The people you associate with and the books you read

I heard a speaker say some years ago that the person you will be in five years will be greatly influenced by the people you associate with and the books you read. There is never an exact formula to our future because we all know of people that came from diverse backgrounds, poverty and other social barriers that went onto do something great with their lives. That said, what the speaker said all those years ago is a pretty good formula for how to start to become the person you most want to be.

I didn’t go to college and I stutter when I talk so when I was young, my sphere of influence was lacking. When I was younger I began to read books of all kinds from history, motivation to suspense thrillers. These books largely shaped how I think today about life, family and business. So, the idea that books could have an impact on our life, at least for me is true.

I bought some restaurants some years ago and lost my shirt in the process. The funny thing was that the guy I bought the restaurants from, also sold hotels. At the point of bankruptcy, I showed up on his front door and told him I wanted to learn how to sell hotels. The only reason he even let me in the door was because he felt bad for me. I had no experience, no education and no concept of selling commercial real estate but he let me sell hotels anyway. Bill Hodges and Jack Ward who owned the hotel brokerage firm, literally changed my life.

When I started selling hotels, I began to meet people from a whole different position in life and developed close friendships in the process. These people spoke words of affirmation and influence into my life that literally changed the course of my future and that of my family. When I look back over the lives of my family, my children and grandchildren, I can see in reverse the impact that association with people and the books I have read have had on our lives.

Nothing in life is simple and nothing works every time for everyone, but for me, this little piece of wisdom had an incredible impact on me and my family. Possibly the simplest, first step, is to go buy some books, turn the TV off and spend some time each night reading and letting your imagination experience a different world. That is what happens when you get into a good book. It transports you into the story and allows your mind to imagine and experience a different setting than your current life. Over time, these impressions can help you think more clearly and began to imagine life in a different way. It’s worth a try, right? KT

Suggested authors to read:

Suspense thrillers – John Sanford, Lee Child, Kate Morton, David Baldacci, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown, Harlan Coben, James Rollins, Scott Turow, Clive Cussler, J. K Rowling

Motivational – Charlie Jones, Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey, Rich DeVos, Zig Ziglar, Paul Harvey, Dale Carnegie, James Allen, Norman Vincent Peale

Spiritual – Louie Giglio, Andy Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, C.S. Lewis, Max Lucado

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *