The Best Advice I Ever Got

Sometimes, I find myself wondering how CEO's, celebrities, and other famous/important people got their starts or found themselves in their current positions. I think about what qualities they might have embodied, how they got the chance to meet or talk with the right person, or how they prepared for their breaking moments. I also find myself wishing I had more time to dedicate to personal growth and motivation. So, I was really excited when I found:
The Best Advice I Ever Got- Lessons from Extraordinary Lives compiled by Katie Couric.

It compiles stories and advice from many well-known, successful people such as: Mario Batali, George Lopez, Tyra Banks, Al Roker, Meryl Streep, and Donald Trump just to name a few.

I have really enjoyed reading these stories and pieces of advice and learning about these people as... well, as people rather than celebrities. I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for short reading that can really pack a punch in the motivational department.

You can buy it here starting at $4.00!

SIDEBAR: if you've never used half.com for buying books, you're missing out.

So, until your copy arrives in your mailbox, I will share with you one of my favorite pieces from this book so far.

Mario Batali, celebrity chef and restaurateur, titled his section "Life is Not a Recipe". He talks about his various experiences working in restaurants and about moving to Italy to further explore the world of cooking. While I love his comments about being your own person and not conforming to someone else's recipe for success but rather writing your own, one little paragraph stuck with me more than the rest.

In reference to cleaning dirty deep fryers, Batali says,"I'm not kidding. It turns out to be a metaphor. Cleanliness is next to tastiness. Cook with a dirty fryer and you cook garbage. Start with a clean fryer and you get something perfect, simple, and poetic. Just like all of cooking, and all of life. Garbage in, garbage out. Truth in, truth out."

I particularly liked this segment because he makes a reference to "all of life", and I agree. This concept DOES APPLY to ALL aspects of our lives. This is why at the beginning of every week, I try to take time to organize my backpack, put posted power points from my professors in OneNote, and otherwise tidy up my life. It makes my school week run a WHOLE LOT smoother. I feel better prepared for class, I can find things in my backpack, and my nerves are a little less racked by daily tasks. But, this also applies to other aspects too. Having a clear plan or mindset before embarking on a grocery trip, prayer, meetings, projects, etc. helps us to make the most of our time and really focus on what is important.

So today, I challenge you to do three things.

1. Order this book!
2. Dedicate time to step back and reorganize your thoughts, desk, purse, whatever it is that is holding you back from being as efficient as possible or is causing minor yet unnecessary stress.
3. Read this book and let me know what resonates with you!

Show Me What You're Made of!

Hey Hey, it's Hump Day! I hope you're having a fabulous week and everything is sailing along smoothly. But, if it's not, or if you are just in need of a little inspiration or pick-me-up, here you go!

Last night I stumbled upon this image on Facebook and am not sure who I owe credit to for it, but I love it. 

This statement is so true! Even if you and I had an identical experience, we would not act or be affected in the same way. We are all unique and life will twist us in many different directions. Someone once told me that you cannot compare yourself to others because you'll compare your weaknesses to their strengths and vice versa. I think this ties in nicely with this egg and potato illustration. Peoples' personalities and behaviors are built on unique experiences, thoughts, motivations, and beliefs. For this reason, at some point or another we will all be an egg or a potato in boiling water. But, if you put us eggs and potatoes in the freezer, we would all harden just alike. And, in that light, we are all similar while simultaneously being so different. 

So, this week I encourage you to be you. If you're an egg during exams, awesome! If you're a potato, well keep going; your egg moment is coming!