Read To Lead
As we move along life’s highways in the passenger seat, we always enjoy reading a new book. My selection of books is usually determined by walking up to my book shelves and seeing which books call my name. A video was just completed for Dr. Joe Vitale’s possible TV show on things that had already manifested in my life and were serendipitous in their arrival. In the beginning of the video, the following quote by Napoleon Hill was shared,
“Faith is the starting point of all things manifested! It is the only agency thru which the cosmic force of infinite intelligence can be harnessed and used by man.”
With Napolean Hill still on my mind when approaching the books on the shelves of the library, there before me was a small book entitled,”Read and Grow Rich,” by Burke Hedges. The book tells the tale of Burke who found himself in a blue collar job making boats in the Florida heat, unhappy, and dissatisfied with his life up to that point. His sister handed him a copy of Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Salesman in the World.” Burke tells how it changed his life.This book continues with stories of other people who had their lives changed after being influenced by the words of books.
Abraham Lincoln’s formal schooling added up to less than a year. Lincoln was fascinated by books. He read Aesop’s Fables so many times that he memorized the stories. As a teenager, he borrowed books from neighbors within 50 miles, including books about Benjamin Franklin, and Washington, and Pilgrim’s Progress.
Harry S Truman, 33rd President of the United States, became one of the greatest presidents in history. Few know that he never attended college and failed in two businesses. He was considered a fountain of knowledge and had rock solid values shaped by years of reading including the entire volume of Encyclopedia Britannica.
Matthew McConaughey, actor attended University of Texas with the intention of studying law. After reading the first two chapters of The Greatest Salesman in the World, he decided the next day to change his major and his schedule and the rest is history.
Rather than tell all the stories told in this little book. The list of books mentioned happen to be some of my favorites. Read the list to see if you have any favorites. Leave a comment to tell me of your favorites.
The book offers a list of classics, many of which are also a part of my favorites collection. The books listed include:
- Og Mandino’s The Choice and The Greatest Salesman in the World
- Napolean Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich“
- “Think Big“ by Ben Carlson
- “The Power of Positive Thinking“by Norman Vincent Peale,
- Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan
- Autobiography of Ben Franklin
- Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson (Self Reliance) & Henry David Thoreau ( Walden)
- Acre of Diamonds by Russell Conwell,
- As a Man Thinketh, James Allen
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightengale ( no longer in print)
- The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
- Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
- Man’s Seach for Meaning Dr Viktor Frankl
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr Stephen Covey,
- Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen,
- See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar,
- Various books by Robert Schuller
- The Magic of Believing by Claude Bristol
- The Richest Man in Babylon George S. Clason
The stories that were particularly enjoyed were of Oprah, Matthew McConaughy, Abe Lincoln, and many others who made a choice to read and grow through the wisdom found among the pages. A quote which rings true in our lives is that,“we change in two ways, by the people we meet and the books that we read”
W. Clement Stone formed a wonderful habit of helping others by giving inspirational self help books. My intent is to re-read and study this inspirational grouping and generous list of books. It is a continuous quest to clarify for ourselves more and more of life’s mysteries by aligning with authors who had the courage to tell us their stories. Books provide such increased joy to our lives as we share the paths we have each chosen. Fall has arrived and there is not much that can beat curling up under a blanket with a spot of tea for a good read. Happy reading!
” When a sentence resonates within, it is the voice of your authentic self.” Sarah Ban Breathnach
Marian LaSalle and Joan Maresh Hansen, Swirl Girls, 2009
Recommended Readings:
- “Read and Grow Rich,” by Burke Hedges.This little jewel gives you a reading list that will have you grow rich in wisdom alongwith other abundance.
- “The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino’s. A quick read with great life lessons.
- Think and Grow Rich, Napolean Hill, This book written in the 1920′s is still a guidebook for anyone wanting to follow in the footsteps of the rich and famous.
