The Books You Read and The Company You Keep

“You are the same today that you are going to be five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.”  – Charles “Tremedous” Jones

The quote above? You might want to write that one down. What’s more you might want to drill it into the heads of your children.   When I first read it, I nearly threw my wrist out of whack – that’s how fast I dove for my pen.
Think of you five years from now.  Think of you in just one year.  If you want  this person to be even stronger, wiser, and more successful than they are today, you’ll want to strongly consider the company you keep and the books you read.  They each have the potential to SHOVE you back, HOLD you in place, or PUSH you ahead.  You know me, I’m the queen of all book worms – so, it’ll come as no surprise to you to know that I want to talk primarily about the books we read.  Why?  Well, read the quote again.

The books you read directly affect the growth that will (or will not) take place between the you TODAY and you TOMORROW.

This truth is the reason I do so many book reviews on the self help blog.  A great book has the power to change your life.  It has the power to take you by the hand and cause you to demand more from yourself as well as life.

As much as I love books, however, I don’t even review books I don’t like – let alone recommend them.  I once had a publisher who would send me books to review on this blog. She’d mail them to me almost weekly.  Then, she noticed that I was only recommending about 1 out of every 10.  She asked what it’d take to make me recommend 10 out of 10.  I told her, “Better books.”

Never heard from her again.

Good books are more than just entertainment, they’re an education. You can think of them as a course in Self Growth and Development: A Better Life for Me 101!

This week, vow to start reading more great books. Great books, of course, include great magazines, like SUCCESS Magazine. It’s an outstanding magazine and each and every issue is off the charts.  SUCCESS Magazine, while the best business-minded magazine on the market, has more on its mind than just business.  The editor, the magazine, and every contributor knows that true success is measured throughout one’s life, not just at the office.

It’s one of the few non-cooking magazines where I save every issue.  If you aren’t familiar with SUCCESS Magazine, grab this month’s issue (Harry Connick, Jr. is on the cover) and prepare to be blown away.

What you read touches tomorrow and the day after and the day after and…. Choose with care.