I was rushing from one meeting into another, feeling a little crazed, when I was reminded of a book I’m reading. I decided if the thought was good enough to get me to slow down for 5 minutes.. I needed to stop and take a few minutes to share it with you.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who can feel a little off balance at times. I try to make working out and yoga a regular part of my week. I also eat foods that keep me feeling energized. All of those things are great for helping me keep my balance. Still, there are moments in life that can be overwhelming. That is why I find time every morning to read. It is my time to regroup.
I am usually inspired by books that grow me spiritually. It is in the growth of my relationship to God that most often leads me to success in business and in community. For me, reading gives me a chance to quiet my mind. It opens up my mind. It sets me on a new direction. It steers my decisions.
Even on vacation, I find time to read. It is a practice I am instilling in my girls.
This time I’m reading a business book and I am surprised to be just as inspired. It is called ‘Give and Take: Why helping others drives our success’ , by Adam Grant.
The premise is that real success takes more than passion, hard work, talent and luck. It is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. Using his own research as Wharton’s youngest tenured professor, Grant highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common.
I was originally drawn to this book because of the title. I guess you could say it was a label buy! But it comes highly recommended as one of the best books of 2013 by the Wall Street Journal. It was also named one of Oprah’s riveting reads, Fortune’s must-read business books, and the Washington Post’s books every leader should read.
One of the many reasons I have chosen to do what I do in business is because I get to help others on a daily basis succeed in life with their health and finances. Sure, that also helps me. Obviously, the more people I help become healthy and well, the more they buy Shaklee products or my recipe books or hire me to speak to their organization. However, honestly, the success for me is so much deeper. When I can actually see someone transform into the person they always wanted to be or the person they were created to be, it makes me a better and stronger person. I truly believe we were all created for a purpose, but sometimes life knocks us off that path or maybe even people that surround us knock us off that path.
Becoming healthy physically, mentally and financially is one of the most important things we can do so that we can thrive and not just survive. Its a journey I believe in because I’ve lived it. I struggled for years to feel good enough. I fought health issues. I searched for real meaning. I know firsthand that we need to thrive and truly feel our best so that we can make that impact we were meant to make. WE can become a person of purpose and leave a legacy to our children and this planet.
There were two quotes in this book that I LOVE and I truly try to live by: The first one is from Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor.
What a different world we would live in if everyone believed in that idea! I think of myself as a giver. I LOVE more than anything to gift gifts to the ones around me. Gifts of service, love and even tangible gifts. However, when I learned that the way to truly be an authentic gift giver is to give without ever expecting anything in return my life got richer and more blessed on so many levels. If you truly give from your heart, free of expectations, you will never get sidelined by feelings of resentment, anger or disappointment. It is a blessing given and a blessing returned just by that one small act. Grudges hold no place in a productive life. Sometimes it us we who have to learn from the giving.
The other quote from the book which has helped give my life real balance is from a German writer named Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe.
I believe you are only as successful in business as the people that you surround yourself with and the way you treat people. By treating others in a way that recognizes their full potential you allow for them to see themselves in a new light. Often, people don’t believe in themselves. They just need someone else to believe in them to help them get to the next level of success. I can think of those people throughout my life who’s sheer belief in me carried me over an obstacle or helped me through a time of doubt. Think about how a teachers belief in a child can change that students life. We can do that for each other on so many levels.
That belief. That simple recognition of potential often creates a change, a shift in them that allows for a success they may not have otherwise experienced. You’ve heard the ‘kill them with kindness’ philosophy. Even when you are kind and loving to a grumpy person or someone that is not that nice.. most of the time, that kindness will shift something in their heart.
So if you are feeling a little out of balance, my friends, read something that will inspire or enlighten you. Find a quiet spot. Relax. Let the shift begin in your own heart today.
If you have been inspired by this blog or feel the same, contact me about partnering on my team. I am always looking for ‘like minded’ positive people that are wanting to add purpose to their life. You can find me at [email protected]
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