Fifteen years ago this month, I was crouched down on the shiny white tile floor of an empty big box store, stocking shelves for hours on end while listening to the same few CDs on repeat. I’d finished my college course work in December but wouldn’t officially graduate until May. I was back in my hometown and needed to bring in some money while searching for a full-time position, so I took a job setting up a new Target store.
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The summer vacation season is upon us, and the weather here in East Tennessee is already getting hot and humid. Whether you’ll be lounging on the beach with a book or staying in your air-conditioned home avoiding the heat, the lazy days of summer are a great time to do a little reading. Most of the “Best Beach Reads” lists out there tend to focus on novels, but as someone who reads a lot of nonfiction, I thought it would be fun to round up some of my favorite memoirs and inspirational books that I’ve read over the past few years. Here they are, in no particular order:
We’re now three weeks into 2018, and most New Year’s resolutions don’t make it past January. How are yours going?
You may have noticed that I often write about self-improvement topics. I’m kind of a self-improvement junkie. I’ve read many self-help books, and I find psychology fascinating. (I’m currently reading a new book called The Craving Mind by Judson Brewer – you should check it out.)
Some folks take a cynical view of self-help books, and of their fellow humans. How many times have you heard phrases like “once a ______, always a ______”? When I encounter someone I haven’t seen in years, I sometimes fall into the trap of judging them based on things they said and did long ago without getting to know the person they are today. I’m working to correct this thought process, because I certainly wouldn’t want everyone judging me based on the way I behaved as a teenager or college student.