DAY 37: Morning Motivation- Books Change Our Lives

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."

-Mark Twain

A few weeks ago, I listened to one of Matthew Kelly’s speeches about becoming the best-version-of-yourself as I was driving in my car. I had listened to this speech before, but it was very refreshing to hear it again, as it had been a few years since I last listened to this CD. In his speech, Matthew talked about the importance of reading good books. He said:

“BOOKS CHANGE OUR LIVES.”

It is so true. Matthew went on to tell the audience that “we become the stories that we read”.

Hmm… let’s think about that for a moment. If we become the stories that we read or hear, then I would think we would put serious consideration into what we subject our minds to. Unfortunately for most people, this isn’t the case. Instead of subjecting ourselves to inspiring stories and positive materials, the morning newspaper and the evening news are shoving negativity down our throats! We hear too much about death and disease and terror and reasons to be afraid. What we don’t hear enough of are the success stories of businesses and individuals who are making a positive influence in the world. We don’t hear about the people who quietly live a life of purpose, helping others while helping themselves.

Since we are not subjected to positive stories on our own, we must seek them out. Try reading a motivational book. Maybe a biography on the life of someone you view as successful. Learn from their experiences. There are thousands of great books to put you in the proper frame of mind to achieve your goals.

I think it was Jim Rohn who wrote that each goal that you set is at the top of a very tall bookshelf. In order to reach the top of this bookshelf, you must stand on the books that you read because books build your foundation for success.

Running a marathon is not just about physical training. It requires much mental training. Just as your body needs nutritious foods to stay healthy, so too does your brain need positive input in the form of motivation, be it books or inspirational movies.

I have a challenge for you. I challenge you to keep the TV off for a day. I challenge you to fill the time that you would normally spend watching TV reading. If TV is a regular part of your life, then this may be difficult, but it would not be a challenge if it was not difficult. Just try it for one day. Maybe you’ll enjoy it.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- Lock-out 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Incline Bench- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Delt 21s- 3 sets

Abs