Life Strategies by Phil McGraw

Here are some of my takeaways from Life Strategies by Dr. Phil McGraw.

1) For your problems to matter to anyone else, they have to matter to you!

2) Being careless in life management is like playing with snakes.

3) You must use your knowledge to control what can be influenced.

4) In order to go in the right direction, stop going in the wrong direction.

5) You create your own experience, so take responsibility for your life.

6) My life is a result of choices I've made.

7) Some people see a problem with every solution.

8) Be willing to try new things, but use wisdom.

9) Focus on your goal to avoid settling for negative dividends.

10) You cannot change and stay comfortable.

11) Results show the level of our commitment.

12) Do not use past events to excuse present behavior.

13) Self-care gives us the resources to care for others.

14) Treat each area of life as a potentially profitable project.

15) Forgiveness frees us to forge our own path.

16) Know what you want and aim for it!

17) You must determine a baseline of self-knowledge in order to know where to go next.

18) Be certain of what you can and can't control.

19) Champions don't need the limelight.

The 5-Second Rule

A few takeaways from The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins.

1) Self-pity and blame are always easier than putting in the work to improve.

2) Achieving goals start When you get on yourself.

3) The moment of hesitation is the moment to act!

4) Break the habit of hesitation through action!

5) Courage is the "special sauce" for life change.

6) Our default is to think about what could go wrong instead of possibilities.

7) Success starts when we do what we don't feel like doing.

8) Focus involves managing distractions and understanding where you want to be.

9) Wake up when the alarm goes off.

10) Starting a project cues your brain so you complete it.

11) Fear robs us of the beauty in life.

12) The road to confidence is paved with opportunities to demonstrate courage.

13) You either move past your fear, or you let it control you.

If your looking for a book to push you towards success, I recommend this one.

Takeaways from How To Win Friends & Influence People

Dale Carnegie's classic How To Win & Influence People was a book I used to roll my eyes about. I was wrong, as it was full of gems.

1) Enthusiasm for a goal is an AMAZING motivator.

2) Showing interest in others results in a mutually beneficial outcome.

3) Allowing others to express their interests opens a door into their lives.

4) Start any difficult conversation with an affirmation of your relationship.

5) Be gracious when it comes to taking credit for ideas.

6) Frame something needed done as a suggestion.

7) Believing in others can be the first step to belief in themselves.

I can definitely see myself reading this every year, as well as distributing this to others.

Over The Top by Zig Ziglar

Here are a few personal takeaways I had gleaned from reading Over The Top by Zig Ziglar.

1) Hope is the result of planning your future, and is driven along by encouragement.

2) The building blocks of success are skills, attitude, and character.

3) You influence tomorrow by what you do today.

4) If you want your life to change, then change the plan for your life.

5) Achieving a goal comes from committing to it, and building the discipline to work at it.

6) The best leaders learn by following.

7) Your world is a reflection of your mindset.

8) A small step in the right direction is still progress.

9) Setbacks are an opportunity to get creative in achieving a goal.

10) More people are fired over personality conflicts than over incompetence.

11) The best dividends are from investing in yourself.

12) Money is not inherently evil. Prioritizing it over God and others leads to all kinds of trouble.

13) Sometimes, receiving the best means bypassing the good.

14) Every goal starts with knowing where you are.

15) Be selective with you share your goals with.

16) Those who live lives of giving appreciation are usually have an amazing quality of life.

17) A life of freedom results from a life of discipline.

18) You cannot really succeed on your own.

If you're new to personal development, the classic by the master motivator, Zig Ziglar, is a great starting point!

Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney

This book has given me several insights on making my walk with Christ a more fruitful one. (Note: I didn't start journaling my thoughts until about 3 weeks ago, so many of the disciplines from earlier in the book are not mentioned)

1) See the time I've been given as a resource God wants a good return on. Often we hear about being a good manager of the money God has given us. Why don't we view time in a similar fashion?

2) My generosity with money is a key indicator of the extent to which the gospel is impacting my life.

3) Fasting must be spiritually motivated. It's not just abstaining from food. It's about using our normal meal times to focus on God.

4) Silence & solitude are needed to shut out all distractions to focus on God. It is a time of expectation to hear from God.

5) Journaling is a way to understand who we really are, as well as a written record of how God has worked in my life.

6) A learning Christian is a growing Christian. In an age where intellectualism is looked down on the church, continual learning is a vital discipline to work on.

7) Apart from the Holy Spirit working in my life, the disciplines are no different than the empty deeds of the religious leaders of the first century.

My pastor recommended this book over a year ago. I pass on his recommendation to you to grow.

The Martian by Andy Weir

When a novel opens with a line like, "I'm pretty much fucked," it's difficult to put it down. In this volume, we see how fitting that first line is. This book deals with how a man deals with being stranded on Mars, with only the supplies he has on hand, his intellect, and his wit to survive.
The story alternates between Mark Watney, a man believed to be dead, the people at NASA, who discover he's alive and are trying to figure out how to get him unstranded, and the crew who left him on Mars, who figured he was killed in a Martian sandstorm.
With a mix of technology, drama, and humor, I was enthralled in this tale.

Night & Day by Robert B Parker

This was my first excursion into the work of novelist Robert B. Parker. I was familiar with him due to the "Spenser: For Hire" television program and the series of "Jesse Stone" TV movies, but this was the first time I had read one of his books.
I can say with honesty that this was an excellent story. The primary theme is one dealing with what is, or is not, sexually deviant. This book deals with issues such as "swinging," and how it impacts, not only the couples involved, but their children. It deals with voyeurism, and how far an individual may go. It also deals with how a person with multiple sexual partners can relate to each of them.
This is definitely a book for adults, and one I can openly recommend.