Book Highlights | Choose Yourself
A part of keeping a healthy lifestyle is keeping my mental game strong, which I do by reading books (non-fiction). Am I the only one though who reads a book and goes that was SO good, but forgets what was so good about it 10 minutes later? Seriously, I could read the best life changing book and a few minutes later someone could ask me about it, and I just can't put it into words what was so good about it. That was until Jason came along. When we started dating I noticed that he always highlighted books as he read them. I asked him why (like are we in University and going to get tested on this book after?). He explained that he always highlights his favorite parts so that he can go back and get the gist of the book without having to re-read the entire thing (because who has time for that). I thought okay, this guy might be onto something. Ever since then I have always highlighted books as I read them.
We read lots of books on health, self-improvement, faith, fitness and money and learn lots of amazing information that I wish I could share with everyone! Thus, I thought of the idea to do Book Highlight posts. I thought I would share the top 10 highlights from the books we have read and love. You may love the highlights so much that you want to go get the book yourself, or the highlights themselves may be enough for you to get the gist of it. Either way I'm hoping these highlights enlighten you and teach you something you didn't know, as they did for me! The first book I am going to do is Choose Yourself by James Altucher, because it is SO motivating, extremely transparent and gives you practical steps to become a better entrepreneur.
Choose Yourself
This book is about how the traditional working world is being turned upside down. It is no longer a give-in that you will get a good job if you go to college, or that you are guaranteed any security when you do land a job. Altucher gives you tools to promote your own skills and find ways to create opportunities for yourself. This book is extremely motivating and practical and I recommend it to anyone, but especially entrepreneurs! Here are a few of my favorite quotes from his book:
"In every single industry, the middleman is being taken out of the picture, causing more disruption in employment but also greater efficiencies and more opportunities for unique ideas to generate wealth." Pg 24
"Robots are the new middle class. And everyone else will either be an entrepreneur or a temp staffer." Pg 157
"It's important to avoid people who bring you down. Not in a cruel way, But avoid engaging or overly dwelling on people who are constantly draining you of energy." Pg 4
"Being an entrepreneur means you're going to create something in a way that a customer can't get anywhere else." Pg 93
"You don't have to come up with the new, new thing. Just do the old, old thing slightly better than everyone else." Pg 109
"The best ideas are when you take two older ideas that have nothing to do with each other, make them have sex with each other, and then build a business around the bastard, ugly child that results...Look at Facebook: combine the Internet with stalking. Amazing!" Pg 181
"I'm twenty-five years old and still have no idea what my purpose in life should be...but [Colonel Sanders] didn't start making real money until he started franchising at the age of sixty-five. That's the age he was when he found his "purpose" in life." Pg 74
"If you are thinking too much about money while building your business, then either you are not very passionate about the business or you aren't helping people with your business." Pg 130
"No matter who you are, no matter what you do, no matter who your audience is: 30 percent will love it, 30 percent will hate it, and 30 percent won't care. Stick with the people who love you and don't spend a single second on the rest. Life will be better that way." Pg 215
"Try this exercise: pretend everyone was sent to this planet to teach you. Famous people, dead people, your neighbors, your relatives, your co-workers. This will give you a strong feeling of humility. And guess what, you will learn from people, you will appreciate them more, and they will actually appreciate you more. Because everyone loves to teach." Pg 227
Comment below and let me know you're favorite quote, or if you end up reading the book let me know how you liked it!
Best,
Stacey