“No matter what you or I achieve, in sports, business, or life, we can’t be satisfied. Life is too dynamic a game. We’re either getting better or we’re getting worse.”
Life is a constant race without a finish line. You never truly arrive. You must always remain hungry. You must strive and work to improve because the moment you cease moving forward, you start sliding backward.
I consistently work in the pursuit of becoming the best version of myself. Which is why I read all the books I can get my hands on. If it has a nugget of truth within, something that will propel me forward on my journey, I devour it like the leftover turkey the Friday after Thanksgiving.
At the end of each month, I share a few of those reads with you. I hope that you will find something to encourage and motivate you on your journey towards becoming your personal best.
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
“Doing things–even small things–that make you uncomfortable will help make you strong. The more often you get uncomfortable the stronger you’ll become.” –David Goggins
The path to strength and victory goes through suffering and pain. These twin pillars form the foundation of our becoming the type of people who accomplish things. It’s not the way we want to achievement to come. We want so badly for things to come easy, or at least more easily than it seems to. Few people want to face the difficulty and hardship so often required.
That’s the lesson David Goggins imparts in the telling of his life’s story. It is the story of how failure, hard work, and suffering build mental toughness. And that’s the secret ingredient needed to take your life to the next level. “Everything in life,” David said, “is a mind game!”
This book will help you grasp the truth that the suffering we so desperately want to avoid is often the best thing for us. It is one of the greatest gifts God may give you. For it is used to transform you from who you are today, into who He wants you to be tomorrow.
Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter
What happens when the rogue elements in society use government for their ends? What happens when those same elements seek to assassinate a figure on the world’s stage and frame an American war hero for the crime? You may know the answer to these questions because of the 2007 film Shooter starring Mark Wahlburg.
Today these questions seem obvious, but in 1993 Stephen Hunter introduced the world to Bob Lee Swagger, a former Marine Corps sniper in the Vietnam War. The idea of the sniper is captivating: alone, outnumbered, behind enemy lines, with only wits, and skill keeping him alive.
The Successful Novelist by David Morrell
“If you know the way broadly,” Musashi said, “you will see it in everything.” Few things ring so true as these words from the legendary Musashi. Once you understand things like discipline, perseverance, and grit you find their application everywhere you look.
This is what I found reading The Successful Novelist. Each page is littered with advice that serves you well no matter if you are endeavoring to improve your writing, or life itself. What holds in one area transferred nicely to the next.
Brad Thor Novels
1. The Apostle
2. Takedown
3. Foreign Influence
2019 introduced me to the work of Brad Thor and since first reading his latest, Backlash, I have worked my way through each of his novels. I find them to contain intriguing storylines, compelling characters, and a solid education.