#Books

Running Down A Dream: Your Road Map To Winning Creative Battles
By: Tim Grahl
Black Irish Entertainment LLC (July 11, 2018)
198 pages

In Running Down A Dream, Grahl tells the story of how he pursued the goal that most creatives want – simply having control over their own time. As we quickly learn though, chasing any big creative dream is never a smooth ride. And Grahl just lays it all out there. He goes through financial stress, marital stress, and has to overcome the resistance of the work itself. Finally, he nearly has a breakdown. But on the other side, he finds himself and learns the truth about the process of cultivating a calling, instead of envying a destination.

Two of my favorite quotes:

“Focusing on helping just one person helped me break through my fear of putting work out into the world. I realized if I was waiting until I created something that would help everyone, I would never be able to do it. Instead, I just wanted to help one person.”

“I’VE COME TO BELIEVE TWO SIMPLE PRINCIPLES ABOUT ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN CREATIVE PURSUITS. 1. Every single problem is fixable. There is nothing unique about your brokenness. No matter how or why you are broken, there is a way to overcome it. 2. Success is inevitable if you keep moving. The only thing that matters is that you keep going. The only way to truly fail at a marathon is to stop taking the next step. Sometimes you’re running, sometimes you’re walking, and sometimes you’re crawling. It doesn’t matter. If you’re moving forward, you will succeed.”

Buy this book.

The Noticer Returns
By: Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson; 1st. edition (October 8, 2013)
240 pages

The Noticer Returns is, of course, part two to Andrews’s earlier book The Noticer. Jones is back! And he is again dispensing his wisdom as usual to anyone who willing to step up and take his advice. Truth be told though, his advice is not always the easiest to take, or the most comfortable to follow. But anyone willing to change their perspective a little bit has the opportunity to change their life. Maybe you too?

Two of my favorite quotes:

“Really,” Jones responded. ‘Seriously stuck’ provides a clearly defined opportunity. When one is seriously stuck, there is an obvious choice that must be made. You can do one of two things. You can quit, or you can break through to a new level of awareness and achievement. There ya go. Take your pick.” He smiled contentedly and closed his eyes.

“Do you want to be average? Do you want an average life span or an average lifestyle? Do you want an average marriage? Do you want to raise average children? Do you want an average spiritual life? Do you want average financial results? Do you want an average amount of influence for good in your community? “No! Of course not! If you could wave a magic wand over your life, you’d create results in every part of your life that are wildly beyond the average. You would create results—you would create a life—that was extraordinary in every way. “Therefore, in order to produce results that are wildly outside the average—to produce results that are extraordinary—you cannot afford to think like average people think. You cannot act like average people act. You cannot be what average people are . . . which is normal.”

Buy this book.