Books for Our Brains

In last week’s blog, I talked about an accident that knocked me out cold for about 20 or so minutes and gave me a concussion. That incident was a real wake-up call. The accident could have been much worse. Concussions cause extreme dizziness and really mess with your brain. I am forgetting so many things now.

Yesterday, I was talking to my son and asked him the status of one of our big commercial properties. He said, “Dad, I already answered that same question a couple times, don’t you remember?” I had to admit that I didn’t!

The good news about most concussions is that, over time, the body and brain heal and the person gets back to normal. But that wake-up call strongly reminded me of just how vulnerable we all are and, yes, NOBODY gets out of this world alive. I think most of us can think back to when we were kids. We rarely thought about death and kind of felt like it would never happen to us. But death does cross our minds a lot more often the older we get.

In the last few days, I got another wake-up call. I am in the process of updating and editing my book, How to Ignite Your Passion for Living. In doing that, I’ve been amazed at my own words written years ago and I’m relearning a few things that I’d forgotten. My own book is really a big motivator for me, all these years later.

I’ll never forget the great advice given to me by my mentor, Paul J. Meyer. He said that rather than reading lots and lots of self-help and motivation books, we should find the best ones and read them over and over. It’s amazing how much we forget and that’s why we should re-read those great books, the ones that helped us in various parts of our lives. His advice has been such a great help to me in so many ways. By the way, Paul J. Meyer, considered a pioneer of the self-improvement industry, passed away back in 2009 but still, to date, has sold more than any other author in his field.

Let me end by suggesting that you make a list of the best books you’ve ever read and add to that list books that your friends, family, or others highly recommended. Then set you mind on reading them again and see if that is not motivational and of great help.