Book Club

[Tobina+1]

I've been working on a presentation for our company retreat next week.  My "personal development" topic is supposed to be "Work/Life Balance and De-stressing"... which seems to be a good topic for me lately.  I purchased 2 books on the subject, and would like to recommend them to anyone who needs a little balance in their life!

The first one is more of a "cheerleader" type book about increasing positive emotions in the workplace (or at home, with friends, etc).  But it's got some very good ideas.  It's called "How Full Is Your Bucket?"  It talks about the power of positive.  The book suggests that each of us has a bucket and a dipper.  When our bucket is full; we feel great.  When our bucket is empty; we feel low.  Whenever we put a drop in someone's bucket by giving them a compliment or doing something nice, we essentially use our dipper to fill their bucket... and in turn, it also fills our own bucket.  And when we say/do negative things, we not only are dipping out of someone's bucket, but we dip out of our own (it gives us an empty feeling to be negative to others).  There are lots of good scientific studies sited in the book, and a great example of "negativity kills" with Korean War POW's.  Even though the overall feeling is positive and comes across as being "cheerleading", the book has got some great information and is a good pick-me-up.  It is co-written with the inventor of the Clifton StrengthsFinder method (an assessment that helps people discover their talent areas).

The second book I read (in the same afternoon), is called "Juggling Elephants".  It uses a funny parable-type story about a man taking his daughter to the circus.  He is sitting next to a ringmaster from another circus, and they get into a conversation about how life is like a circus.  And YOU are the ringmaster of it.  It talks about the 3 rings of the circus (professional, relationships, and self), and how to balance the "acts" in these 3 rings.  And that juggling elephants is impossible.  It really helps put your priorities in perspective, and how to keep them there.

These are very quick-reading books.  Less than 150 pages, and print that is easy to read.  I would recommend both these books to anyone who is trying to balance a busy schedule of work and life.  And to anyone who needs a little positive energy, too.
So, I haven't found any good books on De-Stressing, though.  Specifically, for those of us who work from home and "not taking work home with you" is sometimes a difficult task.  Anyone have any suggestions?

[frawin]

Tobina, I will look for both books, thanks for the information. Some suggestions that I like, "Pack Your Own Parachute" I have the book but is in some boxes that haven't been unpacked yet so I can't give the author's name, 'The Power Of Positive Thinking:, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, good reading for everyone, "Wisdom of Our Father's" by Tim Russert, last but not least, "Light on Mainstreet" by none other than our own Rudy Taylor, it will make you appreciate small towns and rural America.
THANKS AGAIN TOBINA
Frank

[pam]

Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach is good for that, it's a day book with a thought for everyday about appreciating the small stuff. Another thing, have you tried yoga? It really does work, just a slow easy practice not the hard to do stuff.

[W. Gray]

You folks are a little too heavy for me.

I just finished reading "Mr Jefferson's Women" and am just starting "Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door."

Thomas Jefferson, by the way, was single when he was in the White House.

[frawin]

There is probably to much about sex in Jefferson's books for me to read and understand.
Frank

[Rudy Taylor]

Why, Frank, I'm surprised you lack knowledge of those subjects. :-)

Suggested reading might be "The Song of Solomon" in the Holy Bible.  There, you will get a full education in the the dicey side of life.

Or you can just turn on the stupid TV set. Everything you always thought was wrong --- is now promoted as good and acceptable.

[Catwoman]

Another good book is the The Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock (I think...if I remember correctly).  Fascinating book!  Pretty long read but extremely interesting theories surrounding the building of the Egyptian pyramids.

[Tobina+1]

The last 2 years at our summer conference, we've listened to books on tape.  "Raving Fans" was the first one, and "Fish!" was the other one.  Both of them are parable-type stories that are SO easy to listen to/read and keep you intrigued in the book without being too heavy.  Raving Fans was the best, by far.  It should be a pre-requisite to any business owner before opening a business!  It really gets to the heart of customer service; but puts it in such an easy-to-relate way.  You learn that unhappy customers are much more vocal than customers that are just "fine".  And that you have to work to make Raving Fans of your customers; customers who will go out and recommend you to others.
"Fish!" was also a good book, but not as memorable to me.  It talked more about creating "Raving Fans" within your company.  It offered suggestions for how to analyze the employees, get engaged with what they're doing, and getting them engaged in the company and it's goals.  Again, in a parable-type format, so easy to follow.

As for being heavy Mr. Gray... I will confess to having read a fun little novel a couple weekends ago... you know the type with a scantily clad man and woman on the front...and the title has something to do with savage, or ravage...  

Pam; I haven't got into yoga yet.  I don't know much about it.  I prefer to do the things that I enjoy (walking the dog, stamping, sewing, reading), but it still comes down to having the energy and time after a long work day to actually ENJOY and DO those things.  Posting and reading on the forum between "fires" has become my little time-out during the day.  Believe it or not... I DO actually get work done; not just post/read on here!  It's nice to have something to change my focus for a bit.

[W. Gray]

Catwoman,

Didn't aliens build the pyramids?

[frawin]

Why, Frank, I'm surprised you lack knowledge of those subjects. :-)

Suggested reading might be "The Song of Solomon" in the Holy Bible.  There, you will get a full education in the the dicey side of life.

Or you can just turn on the stupid TV set. Everything you always thought was wrong --- is now promoted as good and acceptable.

Rudy the only things we watch on TV are COPS, News/Weather  the Gaithers and Hunting and Guns shows, I just never see anything else worth watching.