Sometimes my hopes get foiled. Life gets in the way as I try to figure out what is good, better and best to do with my time. Back at the beginning of the year I had a goal to read ten “actual” physical pages of a book each day, inspired by Max who was doing the same. I love to swallow books whole on Audible, but there’s something so incredible about a real book with pages, don’t you think? It’s different from listening.
And about when we hit March I dropped the ball on that high hope. Who’s with me on stuff like that? Sometimes it’s so tricky to figure out the balance of pushing and expecting the most out of yourself and realizing there are even more important things right in front of you than what you expected would be the best “atomic habit.” So is it a failure or is it a triumph to shift? I have all kinds of thoughts about that specific thing and would love your thoughts too. For today, I will just say that I LOVED the work I did on that habit. Even if it wasn’t for a full year it changed me somewhat. Some day I’ll pick it back up, but for now let’s just talk about a few of those “real” favorite books I read while that habit was pushing me on.

The Tipping Point
The Tipping Point is filled up with interesting stuff, so many stories, studies and things to think about. All about “how little things can make a big difference.” Things that help “tip” how we live and what we do. Things our whole culture does that change the culture. One story that stood out is the one when they were trying to stop crime in New York City. They were trying to do big-scale crack-downs until they stopped and decided to start with the little things. They began to focus on turnstile hoppers in the subways (people who wouldn’t pay and hop the turnstiles where they were supposed to present their tickets). This little thing was the seed that made all the difference to change around the growing crime rate. Makes me think of so many things in life that we can shift to make a huge difference.
The Second Mountain
The Second Mountain was filled with such interesting concepts. It was about how during our “first mountain” of life we are learning and taking things in. We are trying to understand the “rules” and human nature and how to control and understand. By the time we get to the “second mountain” we have our values and morals in place, and we’re ready to decipher it all. And to let all the things we have learned help us become the people we truly want to be. By this time we are able to turn outward and help others. In doing so, we find ourselves.
My notes from one part:
We are more and more isolated. “A lot of the roles that used to be done in community have migrated to the marketplace or the state. Mental well-being is now the job of the therapist. Physical health is not the Job of the hospital. Education is the job of the school system.” (The Abundant Community)
People on the second mountain: “people whose ultimate loyalty is to others and not themselves.”
Community happens when people realize they belong to each other. I love that part.
Dad Mode
I’ve already talked about Dad Mode a lot, but it’s so good you guys! And my brother wrote it, so there’s that. Oh I love that boy and his wisdom so much.
The Law of Love
The Law of Love deserves it’s own blog post as well, because I have so many thoughts about it. Such a great way to see the world and our spiritual journeys. It’s along the same theory as The Second Mountain but in a spiritual sense. We start out on this track of obedience and following which is so good for us. But at some point we need to back up and realize the WHY of it all. Sometimes we are obedient to the point that we completely lose track of what the commandment was really intended to do in the first place. How is it meant to change us? Why was it commanded?
The book goes into how all that is commanded of God is because of LOVE. This book takes us so much further along the path of love vs. “transactional faith” and it is so beautifully written. Plus, it’s written by famed Steve Young. Kind of fun that he is in Elle’s new church congregation in Palo Alto.
The Book of Mormon
Also, so I’m also super deep into this one:

Ha!
But seriously, we’re nearing the end with our Come Follow Me program from church that keeps me going and learning more in depth in the “chapters of the week” each week. Also, the “We Believe” app helps with little devotionals each day.
I’m determined to read every single word of those physical pages this year rather than listening. (So maybe I’m reaching my goal after all, ha!). Every time I read this book I get something new. This time around it’s all about a “Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit.” If we can have those two, life is so much more beautiful.
Good books are magical.