a lifetime, “I like a little bit of controlled wilderness every now and then – (A hike in the hills with my family, taken with the hope of a hot shower after a successful day out, or a brief camping trip that comes with the promise of A/C and cable TV at its conclusion. That is obviously not how the biblical or spiritual wilderness works.)”

10. My Life in Full, Indra Nooyi

Why: I LOVED THIS BOOK! If I were to have ranked the list, it would have been top 3. I don’t read a lot of autobiographies but I’m so glad I did read this. I’m not sure what called me to it, but as a top female leader of one of our nation’s largest companies (PepsiCo), it was fun and chalked full of valuable insights. My favorite takeaway was the intention she put behind design work and the creation of of the PepsiCo Design and Innovation work led by Mauro Porcini. I truly had no idea of the depth of the company, its products and its impact on our country.

Nooyi’s premier program initiative, “Performance with Purpose” outlined three key topics worth sharing, “This was my opus. We would deliver excellent performance, as was expected for PepsiCo, but would add three imperatives to our work ahead. Nourish humanity and the communities in which we live, Replenish our environment, and Cherish the people in the company.” (Isn’t that great? NOURISH…REPLENISH…CHERISH!) In my next assignment, you can be sure I’ll be using this as a fire starter.

11. Florence Nighingale, Cecil Woodham-Smith

Why: I also don’t usually read biographies, but Holiday referenced her so much, that I had to back track. I mean, I am in health care so I certainly know who she is, but goodness… I had no idea of her story. I’m so glad I took this detour and caught up. There are some notes I made to myself at the end of the book that I feel we can all use:

  • “I attribute my success to this- I never took any excuses.”
  • She worked shoulder to shoulder with her team. She was devoted to serving.
  • Look at data and then acted ( I loved the emphasis on this… so important)

12. What Happened to You, Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD

Why: My coach told me about this late this last year. It is focused on past trauma and the title conveys the message, that instead of asking “What is wrong with them” for example, we consider changing the narrative to “What happened to them.” It is a simple change up and significant. When we peer into ourselves and others, it is useful to not be critical but to come into the dialogue with curiosity.

This is the ONE BOOK I would recommend to anyone who has anyone in their life that has experienced any kind of trauma or whom has found that in their own path. It is very easy to read and strong work that will make you better for taking the time to dive in and learn about the many complexities that impact our lives.

13. A Burning in my Bones, Winn Collier (biography of Eugene Peterson)

Why: One of my aspirations for 2021 was to read all books by Eugene Peterson. (It was amazing!) It just so happened that Collier’s book also came out this year, so I just had to read it right away. Some of you may be familiar with Eugene Peterson, who authored the Message Version of the bible. It is a really nice change to read the bible in the way we may think today. I find myself often looking up a verse in his re-construct of the original version to see if it hits home in a different way and it often does. At any rate, Collier did a wonderful job of sharing with us Peterson’s life and he didn’t leave out anything that was the slightest bit sensitive, for example, sharing that the famous preacher/writer also leaned on drinking a bit too much and was very much aware of this and how he addressed it. It is always helpful to know that we are all human and see real life examples of that, especially for those we look up to. If you are a Peterson fan, grab this one for the joy of it!

“Bring My People Together”

My takeaways from Mindy Corporon’s new book, “Healing a Shattered Soul.”

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book from Mindy, and I want to share some thoughts I had after I closed the final page. Although I walked some of this journey with Mindy, there was an enormous part I had no idea about, and I am incredibly grateful that she wrote this book. It is a must read for anyone who has had a major loss. Even for those of us who have not, the book helps us to be a better friend for those who cross our paths who have.

The purpose of this blog is to focus on “serving well.” Just how do we do that in our homes, workplace and community? This books brings forward so much good in answering that question in perhaps the toughest challenge we face as humans. Just how can we do that in a crisis? One where there are no words, and often so incredibly uncomfortable that you don’t even want to lean in at all for fear of somehow making it worse. As Mindy shares, those people that leaned in actually helped her and her family through the most painful days. And still today – 7 years later – provide them energy, prayer and the strength to use their story to better our world. Leaning in is important and the stories weaved throughout this book offer us countless ways to do just that. It’s powerful.

The title of today’s blog pivots to the center message that Mindy has heard God speaking to her since that tragic day: “Bring your people together.” The work that Mindy and her family have led over the past several years has done just that.  Their desire to bring together people to develop knowledge and an understanding of our interfaith differences has been timely for where we find ourselves in at this point in our nation’s history. If you aren’t familiar with the work, check out Give Seven Days. Their themes of “Love, Discover, Others, Connect, You and Go,” provide a basis for the mission which spans both interfaith and multi-generational opportunities to better our community.

The significance of how God has orchestrated this tragedy for good in this world is further evidence that good can and will come out of the bad if we listen and commit our actions to the work.   Mindy shares in the book this quote, “It was clear to me that following His (God’s) direction that night immediately gave me strength and comfort.” I love that, because I have found that be true, and a constant reminder is helpful. Somehow, when we listen to God, the peace and strength that gives us is second to none. It’s a beautiful experience and one I have realized a few times in my life. I need to listen more.

I could go on and on with insights today, but I want to leave it with what I feel is the perfect wrap-up quote from Mindy’s book. The message brings together this idea of service and also her mission to make good come…

“Just as family and friends were instruments of God, available to breathe life into me, I have picked up my own cross to pay it forward to help others find healing, hope, and inspiration.” 

My prayer is that we will all be able to be instruments when the need arises and that we will have the courage to pick up our cross in whatever areas God sends us and act boldly, knowing God is with us. If you follow Mindy’s story (and I hope you do from now on if you haven’t) you will see a life well-lived, in action. She is an absolute inspiration for me and gives me courage and bravery along life’s twists and turn. I am forever grateful.

I hope you will pick up this book and both learn and then share it with anyone you know who might have experienced a serious loss. It will be very useful to them as they process their grief and find themselves on a path to healing.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Top books for 2020

It’s mid-January and I am finally ready to share my top books.

I like to wait until the new year to do this because, well, you never know what that last book of the year will bring. It just so happens that I finished one of the best books I read all year on December 31.

We can find so much power in the books we read. The opportunity to learn and grow from others through reading is one of the best parts of life, from my experience. It’s like having a variety of mentors who offer valuable insights to propel you forward.

If you, too, are a reader of primarily non-fiction, this list may be helpful in picking your next “game changer.” If you aren’t a reader, then I have added a brief overview from a few of the books, to give you a flavor and perhaps pique your interest.

To give you some perspective, I read 49-ish books this year. So many good ones. If I had to sum it up, I’d say, in no particular order the top 13 would be:

  1. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
  2. Inspired by Rachel Held Evans
  3. See No Stranger by Valerie Kaur
  4. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
  5. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
  6. Second Mountain by David Brooks
  7. How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns
  8. Breath by James Nestor
  9. Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
  10. The Socrates Express by Eric Weiner
  11. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
  12. As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Eugene Peterson
  13. Manifesto for a Moral Revolution by Jacqueline Novogratz

Here are some of my insights into why:

Inspired (Rachel Held Evans): This is all about trying to find some solid ground when the Bible seems to create confusion at times, and the society around us often showcases faith as not bringing out the best of us… The trail this book led me on brought me to my word of the year, which is “deeper,” making it clear that I needed to work to understand context and history in order to truly understand. Honestly, I can’t wait for that education. This quote captured me immediately: “The Bible’s ancient refrains have given voice to the laments of millions of oppressed people and, too often, provided justification to their oppressors. ” Does that resonate with anyone else? That only touches the surface. Evans absolutely slays this book and calls us to be better and smarter and not accepting of everything at face value without challenging ourselves to further exploration.

See No Stranger (Valerie Kaur): I had the opportunity to hear this author speak way before the book came out at one of the “Seven Days: Make a ripple, change the world” events. Kaur is a renowned Sikh activist, filmmaker and civil rights attorney. This intro at the front of the book highlights well the crux of the story: “(she) declares revolutionary love as the call of our time, a radical, joyful practice that extends in three directions: to others, to our opponents and to ourselves. It enjoins us to see no stranger but instead look at others and say, ‘You are part of me I do no know yet.’ Starting from that place of wonder beings to change: It is a practice that can transform a relationship, community, a culture and even a nation.”

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (Eugene Peterson): Talk about that “trail” Evans started, this book is flat out central to that path. Peterson is also the author of the message interpretation of the Holy Bible. If you have the Bible App, you can toggle back and forth on different versions, and I find this quite useful to see how various prophetic voices have been called to interpret the same stories. This book is now over 40 years in print, but it is as contemporary as ever. One amazing excerpt: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life, your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:2) Peterson dives in, “The psalm’s emphasis on actual, physical service (not a spiritual intention, not a desire to be of service) is picked up in the invitation to present our everyday, ordinary life. The motivation for service (not coerced or demanded) is picked up in the phrase, “God helping you.” But most significant is the remarkable last phrase, logiken latreian, “place it before God as an offering,” which another translation renders “reasonable service.” Service that makes sense. The service we offer God is extended into specific acts that serve others. We learn a relationship –– an attitude toward life, a stance of servitude before God, and then we are able to be of use to others in acts of service.” Peterson calls us to dive into meaning and brings the text forward in a manner that is logical. I find this very helpful.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man (Emmanuel Acho): Over the past several years, I have tried to pick up books that help me understand the history of injustice that our nation has allowed that continues, sadly, during our lifetime. I am thankful that so many beautiful authors have recognized the need for a national education. Acho provides a simple and profound read. He comes alongside the reader as if you were at a coffee shop with him chatting about life’s big questions. He is kind and yet clear. You won’t miss the point. One powerful excerpt: “Say you and I are in a race and the starting line official held me back for the first two hundred meters, giving you a two-hundred meter head start. If that were to happen, the only way to level out that race would be to either stop you from running or put me on a bike to catch up to you. This is white privilege in a nutshell.” Folks, it’s good. This could be a good one for the younger folks in our lives, with the help of an adult guide. (He’s also a former NFL player so that may get their attention.)

Untamed (Glennon Doyle): You may have seen this on several top books list. It was a runaway best seller in part due to Doyle’s transparent, fun and easy approach that she has within social media channels (and her excellent other books). She pretty much opens up her personal life for all to see and showcases vulnerability like none other. It’s honest and gritty. From the inside cover: “It is a story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live… discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member’s ability to bring her (their) full self to the table.”

If you are interested in others, just send me a message and I’ll be happy to share. There is just SO MUCH good in expanding your knowledge that I hope you might pick up at least one and give it a try.

For those who can’t do the reading thing, don’t even get me started on the podcast world. I will definitely have to do a top podcast review at some point. For the drive across town, or across the country as may be the case, podcasts are a genius way to achieve the same goal.

Praying many blessings over you today. I hope that you have the most incredible week ahead.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: BYOS

Let’s keep the conversation this year on what brings us to our best selves. Bringing forward an agenda of wholeness resonates with me. The world delivers up some interesting distractions for all of us that can so easily take us off the course we planned or hoped for. (Hello, crazy week one in America.) If we are going to achieve our “life plan” if you will, then it is up to us to cultivate just that.

That’s where today’s “Simple Thoughts Sunday” comes in. “Bring your own sunshine and swagger.” (Another shout out to Peloton’s Robin Arzon.) Her point: Sometimes we just have to BRING IT. My experience would prove that we have to BRING IT most of the time.

This old saying comes to mind: “If it is to be… it’s up to me.” Regardless of where it came from (lord knows I can’t remember), it’s spot on. We have to remember that energy begets energy, kindness; kindness, positivity; positivity, discipline; discipline… To me, no matter what, bringing my full self is the most important intention and action I can take. Getting the sleep, to have the focus in the morning, eating nutrient rich food to nourish my body, reading to fuel my mind and spur on creativity, etc. Every detail adds up to ensuring this is not only possible, but it’s probable. Literally setting yourself up for success.

Several years ago when I became focused on a more healthy physical lifestyle I came across this idea of “automation” of our habits to ensure success. That’s been a game changer. Here’s a great article that will give you more depth on the ideas, and of course, if you haven’t read James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits,” that is a really important read. I just checked and it’s now only $11.98 on Amazon. That will be the best money you’ve spent in years, I assure you! (If you don’t take the time to open the article or get the book, here’s one example of automating… use smaller plates to reduce caloric intake… That’s it… It’s that easy!)

Life it short. Life is amazing and it is in our court to achieve our hopes. Let’s BRING IT this week… full sunshine… full swagger…!

Getting to your best yes

Throwing it back to a post from last year. It’s a solid rewind about a book that could serve any of us well these days.

Ryan Holiday’s new book, ‘Stillness Is the Key,’ should jet to the top of most people’s list. I couldn’t soak it up fast enough. The first several chapters captured my attention fully. A small part of the Amazon review:

“In this book, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. Drawing on a wide range of history’s greatest thinkers, he argues that stillness is not mere inactivity, but the doorway to self mastery, discipline and focus.”

Holiday covers famous baseball players, philosophers and even Mr. Rogers as he weaves in and out of proof points that we will be far better off if we can get our minds to tune out, therefore really tuning in. It’s powerful.

The message I captured in the picture above is one of those I “dog-eared” and noted to come back to. Perhaps identifying a critical framework for getting closer to what seems to be a challenge for me personally: getting to stillness. There are so many hidden costs to more of anything. We have to ask ourselves if it really does matter to us… Do our closets or homes need more items to fill it? Do our schedules need another time blocked? We have to remember that whatever we give up is in exchange for something else (more quality time with someone or something you love perhaps?). It could be time, resources or energy you won’t ever get back.

This particular chapter closed with this, “Will I look back from the distant future and be glad I did it? If I never knew about it at all – if the request was lost in the mail, if they hadn’t been able to pin me down to ask me –would I even notice I missed out? When we know what to say no to, we can say yes to the things that matter.”

So much truth to this little book. (It is a very short read… I promise!) I’m hoping we can all grab something out of this today that is both practical, and stirs us up enough to make sure our yes is really the best one.

Take every thought captive

Think back to the last few days. What has consumed your thinking? I just finished the best book of the year for me so far: “Get Out of your Head,” by Jennie Allen. She shared that nearly 70 percent of our thoughts are negative (Psychology Today, October 10, 2013). Yikes.

In a short experiment, she gathered a group of women around a white board that simply said, “What are you thinking about?” With a variety of Post-It notes with different options (like the picture above shows), the women were asked to pull a note that showed what they were thinking about. True to the reference above, over 70 percent were in the not-so-positive space. I would have guessed this to be a lot lower. (Personally, when I saw the list, my mind definitely drifts to the “what ifs” more than I’d like to admit.)

Why is that? I don’t often blog about scripture during the middle of a work week, but the one in this title has always been one of my favorites. If you have ever been around anyone citing New Testament Bible references, you may recognize this advice: “We must take every thought captive.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) The scripture pointing to the fact that our minds are truly wild things that need to be reminded early and often to center our thinking on what is good, useful and true. Our minds tend to run down the rabbit holes of “what ifs” and “whys,” and can quite easily get lost and off onto a path that doesn’t serve us well.

So, how do we in fact get a control on these tendencies? Other than the basic core rule – first, decide that you want to – there are some other ideas to consider. I think identifying where your mind tends to go is really important. Taking a proper inventory, if you will. I love the idea someone shared with me: They ask the “thought” questions, such as, “Should I take you seriously?” Other thoughts: Is this really a big deal? What percent of my day/life/etc. is impacted by this? Does it matter against my other priorities or goals? Why the hell am I even thinking about this so much?

Once you have dealt with whether or not it’s important or not, then create a habit of talking this recurring issue over with someone (or multiple people) you trust. In other words, get wisdom from someone else and ask them to help redirect you if you continue to bring this issue into focus. There are so many other options here, like meditating, praying, journaling, etc. The bottom line is that you must figure out what you are thinking and get with a community that will help you overcome your thought patterns. The best ever is when you are able to replace the negative with the positive. That’s where we take ground and grow.

Let’s be ever mindful this week of the thoughts we have, and work together to shift out of self-focus, and use that energy to think about ways we can use this one life to serve others.

Top reads for 2019

This is such a tough post for me, because I truly love all books – and for totally different reasons. I think that’s likely true for all of us, that we gravitate toward what we individually need to hear at that particular time in this season of life.

All of that to say, I am going to attempt this anyway. After all, I hear from some of you that you’d love to see another post on top books – and I aim to serve! This one is long overdue, since my last book post was in… April. Oops! You can find other posts related to books I love in the archives under “book reviews.”

Here are my top 10 for the year, each with some excerpts that highlight why they made the list (The first three from my April post):

Notorious RBG, by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik – No matter your political interests, this is such a good read. This absolutely fun read about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is terrific in 100 different ways. I love all of it, but this quote in the beginning in particular: While reading her dissent in a voting rights case, she quotes Martin Luther King directly, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” she said, but then she added her own words: “If there is a steadfast commitment to see the task through to completion.” Now that is true and powerful.

The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker – So much amazing work in this book. I’d grab this one for sure if you like to read topics that appeal in multiple areas of your life. One simple idea here: “If you want a lively but inclusive conversation as a core part of your gathering, eight to twelve people is the number you should consider. Smaller than eight, the group can lack diversity in perspective; larger than twelve, it begins to be difficult to give everyone a chance to speak.”

Joyful, by Ingrid Fetell Lee – A really interesting and fun read that covers the full gamut of joy. One idea I appreciated: “I began to notice that while the topic of work-life balance comes up frequently in media, play is largely absent from the conversation… The most joyful people I know manage to hold space for play in their adult lives (think playing a sport, family game night, etc.).”

Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight – This was on everyone’s top list in 2016-17, but it took me a while to dive in. It did not disappoint, and could arguably be my number one book. It’s a classic tale of starting from the beginning, finding your path, and what is required (absolute commitment, focus and imagination) for top-level individuals and companies to achieve success. Phil is the founder of Nike and you can imagine the power of the story. The power of any great story is found when purpose is exposed. This line captures it well, “I walked out of the room, I thought of that phrase, ‘It’s just business,’, It’s never just business. It never will be. If it ever does become just business, that will mean that business is very bad.” Profound truth.

Women Rowing North, by Mary Pipher – The inside cover reads, “A guide to wisdom, authenticity, and bliss for women as they age…a timely examination of the cultural and developmental issues women face ...” There are so many valuable nuggets in here, but I highlighted this one: “One day I told her that I greatly admired how she handled her difficult situation with such good cheer. She looked at me and said, ‘Mary, I have no choice about the leukemia, but I can control how I deal with it. I might as well act right and have something to feel good about.'” That’s so true about almost everything in life. We get to decide. Another that spoke to me: “On further reflection, I realized that I often become my own worst enemy, constantly signing myself up for combat duty when I really want to stay home, pet my cat and read a book.” (Okay, not the cat part, but Jennie and Gretchen, that’s for you!)

Range, by David Epstein – This read takes on the idea of whether it is best to “specialize” in a field/hobby/etc., or if it’s better to have a “range” of interests/focuses/preparations. Notable authors such as Malcolm Gladwell and Daniel Pink praise Epstein’s work, and this is indeed a solid read on the topic our path to excellence in life. I loved this: “Instead, she told me, in a clever inversion of a hallowed axiom, ‘First act, then think,’ Ibarra marshaled social psychology to argue persuasively that we are each made up of numerous possibilities. As you put it, ‘We discover the possibilities by doing, by trying new activities, building new networks, finding new role models.’ We learn who we are in practice, not in theory.” So good. As we go into 2020 and a new decade, where do we need to develop new possibilities?

The Moment of Lift, by Melinda Gates – From the inside cover: “How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings?” And also: “I had to write this book- to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life.” Those “people,” those “stories,” are from countries and cultures across the world, whom we have the power to help “lift,” thereby using the gifts God has given us to help all of humanity. It is about helping others use their voice, and build lives and generations by challenging the status quo. Who is giving urgency to my/your life right now? Where and who do we need to pursue to ensure we use your gifts and achieve our purpose? Those questions are true for every single age. It’s a useful question for launching into the new decade.

The Innovator’s DNA, by Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen – This book hones in on 5 skills for innovators using stories from the great innovator’s of our time, Apple, Google, etc. It’s a true business read, chalked full of quality content, research and stories we can use. One such example, “Google holds an ‘Innovator’s Challenge’, four times each year. In this competition, employees submit ideas for management review. Winning ideas receive the resources necessary to maintain momentum. Innovation at Google is very democratic; it lets market forces determine which ideas move forward.” I am always challenged by these types of reads and look forward to any ideas I can grab and use. Perhaps you are as well.

Rhythms of Renewal, by Rebekah Lyons – One of my favorites, and the topic of a blog post from October. Why do I love it? I love the topic itself, I love the simplicity of every single chapter and I feel like this book alone makes me better. That is saying a lot. One thought that is powerful as you go into the new year: “When we rest long enough to take inventory, when we ask God to cultivate our hearts, talents and passions according to the purpose he planned before our days began, we’ll find new horizons opening up, horizons beyond all we could ask or imagine. It’s never too late to re-establish what you want your life to be about.” So good.

Stillness is the Key, by Ryan Holiday – This one ties with No. 9 above on the absolute best for me for 2019. I wrote about it twice this year (Oct. 22 & Oct. 28) and one thought I loved: “The answer is that while we may naturally possess stillness, accessing it is not easy. One must really listen to hear it speaking to us. And answering the call requires stamina and mastery.” To me, all of this is most worthy of my attention and incredibly critical at this point in our world. We need to be still and we need to think and listen well in order to serve well… be it at home, the workplace, the community, and yes, making key decisions in 2020 as it comes to new leadership for our country – and beyond. We need to urgently focus on removing distractions.

Praying for each of you to have an incredible finale to the decade and to have the focus to start strong on a new year this week ahead!

Slowing down enough to hit the ball

Wow, Ryan Holiday’s thought here is flat out on point.

It’s World Series time. As October closes, we are reminded that another year is ending. That means it’s go time! It’s our time – all of ours – to connect, to hit the ball, to move toward whatever we need to achieve to live our best life in this season.

I highlighted a small part of his new book “Stillness” last week and I could seriously blog the rest of this year on this one short read. ‘Stillness’ alone is a mesmerizing concept, as it sometimes seems unattainable. I have read and listened to stories of professional athletes being so mentally zoned in, so focused, that they are able to shut out the crowds and distractions. They practice and practice to get their minds so quiet that they can monomaniacally concentrate on their one goal: to hit the ball; to connect with their passion.

How do you slow down enough to connect? What actions do you take on a regular basis to clear the path you are on so you can walk or run safely with confidence toward your destination? Fall is a great time to take in nature, and being out in it is perhaps my favorite way to find space to breathe deeply and clear my mind. Exercising can sometimes to do that, as can walking aimlessly through Target or TJMaxx. (Not just me, right?) Working in the yard, and (sadly) even shoveling snow does it for me, too.

It would be fun if some of you shared your ideas. We can all benefit from ideas and strategies to connect with our goals in a better way. If we can do this, we can certainly serve better. After all, that is why we are all here… TO SERVE.

Getting to your BEST YES…

Ryan Holiday’s new book, ‘Stillness Is the Key,’ should jet to the top of most people’s list. I couldn’t soak it up fast enough. The first several chapters captured my attention fully. A small part of the Amazon review:

“In this book, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. Drawing on a wide range of history’s greatest thinkers, he argues that stillness is not mere inactivity, but the doorway to self mastery, discipline and focus.”

Holiday covers famous baseball players, philosophers and even Mr. Rogers as he weaves in and out of proof points that we will be far better off if we can get our minds to tune out, therefore really tuning in. It’s powerful.

The message I captured in the picture above is one of those I “dog-eared” and noted to come back to. Perhaps identifying a critical framework for getting closer to what seems to be a challenge for me personally: getting to stillness. There are so many hidden costs to more of anything. We have to ask ourselves if it really does matter to us… Do our closets or homes need more items to fill it? Do our schedules need another time blocked? We have to remember that whatever we give up is in exchange for something else (more quality time with someone or something you love perhaps?). It could be time, resources or energy you won’t ever get back.

This particular chapter closed with this, “Will I look back from the distant future and be glad I did it? If I never knew about it at all – if the request was lost in the mail, if they hadn’t been able to pin me down to ask me –would I even notice I missed out? When we know what to say no to, we can say yes to the things that matter.”

So much truth to this little book. (It is a very short read… I promise!) I’m hoping we can all grab something out of this today that is both practical, and stirs us up enough to make sure our yes is really the best one.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Rest precedes blessing

One of my friends posted the photo above on Facebook this week. It’s so peaceful to me that I just had to turn it into the blog photo for today.

I am reading Rebekah Lyon’s new book, Rhythms of Renewal, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect for this discussion. Several conversations with a variety of people in my life this week have revolved around the need for finding space, margin and really just flat out REST. I feel the reality is that we don’t allow ourselves to experience the capacity that God gave us to think, create, innovate and serve. We need to reconsider allowing ourselves to being scheduled out and consumed by the distractions around us. I’m always reminded that this is a choice, and if we don’t put some proverbial “muscle” around it, we will continue down a path that doesn’t quite give us the full energy we need to forge ahead in the most fulfilling way – nor really the way God intended us to live.

In her book, Lyon talked about the initial design of the human race, which clearly states that we were intended to rest: “On the seventh day (of the days of creation) He rested from all his work.” The part I hadn’t really noticed before was this: “Then God blessed the seventh day…” Aha! She noted, “Rest precedes blessing. We don’t have to run to earn rest, we run FUELED by a posture of rest.” Very cool. Anyone else need that?

Her story is one that showcases that she feels her life has been saved (she was having debilitating anxiety attacks) because she decided to pause and take a literal inventory… an inventory of evaluating her life and redefining priorities. Have you ever sensed your life was about more that it is today, but cannot quite get to the point of understanding what it is? Her inventory strategy was to sit down with someone she loved and capture all of the moments where she felt most alive, and then the moments where life wasn’t too much fun. That rather simple starting point offered her a course correction, if you will, and allowed her to move closer to what she felt called to do. In her words:

“Taking a break, resting from responsibility long enough to take inventory, was crucial to imagining God’s plan for my life.”

I kind of love that. How can we rest better? If we all make a commitment to doing this, we may just turn up the volume on truly realizing all we are intended to do in this one life of ours. My friends, have the most incredible week. I hear it’s going to be a beautiful and full of actual fall days and nights.