My 2016 Reading List

My 2016 reading list had A LOT to do with were I ended up thus far as 2016 comes to a close and opened the possibilities for a very focused 2017!

I’m a reader, a bookworm, a lover of books…

I LOVE to read words that inspire, relate to a state that I’m in, have been in or want to change, words that when strung together evoke feeling, understanding and insight. (sometimes all at once!!)

I’m a non-fiction reader typically. The only fiction that really interests me is historical. These take actual historic events/facts and weaves a story with it for the purpose of giving context behind an important lesson.

My all time favorite non-fictional book is the Bible!! I’m in it everyday learning something new from words that are thousands of years old!

So you may be a bit curious to what my 2016 reading list actually looks like, well here it is in the order in which I read them with a brief “reason/recap” under each.

Just a click on the book cover will link you right to Amazon for more info:

This came on my radar when I wasn’t sure what I wanted or what was in store for my direct sales business. I’ve even gifted this book to others that have found themselves in the same “boat”.

Can you see what I was thinking? What amazing insight Quitter gave about the gap between my “day job” and my “dream job”!! Much of that is recorded in this post.

I was such a fan of Quitter, I grabbed another! This one is another mind-shift as it relates to your “work” and the author walks you through your Career Savings Accounts. Did you know he worked for Dave Ramsey?!

 Ok, so by now I’m wondering what I’m supposed to be DOING and while I’m “figuring that out” I need to make the most of my income. Hence, this little beauty was found. She also has a great website with resources here.

This was paradigm shifting right here! This is where the lightbulb went on and I became determined to DO something about where I was and where I wanted to go.

I had the privilege of being mentored & coached by Carrie and as a result I not only increased my sales & team size in my direct sales business, but learned the priceless value of a personal coach! She was able to coach me out of my own way and gave me the tools I needed to push past wish & hope to dream & DO!! This very site is the result of dreaming & doing! 

So now that I had some insight, excitement, a plan and a goal for my business this book’s title just grabbed me and I thought – YUP! Ironically, I JUST finished this book about two weeks ago LOL! Guess I’ve been pretty busy! *note- if you need help in this area there is also a great book & companion study by Lysa TerKeurst called Best Yes. (I still refer back to my notes & study guide)

By now I’m on a “roll” planning out my future and I’ve been following Michael Hyatt’s blog for a few years now and did an intro concept he offered before, so when the actual book came out, of course I had to have it! (plus I already have one of his other books)

 I had never heard of Andy Andrews before, but I heard he would be the keynote speaker at our annual upcoming National Conference I figured it would be worth a look. I’ve read this book twice, my oldest daughter has read this book (also an uber bookworm like her mama) and I’ve gifted this book. FANTASTIC! It combines historical fiction, life lessons that are totally applicable to real life today and just a page turner read!

Another author I had never heard of before my company’s founder mentioned. Turns out she’s quite a go-getter and has her OWN charitable organization This book had me smiling, in tears and just filled with God’s awesomeness and gave me a real faith-boost!

 So now I’ve got a little confidence in me and feel that I HAVE a message to get out there, but how do I go from good speeches to transformational  speaking? Who best to get advice from than Andy Stanley?! I’m still working my skills and it will always be a work in progress!!! LOL!

 So by now, I’m questioning (again!) what I’m “supposed to be doing”, struggling with my “purpose” and what to DO about it…and this surfaces. To be honest, at first I was ‘underwhelmed’ with another analogy to comparing my journey with that of the biblical character of Ruth, but just when I thought this was another ‘been there, read that’…BOOM! This book became personal, insightful and what I love – simplistic applicable lessons. (God must crack up at me!)

 Ummm…yeah, this one blessed my socks off and kicked my God-confidence up a WHOLE lot!! Girl, if you are in any way struggling with identity, purpose or tired of the same old “God’s Princess” messages…this one’s for YOU! My oldest daughter is currently reading this one and I love her reactions and chapter play-by-play recaps!!

So these last two books are my “re-visits” as I look ahead to 2017. I’ve read them both before, but sometimes a refresher is in order and re-visiting sometimes gives new insight or perspective you didn’t catch before. Or maybe you applied the things to “where you were at the time” and now you are ready to “add” NEXT to your implementation. These are those current books for me!

                                   

There you have it folks!
My 2016 reading list!!

 

Working hard to make sure I walk the talk that I share & praying I make the most of what God has given me,
Blessings to you for a wonderful Christmas and a focused New Year
~ Deana

 

What have you read that you think I should read? Is there anything on my list that you’ve read too?

What’s on your 2017 list?
(you know I have a wishlist that I’m hoping “Santa” will fulfill for me and I’ll be reading something NEW by the day after Christmas LOL!)

Share in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.