My granddaughter Zoe is zooming through the Harry Potter series. While that\u2019s quite an achievement for a first grader, she\u2019s not trying to set a record. She\u2019s loving the stories and, I suspect, loving that she can read these complicated tales on her own.<\/p>\n
While Zoe\u2019s reading skills expand, so does her self-esteem. I\u2019m guessing she\u2019ll also discover that reading good books spoils you in the best possible way: your standards go up and you become more discriminating.<\/p>\n
Musician Todd Rundgren said, \u201cYou are never any better than the influences you have.\u201d\u00a0Once you realize that, you become wiser, I think, about whom you listen to\u2014including the authors you read.<\/p>\n
What you\u2019re currently reading is, of course, determined by where you are in your journey. As E.M. Forster pointed out, \u201cI suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular\u00a0path than we have yet got ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
To make the most of the time we spend with books, we need to ask ourselves, \u201cWhat do I need right now?\u201d Sometimes the answer may be that we need a push or a reminder to challenge our fears and doubts.<\/p>\n
At other times, the answer may be that we need information about how to organize a housesitting business and market it.<\/p>\n
Many newly self-employed spend all their time gathering information while ignoring the equally important role of inspiration which helps us grow in other ways.<\/p>\n
If successful self-employment is a high priority for you, your reading diet needs to strike a balance between books that are informational and those that are inspirational.<\/p>\n
Here are some of my favorite titles in both categories. They\u2019re just a sampler, of course, but each of them makes a fine addition to a Joyfully Jobless library.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n Inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\n The War of Art<\/em><\/strong> by Steven Pressfield is, quite simply, the best explanation of how resistance keeps us from living the life of our dreams\u2014and what we can do about it.<\/p>\n This Time I Dance <\/em><\/strong>by Tama Kieves guides the reader through the process of finding right livelihood while challenging old assumptions about the role of work in our lives.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n A Whole New Mind <\/em><\/strong>by Daniel H. Pink is subtitled Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future. A guidebook to your creative self.<\/p>\n The Creative License<\/em><\/strong> by Danny Gregory will help you reconnect with your creative spirit.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway<\/em><\/strong> by Susan Jeffers is the classic on tackling the big obstacles to making it on your own.<\/p>\n The Hungry Spirit<\/em><\/strong> by Charles Handy looks at the spiritual side of work and shows why it matters.<\/p>\n The Art of Possibility <\/em><\/strong>by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander is a book I reread regularly. Brilliant insights on living from a place of possibility.<\/p>\n Information<\/strong><\/p>\n Growing a Business<\/em><\/strong> by Paul Hawken is an old favorite about creating a business that\u2019s an extension of who you are and the things you care about.<\/p>\n Selling the Invisible<\/em><\/strong> by Harry Beckwith takes the mystery out of marketing services.<\/p>\n Small is the New Big<\/em><\/strong> by Seth Godin is a collection of the author\u2019s blog columns covering a wide range of subjects on how to create a remarkable business.<\/p>\n Rework<\/em><\/strong> by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. Two smart young entrepreneurs share what they\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Difference<\/em><\/strong> by Jean Chatzky explores the thinking and behavior that makes for creating prosperity.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Tipping Point<\/em><\/strong> by Malcolm Gladwell deserves to be in every self-bosser\u2019s library. It\u2019s a clear explanation of how an idea goes from obscurity to visibility.<\/p>\n