The human race is a remarkable adaptive machine. The physical and emotional stresses placed on us by our environment are physically programmed into us so that we can adjust to those challenges. Regarding learning, books are like the knowledge-based elixir of the gods. Learning is taking conscious control of this process, and books are the elixir of knowledge. The following are some excellent novels that will cause a sea change in how you view the world. Read them, and think about how you could benefit from having them in your life.
Mindset: The New Psychology by Carol Dweck
Dweck’s work is fundamental in every way. It shows the most important thing you can learn: that your ability and intelligence are NOT fixed traits. They can grow and change at any age and in any way. People used to think that their genes determined their lives, but Dweck uses scientific studies to show that this is untrue. The state of your mind is much more important than whether or not you won the genetic draw.
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl, a therapist, wrote a book called Man’s Search for Meaning about his time in the Nazi death camps. This book is exciting and scary, showing that you can get through anything if you have a purpose in life. And if you don’t have it, no matter how good your life is, you’ll never feel the deep satisfaction we all want. Frankl was the one who spread the idea that there is a space between a stimulus and a reaction where we can choose how to act. We are people and have power because we can make choices.
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
The main idea of Willink and Babin’s book is that you should take responsibility for your mistakes. You only have yourself to blame. This is true in every part of your life, even places where most people would never think to look inside themselves for answers. By placing yourself in this position, you gain tremendous power and concentration, and the insights Willink learned from his experiences in Iraq compel you to shift your focus toward all the elements within your control. The first step in changing is to look at yourself, and this book is essential for helping you start that process.
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin
Entrepreneurs get a lot of attention and are treated like rock stars, but this road is only for some. A rock star is often just one massive and essential group member. When it works well, this team comprises “linchpins”—beneficial team members who are just as driven and skilled as any entrepreneur. Godin shows in this fantastic book how to become an essential linchpin or someone who controls their fate by getting so good that they can’t be ignored. This book is for anyone who wants to use all their skills to their full potential.
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action by Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek asks, “Why are some people and organizations more innovative, influential, and profitable than others?” This question is answered in his book, Start With Why. People are hard-wired to look for meaning and purpose, and your ability to get through hard times will be closely linked to that purpose. It has to do with your “why.” Your business’s goal is the harbor in the middle of a storm. When things get hard, you have to remember why you started in the first place.
