Reading to Laugh, Learn, and Grow
Chad Peevy
Author | Speaker | Coaching Curriculum Developer | Exploring the intersection of personal growth, professional development, and mental wellness.
I haven't been reading as much as usual this summer as I've been consumed with creating the Master's Course for my own book (please send me good vibes to finish this week), and I've been leading a Leadership Development Series for JP Morgan Chase. BUT, I have managed to sneak in a few great reads this summer that I recommend adding to your library:
A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber
Who should read it: Anyone interested in going deeper into their development (really deep). For the person looking for a more holistic understanding of the human experience.
What I liked: I did a lot of highlighting in this one. Wilber goes all the way back to the beginning of time and brings the reader to today - pointing out the stages of development in society, the individual, their relationship, and everything in between.
Some great illustrations. Also does a good job of tying into and showing relationship between various philosophies, religions, and ideas.
It's a dense read but the author has done his best to make it readable by writing in an interview style.
Fun Quote: Nobody is smart enough to be wrong all the time.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Who should read it: Anyone who wants to feel connected to a story about personal growth and development.
What I liked: This book made me feel seen. Hesse takes you on a journey through the life of a man who is searching for his ultimate truth. I enjoy books like this where you get a chance to relate to a character on a quest to know himself. I so relate to the highs, the lows, the breakthroughs and the breakdowns.
One of my big takeaways... wisdom cannot be taught, it must be experienced. Hesse points out that there is no teacher for "self" - we have to live and experience life in order to discover who we are. We can have teachers of knowledge who can point the way - but ultimate actualization is in our experience of life and subsequent wisdom from that experience.
Quote that hit me: [...] perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find.
Life is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler
Who should read it: Anyone in a career change or other major shift in life.
What I liked: As someone who recently changed careers, moved across the country, and had an injury that left me unable to walk for 3 months, I found this book extremely helpful in making sense of it all.
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It's a thoroughly researched book that gave me a language for understanding what I was experiencing in my life - that I wasn't alone - and that I wasn't "falling behind."
According to the research, the average adult life has about 3-5 major transitions - each taking about 5 years - meaning we spend about half our adult lives responding to these major transitions - most of us don't manage them well - but it's a skill that can be learned.
Quote I liked: The chrysalis is important for making a butterfly, but it's no fun for the caterpillar.
Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris
Who should read it: If you're looking for a laugh - if you're from the South - or if family dynamics give you the giggles.
What I liked: When I want to laugh, I read or better yet - listen to Dave Sedaris. In this book he talks a lot about his dying dad - he explores the complexity of that relationship with a sense of humor that keeps me fascinated and relating and laughing. I got this one on audiobook and listened to it on a roadtrip from Las Vegas back to Northern California. It was a perfect escape that made the time fly.
Funny Quip: At twenty-two, you are built for poverty and rejection. And you know why? Because you're good-looking. You might not realize it this morning, but thirty years from now, you will pull out pictures of yourself taken on this day and think, 'Why did nobody tell me I was so %&ing attractive?' You maybe can't see it now because you're comparing yourself to the person next to you, or two rows up. But you are stunning.
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Until next week,
Chad