In today's Minute with Maxwell Podcast, John Maxwell spoke about intentionally growing daily and the importance of reading. John was encouraged by his father to read books as a teenager. In fact, his dad paid him an allowance to read books that helped him learn and grow.
For me, reading has been such a big part of my life, while encouraging it with the people I worked with throughout the years. I guess I was similar in John’s dad’s thinking, as I would allow people to do book studies/read for their growth on company time. I truly believe that when we develop ourselves, we automatically grow those around us and become better leaders, while keeping in mind that a leader does not mean you are a manager or have a leadership title. Everyone can be a leader.
I know many people who haven’t picked up a book since they left their formal education. I recently read an article that stated people who read (yes, even fictional reading), have been shown to have more empathy, a larger vocabulary, improved memory health, are more emotionally stable, foster more harmonious relationships -- and the list goes on. Yet…many people still choose to scroll on their phones or watch random TV shows, rather than pick up a book to better themselves.
When choosing what to read, I have a few different topics that I read about that help me be strong in areas that are important to me: leadership, faith, personal growth, consistency, and helping others are just a few.
For those that aren’t big readers, I would strongly recommend you start by joining a Transformation Table that brings people together to read over a short topic based on a value or action and then discuss it. Ironically, I find those who don’t read a lot often struggle to have discussions deeper than surface level chats. Transformation Tables are a fantastic way to start by reading small amounts and having easy and comfortable discussions. JOIN ONE TODAY (THEY ARE FREE)! You would be surprised at the impact it will have on you in such a short time.
If you are looking for a good book to start with, I have many recommendations -- shoot me an email or inquire below and I will mail you one for FREE! (See my mission)
What are you reading now? I would love to know! Always looking for a suggestion!
If you would like a copy of any of the devotionals or books I reference, please send me an email (button below) and I would be happy to send you one. Please reference the title of the post/devotional to ensure I send you the correct devotional/author. See my mission in the "About Me" link.
