Michael Kamenya

40 Lessons From These Life Changing Books Explained In One Post. Reading has to be the most relevant skill anyone can hope and wish for. It seems so simple and easy to you that you probably don’t give much thought to it. Books are the best form of literature that has stood the test of time. They haven’t become extinct or obsolete due to the new age of internet. This internet age has made reading books so much easier and better. But the bad news is that a majority of people don’t take reading books as a priority or goal. “According to The Reading Agency, in 2013/14, 18% of adults in England had only bought a novel or a book of stories, poetry or plays once or twice in the last 12 months.” Having and reading a book should be part of your life. Because you are out of school doesn’t mean that the learning stops. Let’s take a look at some of these famous books and know the lessons from these life changing books. The first and favorite literacy work is: Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson. An amazing book that is eye-opening hence no excuse to not reading it. The story of Sniff and Scurry gives and tries to show you how you’re placing limitations on yourself. Also it’s a great fear bursting piece of literature. The lessons to keep in mind here are that; 1. Fear is all an illusion and what you fear is not as it appears. It is not as bad as you think. 2. If you do not change, you can become extinct. 3. When you move beyond your fear, you feel free. 4. Change is inevitable and can’t be avoided. So be ready for change and do not overanalyze things. 5. Overanalyzing makes life and things difficult than they ought to be. 6. Be like Sniff and Scurry and make things simple. Life can be simplified. 7. It’s never too late to start making the journey. 8. Don’t whine and cry and get stuck like Hew 9. Laugh at your own mistakes and fear and worries 10. Change brings opportunities. 11. Fear is a good motivator in that if you see yourself in same situation in future it will most likely prompt you to take action. 12. If you visualize and see yourself achieving what you set out to do you will get it? Mindset is important. 13. Trust your instincts or gut. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. To anyone who loves the art or is an artist or creator, this book is meant for you. If you are facing struggles with your piece of art and don’t see a solution? Read this book and what you’ll get is mind-blowing information. You will experience yourself in this book as it explains and shows from the struggles to the doubting of any artist with his or her art. From the writer to the painter, fear and self-doubt are your greatest foes. The book’s secrets are that; 14. Resistance is part of our life. 15. Resistance as a writer is meant to hold you back. 16. Defeating resistance is an everyday task. You can’t get rid of it because it will always be there with you. 17. Resistance is meant to keep you at your comfort zone and you will experience it only in situation that will move you forward and up. 18. Resistance has allies such as fear, procrastination, victimhood, self-doubt, rationalization. 19. For example wanting to write a book or article but you keep on procrastinating if you finish writing it you have fear of whether to publish it, self-doubt creeps in. 20. If you question yourself about being good at something, its highly likely you are, for example am I a good writer? Am I good designer? Am I a good artist? 21. Resistance is also a good indicator of where to move or go. 22. Feeling resistance about writing an article, do it, you are meant to write it. 23. If you do the actual work, the universe will help you out. 24. If you cave to resistance today it is most likely you will cave in tomorrow. 25. No excuses, no fear, don’t take failure or success personally, you should self-validate yourself, all are qualities of a professional. 26. Don’t be an amateur but seek to be a professional. 27. Everyone experiences resistance. 28. Once you get out into the action, your fear will recede and you’ll be okay. 29. Reject immediate gratification in favor of long term growth. The 4-Hour Workweek by Ferris Timothy. A popular book that centers on productivity while also telling you about your fears and crushing them. Your fears will seem meaningless and not worth paying attention to. What you’ll realize and be impacted with are new ideas that you can integrate in your life. Your fear is not your enemy but a worthy companion to listen to. Here are the awesome lessons to remember; 30. What you fear doing most is usually what you need to do. 31. That phone call, conversation, whatever the action might be its fear of unknown outcomes that prevent you from doing what you need to do. 32. Define worst case, accept it and do it anyway. 33. Success in life can be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations you are willing to have. 34. Do one thing every day that you fear. 35. Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace. 36. Only those who are asleep make no mistakes. 37. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling in the present moment and feeling truly alive. 38. If you do not make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake. 39. Mistakes are the name of the game in lifestyle design. 40. Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it. Conclusion Taking an actual book and reading it should be the real goal you have set. A summary like this gives you the terrific tips or ideas embedded in these books. What you should understand is the importance of great books such as these and how impactful they will be to your life. The lessons from these life changing books are not final but just a glimpse of the big picture. Have you already read some or all of these books? If so what were your biggest takeaways from them? What can you add or include as part of the lessons learned? Do share and tell, would love to hear from you in the comments section below. What’s your story? References The Reading Agency 2018 - Reading facts. Real Simple - 8 Science-Backed Reasons to Read a (Real) Book. Lifehack - 10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day