Five books for mid-year introspection
At the beginning of the year, everyone has a new year resolution which more often than not they do not keep. You know that smoking is bad for your health, then you give it up in January then by Easter you are back smoking. When people tell you, you shouldn’t be smoking, you will say […]
At the beginning of the year, everyone has a new year resolution which more often than not they do not keep. You know that smoking is bad for your health, then you give it up in January then by Easter you are back smoking. When people tell you, you shouldn’t be smoking, you will say I have challenges, too many troubles. There is not a single person without a problem in the world, how we manage it is what matters. Think deep, introspect, what did you give up in January that you have returned to, with a little more effort I’m sure you can do without it. Let us look at a few things that do us no good, that do not promote peace and do not enhance humanity;
Lying- When you lie, you reduce your own self esteem. You destroy another life or lives.
Bearing false witness- How can you live with yourself when you know Mr. A didn’t do what you said he did.
Abandoning your parents, abandoning your children, adultery, not caring for your family, being quarrelsome, laziness, starting a war for any reason whatsoever, robbery, stealing.
Not keeping your promises- one of which is promising that you would go back to school to prove yourself. Five years, three months later, you still haven’t gone. Is it the money? Find a way, God will always create a way where there is none.
So in this collection, I want to provide you books that will set you thinking, books that will make you feel a sense of purpose. Books that will make you look back and set you aright for going forward. Here are five books for introspection.
1) Finding peace in life storms by Charles Spurgeon – This is a book I go to again and again for turning painful memories into blessings, for weathering different personal storms and for building a solid foundation of faith and trust. While it is a faith based book, any person of any faith can derive strength and inspiration from this book.
2) A single swallow by Horatio Claire – This is travel writing at its best. The author traces the migration of swallows from South Africa to South Wales. How do birds migrate? How do they keep warm in the cold? How do they save for the rainy day? What is their hibernation pattern? How do they sorrow? When are they happy? What is their life cycle?. A quick look at the interesting life of birds leads us to deep introspection and reminds us how to live our lives better. A quote from the literary review says it all “Fizzingly entertaining, his prose has something of the swallows flight: daring, sharp edged, fast moving, graceful, full of surprises.”
3) The art of war by Gary Gagliardi – This book is about the strategic philosophy of the Chinese philosopher Sun Tszu ,of winning without conflict. In your office, do you have to bury other people alive to be noticed? Do you have a good relationship with others? Must you win all the time?. A beautiful book to set you thinking.
4) A curious earth by Gerard Woodward – This novel, a finalist for the man booker prize makes a fantastic mid-year book. It is a heartbreaking novel about growing old disgracefully and about love.
5) Women of Courage by Katherine Martin – This is a collection of life stories which will blow you away. A book for all seasons which has been played on this page many times. Inspiring stories from the women who lived them.
“Women of courage is a book about spiritual and metaphysical principals made real through bold actions. These extraordinary stories help us all to understand the magnificent… and the wonder of who we really are. Women of courage shouts yes to life and invites you to do the same” – Neale Donald Walsch, author of conversations with God.
“The women in this book push against the grain, defy complacency and reach for their dreams. That alone is remarkable: but more remarkable is that they do it for the good of others. In that, they inspire us to speak and live from our hearts.” – Sharon Stone, actress.
Bonus book
The two American presidential frontrunners need to be studied at this time. Any book on them will make interesting reading; their lives, their shortcomings, their strategies, and their thoughts.
Trump Never Give Up: How I turned my biggest challenges into success, by Donald Trump.
It Takes a Village by Hilary Clinton
Any biographical book- Biographies tend to give you a mirror of another person’s life, how they fell, how they stood up, and how they surmounted their problems. Go out there, get a biography or an autobiography of some of the greatest men and women that lived and some of the greatest men and women that have died. There are many lessons to be learned from them, grab those lessons with both hands.
Any faith based book.