Last 3 Reads

Reading is a good way to keep the mind sharp, but also an excellent way to find inspiration - depending on what you read of course. Over the past few months I managed to get through these three masterpieces: two biographies of South African Anti-Apartheid stalwarts (Steve Biko and Chris Hani), as well as a non-fiction piece by a Harvard Business School professor that takes business theories and applies them to life as a guide on how to live purposefully and with integrity.

Many lessons to take out, but in a nutshell it's clear that devoting one's life to a dream or purpose or "struggle" that you wholeheartedly believe in gives life focus, courage, perseverance and infinite fuel. Although Steve Biko and Chris Hani both passed on relatively young and in violent ways, they appear to have had little to no fear of death and unwaveringly soldiered on despite what tribulations life tossed their way. Their lives of purpose are not far removed from the ideal prescribed in "How Will You Measure Your Life".

In fact, the three books coalesce perfectly for me: the two biographies present real-life examples of the positives of leaving purposefully, and the last one shares guidance on how to find purpose/meaning and how to act on it with integrity. All three are highly recommended.