“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book”
J.K. Rowling
In the modern world of instant communication the power a good book can have on our mood is very underestimated. For many reasons the joy of sitting down in a peaceful state with a good mug of coffee and a great book can have such powerful effects on people.
While building your knowledge and helping with your focus, it also has massive effects on helping you to get to a state of calm while also lowering your heart rate. Losing yourself in a good book can give you an escapism from what sometimes can be a complicated life. It can allow you to empathise with other people, with other cultures. Reading fills our heads with knowledge and no matter how the future looks at times, the knowledge we have learnt from a good book will always stick with us.
No matter your age it is never too late to start reading. Personally I started reading in my mid to late twenties. It is now part of my daily routine. I hope you enjoy my recommendations. I have given a broad range of books for everyone.
1. The Obstacle is The Way – Ryan Holiday
Dealing with modern life stresses through the guise of the ancient Stoics. How we can use Stoic philosophy today. Identifying that your stresses are not unique to you or not simply to modern life. Perceptions have always been part of life. How we view them and how we deal with them is the key. Taking action to control the things you can and clearing the fog that can sometimes cloud our thoughts. You learn from your challenges. Don’t fear them, embrace them and move forward.
2. Start with Why – Simon Sinek
Often we set goals that have a defined end point. ‘Couch to 5k’, ‘I want to lose 20lb’, ‘I want to make a certain team’ – All are great goals but all have an end point. When you have identified your ‘Why’ it allows you to set a process in place to have every day improvements. The goals change to ‘I want to improve my fitness level so I am independent into my retirement’, ‘I want to improve my health so I am going to make healthy choices on a daily basis’, ‘I am going to improve every day and make myself as good as I can’. By starting with ‘Why’ you don’t give yourself an end point. You begin a process of continuous improvement. You create lifelong habits.
3. Eat Up, Raise Your Game – Daniel Davey
Food is our fuel. It gives us the energy we need to perform to our best. Our food intake has such an important role to play in our physical and mental health. The book provides simple, nutritious recipes and guidelines to make beautiful meals. The simplicity is the key. At times we look at healthy food as being difficult to prepare. Daniel takes the fear out of cooking by providing step by step guidelines which in turn will help you perform to your best on a daily basis.
4. The Coach – Managing for Success – Ric Charlesworth
Ric Charlesworth is the former Olympic winning Hockeyroos (Austrailian Ladies Hockey) coach. A champion hockey player in his own playing days, Ric became a doctor and then went on to spend ten years in the Australian Parliament before being approached to become the next Australian Coach. A diverse background which he used throughout his coaching career to get the best out of his teams. Constantly looking for different stimuluses to push himself and his players. A truly fascinating person that with an amazing back story. There are lessons in this book for everyone.