If you’re retired, you can skip today’s message. For the rest of us, read on. It’s Monday. Love it or leave it, today is the start of a new work week. It’s easy to feel “too busy” for the things we love, especially reading. When the boss is knocking with deadlines and customer complaints, theContinue reading Before a Busy Week Starts
We do a lot of things on autopilot from driving cars to eating dinner, scrolling social media, and surviving those weekly team meetings at work. Life is pretty much on coast for a lot of us, and that’s why when we pick up a book, it can be hard to focus. Out of habit, weContinue reading The Decision to Pay Attention
I’ve survived another long vacation and I’m mentally discombobulated. Yep, I’m using that word today. We went to New Orleans for a jazz crawl. I’m not sure if that’s what you call it, but “bar crawl” is a thing, so why not have a jazz crawl? You may not know this about me, but inContinue reading Restoring My Morning Reading Ritual
Looking at my bookshelves, I often feel a mix of excitement and overwhelm. Choosing the next book to read isn’t always easy, and I’ve learned that being in the right mental space is crucial for enjoying a book. If my mind isn’t ready, I might end up disliking a book that could otherwise be aContinue reading 3 Ideas for Managing Your TBR List
We often approach reading books like we do riding elevators: we step in, see someone else, avoid eye contact, and wait for it to be over. If there’s conversation, it seldom goes beyond a polite, “How are you?” Now, imagine stepping in and having a real conversation. Who is that other person? What makes themContinue reading Stop Reading on Elevators
I’ve gone back to school to get a degree in philosophy, and I’m shocked at how my brain is playing games with me. I have to constantly have to remind myself that I’m doing this for the knowledge – not the grade. For some reason, if I focus on getting an A, I approach theContinue reading Don’t Read This Way
I’ve been thinking a lot about my role as a reader. When I spend time with a book, it’s clear that what I get out of it mirrors what I put into it. The more effort I put into my notes, the more the book reveals its secrets. Then I thought, what are the mostContinue reading 3 Questions to Ask When Reading
I have a short but necessary message for readers today: Every book has a speed limit. Some books can be read at 70 MPH while others start to rumble and shake if you go faster than 10 MPH. To read Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is very different than to read Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River. So, whenContinue reading This Book Has a Speed Limit
I hate to admit it, but some days the motivation to read isn’t there. Now, should I read, even if I’d rather take a nap or watch a movie? Let’s discuss. For me, reading takes effort. It’s not a casual, lounge around the house activity (unless I’m reading my beloved fiction at night). Usually, I’mContinue reading Find Your Motivation to Read
This morning, I sat down at my desk and was immediately faced with a slew of meetings. With no time to read, I felt a familiar frustration—a common occurrence for a business owner. But I recalled the wisdom of William Shakespeare: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” These wordsContinue reading If Your Day is Too Busy to Read