The Books in My Life ~ Clutterfree with Kids

"Change your thinking - Discover new habits - Free your home"

Granted I don't have small kids any more but I'm a huge fan of Joshua Becker - the founder and editor of  Becoming Minimalist.  I see several posts in my future about this book.  Loads of good advice.

Clutterfree for Kids...for now I'll add this excerpt.  (P. 46 of my version.)  It discusses the importance of Significance over Success.  I hadn't thought of this until reading tonight.  I get it and quite frankly it does matter to me.

Significance

"Significance carries on.  Significance keeps on giving.  You positively change the life of another human being...that person changes the life of another...who impacts the life of another...who influences another..."

Focus

"Focus on people, not dollars.  Begin to transfer your life's focus from your banking account to the people around you."

Strive

"Strive to live a life worth copying.  Live with character, integrity, and morality.  Your life should look the same in private as it does in public."

I promise to add more in future posts.  Until then...I'll be pondering these thoughts.

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

The Books in My Life ~ Voices of the American Revolution in the Carolinas

I read this book a little at a time.  There are short firsthand accounts from actual participants to help us experience what life was like during those eventful years.  I love how it's written in the vernacular of that time period.  I find this book fascinating.

Here's an excerpt (p. 200 of my version) from the chapter entitled "The Race to the Dan" - from Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States by General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee.

"General Greene having withdrawn his troops from Beatie's Ford, on his Lordship's passage below, Lieutenant Colonel Webster and his division crossed the Catawba without opposition and in the course of the day joined the British general.  Cornwallis had now gained one of the great roads leading to Salisbury and the pursuit our light troops was renewed with activity."

The book goes in chronological order and each account is interesting to me.  If you're looking for some history, these firsthand accounts will take you back in time and place you in the middle of it all.

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

The Books in My Life ~ The Simple Truths of Service

What a helpful book!  I've always believed in great Customer Service.  I certainly look for it when I'm shopping and do my best to offer it to my clients.

"The Simple Truths of Service" is full of great Customer Service examples.

Probably the most touching example is the story of "Johnny the Bagger".  You can find an excerpt of the book and Johnny's story on YouTube.  Here's the link I liked best.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8-xtih-jaM

The stories are good and so are the quotes.  The sections are short so it's definitely my kind of book.

Two quotes that hit me were..."The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas."  Linus Pauling and "We do not remember days.  We remember moments in our lives."  Unknown

I'll leave you with this - it doesn't matter what we do - our careers, where we volunteer, the people we meet throughout our day - we're giving Customer Service.

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

The Books in My Life ~ Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Christians commonly remember Brother Lawrence for the intimacy he expressed concerning his relationship to God as recorded in a book compiled after his death, the classic Christian text, The Practice of the Presence of God.   My version and the one I read as a teenager is "Practicing the Presence of God".

This book changed my life when I was a teenager.  I realized I could converse with God 24/7.  I didn't have to be at a specific place or wait until a specific time.  I've been conversing ever since.

The book is a collection of conversations, letters and writings of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (c. 1614 – 12 February 1691).  Brother Lawrence served as a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in Paris.

An excerpt - p. 41 of my version.  "As for how things are with me now, I can't explain it sufficiently.  I have no suffering or worries about my spiritual state because I have no will of my own.  I only have the will of God.  I try to accomplish his will at all times and in all things."

For a book originally published in 1691 and 1694 it resonates today with me.  Join me in "Practicing the Presence of God" throughout your daily life.

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

The Books in My Life ~ Dale Carnegie's Lifetime Plan for Success

I love books!  I mean you could lock me away in a library and I'd be a happy person!  Here are a few I've read often mixed in with some I'll read next.

Tonight I chose to read some of "Dale Carnegie's Lifetime Plan for Success".  I can create a lot of posts from this book.  Thank you to one of my daughters for giving me this book one Christmas.  It's a really good book!

I'll give you something from Chapter 1 to think about.  I know I'm thinking about it.

Chapter 1 - "If You Want to Gather Honey, Don't Kick Over the Beehive".  Principle 1 - Don't criticize, condemn or complain.

The entire chapter is good - here's an excerpt..."Instead of condemning people, let's try to understand them.  Let's try to figure out why they do what they do.  That's a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness."

"To know all is to forgive all."

I need these words in my life right now.  The word "tolerance" hits my heart.  I need to be more tolerant.  The definition of "tolerance" is "the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with."  Yes, I need these words right now.

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia