Book Review – What I know For Sure

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A few weeks ago I finished the book “What I know For Sure” by Oprah. I really enjoyed reading it. It felt like I was reading the journal of an older sister or mentor. I felt like taking pictures of every paragraph or sentence of paragraph that gave me that “aha” feeling. I soon realized that I’d be taking more pictures than actually reading and appreciating the book.

I was never an Oprah fan. Well I wouldn’t say I am now either. I do watch the occasional Soul Circle video on Instagram and listen to an episode of her podcast here or there. I don’t think I would ever go to her live talks though (just because I am not the biggest fan of concerts and large audience events). But when a smart, successful, creative, mindful, ambitious, knows-what-she-wants-and-goes-after-it woman immortalizes her experiences and thoughts into a book – yep for sure I’ll be all over that.

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The book is all the wisdom Oprah gained from when she was very young to her current age. Life lessons, inspiration, revelations and thoughtful trinkets.  It’s the kind of book that I’d want to buy (yep I borrowed it from the library) and fold page corners, highlight and bookmark so much of this book because the advice is relatable and genuine.

Here are a few lines that I want to share:

On reading…

I now consider reading a good book a sacred indulgence. […] What I know for sure is that reading opens you up, exposes you and gives you access to anything your mind can hold.  […] Reading gives you the ability to reach higher ground.  And keep climbing.

On Resiliency…

The only way to endure the quake is to adjust your stance.

On Gratitude…

What you focus on expands. When you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it.

On doing your life’s work…

I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.

 

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Check out the other books I’ve ready in 2019!

Book Review – Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

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This book was over hyped for me (thanks to the internet/social media/online influencers) and unfortunately I was not impressed.
There are some important thoughts and gems of advice but overall the book “shipped too early” 😆

It needs to have an edition review and some parts can be removed. Seth Godin knows that this book may not be well received and or believable to some readers and tells us at the start that those who have had enough should skip to chapter 10.

But for the sake of finding the learning from every experience, I will share the points/topics that really resonated with me:

“Do not internalize the industrial models.  You are not of the myriad interchangeable pieces, but a unique human being, and if you’ve got something to say, say it and think well of yourself while you’re learning to say it better” – D. Mamet

To me this essentially means you need to find a new path for your career journey.  The standard career path of the past will no longer work.  Furthermore, everyone should bring their real self to their work and to their career.  I tend to agree with that.  You will feel more empowered and your career with align with your purpose when you are more true to yourself and those around you.

Combination of engaged employees, cutting edge products and fun brings people (customers) back

I think this quote is pretty powerful – especially as I can only count on one hand corporations who operate like this.

Win by being faster, more remarkable and more human.

It’s hard to be faster, remarkable and more human when you are surrounded by red tape, bureaucracy and hierarchy.  But I can see this being useful and motivational for start ups and entrepreneurs.

TGIF workers are PERL workers

Although this idea was brought up with respect to the typical factory worker, the percentage of easily replaceable labourers (PERL) are the type of people who live for Fridays.  If you take pride in your work and even more so are willing to work on your passion projects during your free time – you don’t fall into this group.  It’s the people who live for Fridays as an escape from their work life that have the to make a change.

Other people have survived th corporate school system, survived their fist job, have survived a mother in law telling them what to do — and have done the challenging work to become indispensable

Best advice!   Everyone survives.  And so can you (and me!).  We can move up and onward.  We can push through our current situation or get out – either way we are successful.  Most important thing to remember – you always have a choice.

Job where you do more than follow instructions – not something they taught you in school.  Job where you take intellectual risks, prepare to be promoted

The world of work is really changing.  And not just the actual job part but the types of work you do, the hours you work and the type of employees / cohorts.  If climbing the ladder is your end game – this is good advice.

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Except the genius label

We are all genuses!  This book is really about getting rid of the conspiracy of previous generations:   That you need to JUST PUT IN THE TIME at a job.  That your CREATIVITY DOES MATTER.

The new american dream: Be remarkable, be generous, create art, make judgement calls, connect people and idea

The problem lies with the system that punishes artists and rewards bureaucrats

Geniuses make art.  They make judgement calls. Connect people/ideas. Find a new way of getting things done.  Work is a chance to art.

Whether its your 9-5, your entrepreneurial pursuits, a creative passion or your career journey – think of your work as a way to do and make art.

Poverty Mentality: If I give you something, it costs me what I gave you.  The more you have the less I have.  The more I share the more I lose.

I absolutely LOVE the though process behind what is known as the OPPOSITE of the poverty mentality aka the ABUNDANCE mindset.  I think I lived most of my life in the poverty mindset and it is the most debilitating mindset ever.  As soon as you thing with abundance, you are set free.

Great bosses and world class organizations hire motivated people, set high expectations and give their people room to become remarkable.

If you’ve ever had a bad boss or left a company because of a bad boss – this statement must ring true for you.

Ishita’s Meditation

Google it! – it’s always a choice!

What do you do when your art doesn’t work – make more art. If you give up and become a cog you are failing.

This statement pretty much sums up the entire book.

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Check out the other books I’ve read in 2019!

Book Review – Ishmeal

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I recently finished reading Ishmeal.  Which is actually an accomplishment because I started it January 2018.  But I stopped reading it, just around the time I ended my mat leave.

I was recently listening to a podcast where the guest was talking about how to read more books and he said that its totally okay to “quit so you can start”.

I couldn’t have agreed more.  I’ve stopped many books.  I mean for me, reading as an adult… is not school, I am not going to be judged if I didn’t finish a book, there is no essay requirement and definitely no quiz.  I always give a book the benefit of the doubt and try to read 25 pages or so.  But, if the book hasn’t peaked my interest I’ll stop and move on to another book.  The best thing about choosing to stop reading a book is that it’s not final.  You can always begin reading that book again.  Which is exactly what I did here.

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This book essentially is about how the earth is being destroyed by humans.  So the premise of this book really appeals to me.  It was written in the early 90s and the entire story (well 95%) of it takes place as a conversation between a gorilla and a human.

The conversations take the reader through different times of history from Adam/Eve (i.e. “the beginning”) era through to the 90s.  The reader is meant to understand why humans believe the earth was made for them, that they are above the law of community and how they have not figured out a way to live in harmony with other creatures on earth.   The author describes several cultural myths and biases that seem to give humans the “excuses” to rule over the earth and continue agricultural domination.

The book tip toes around primitivism and other extreme view points to help save the earth and allow humans to live in community with other species on earth.   The book has a good message to humanity, I just couldn’t get behind the some-what-extreme solution provided.

A few of the important points I will take with me after reading this book:

  • humans belong to the world (not the other way around)
  • if your know something important share it with 100 people if they feel the message is also important they should share it with 100 people (and so on and so forth)
  • history should be re-examined so we can continually learn from our past

Check out the other books I’ve ready in 2019!

Book Review – The Sun and her Flowers

My goal for this year is to read 10-12 books.  I personally think it’s a little audacious for my current season of life.  Mainly because I don’t have dedicated reading times and when I do read it’s very short spurts.  On the train to work, while the kids are having a snack, in the car, while the kids are watching TV etc.  It’s always interrupted and I’m not one of those people who can zip through a book in a few sittings.

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Modern day poetry is all the rage these days! And after reading Cleo Wade’s book “Heart Talk” (which was an amazing book!) I was curious to read more poetry. I picked up “The Sun and her Flowers”  by Rupi Kaur, solely based on the colour of the cover book. It’s bright and optimistic (as opposed to her 1st book, a dark and moody cover – which I subsequently never read!)

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It’s a magical arrangement of words, emotions and intense story telling.  This book of poetry is soulful, descriptive and relatable (being a 1st generation Indo-Canadian).  I was more drawn to the poems in “rising” and “blooming”.  Something I wasn’t expecting was the rawness of the poems in “wilting” and “falling”.

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I feel like modern day poetry although still is emotional and heart wrenching like it’s traditional predecessors, is more about healing and self guiding. And that self-help aspect is not just for the writer but the reader as well.

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Check out the other books I’ve ready in 2019!