From Ice Cream Rewards to Lifelong Learning

I am a voracious reader. I have always been. Even when I was in elementary school, I could not wait for summer reading logs at the library. I would ask my parents to take me to the library to pick up stacks of books to take home and devour. Then, I reaped rewards for reading with coupons for ice cream cones at Dairy Queen. For the record, I earned twelve one summer for reading more than 120 books. Still proud.

My reward is so much greater than ice cream cones - though I would still love to get ice cream for every ten books I read. I read and listen to about 2-8 books per month. And as I consider where I am in my career and my life, that quantity of post-college books has earned me the equivalent of probably at least two post graduate degrees. I would not have advanced to the point I am in my career without reading. I would not be the kind of manager I am without reading. I would not be the kind of wife and partner I am without reading. And I would not be shaping my children and being the best parent I can to my incredible children (Natalie and Grayson) without reading. And I am proud of who I am in those places of my life because I sought out knowledge other than my own.

Not all of my books are thought provoking tomes with lessons in life that I will carry forever - I mean, who doesn't love some great fiction? But if I were to give broad advice to anyone younger in their career, it is to read. Make it a habit. Do it often. There is no better advice than to learn from others as often as you can.

Life is busy but we fill it with many things that are not growing us by allowing us to question our beliefs, thinking, or view of the world. There is a great line in the movie, "Good Will Hunting," where Matt Damon's character - Will Hunting, a genius living a relatively normal life - says, "You dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a f***in' education you could have gotten for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library." Let me say that I absolutely believe in college degrees at all levels and that there is more than just the knowledge that you get in those environments. But the essence is what I am getting at - there are millions of incredible pieces of knowledge out there if you look for it.

Some of my favorite books over the years include:

• "Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can't Afford to Miss" by David Cottrell (callout to Julie Omran for the recommendation on this one many years ago) - simple but so important and clear on leadership principles
• "Atlas of the Heart" by Brené Brown - where I figure out how I am feeling in work and life because I understand emotions so much better now. Side note - all her books are AMAZING and have changed me! "The Power of Vulnerability" is my absolute favorite.
• "Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things" by Adam Grant - who I had the absolute pleasure of speaking to about this book and who's advice in this and others ("Think Again", "Give and Take", and "Originals") finds its way into my leadership style and parenting style daily.
• "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight - the piece I take with me all of the time - tell them what to do, not how to do it.
• "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson - a book that helped me expand my thinking to vastly different worlds than those I live in. Others in this category include: "Evicted" by Matthew Desmond, "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah, and "Educated" by Tara Westover.
• "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rhimes (callout to Dalysh Rivera for the recommendation) - some fun and laughter with finding the YES in things.

There are many more that I could add to this list. But tell me, Dear Reader, what have you loved and is changing you? I am always looking for my next great read.