Books Aren't Beneficial Without These Two Things
I am unashamed in my admiration of James Clear and anything he writes. I remember reading his book called Atomic Habits and thinking, besides the Bible itself, it was probably the most transformative book I’d ever read. When people ask me for book recommendations, without hesitation I offer up Atomic Habits.
It's a fantastic book. It's well-written and well-researched, added a lot of value to my daily life, and was simply just a pleasure to read.
But, as with the Bible, it’s only beneficial if I 1) accept it for what it is and 2) apply its teachings to my life.
One good book, understood and applied, is worth a thousand good books consumed and quoted.
Listen, we've all read books and can probably quote a line here or there in conversation. That's not uncommon.
But how many books have you truly understood deeply and applied practically? For starters, if you could read the Bible and accept it for what it says and then apply its teachings to your life, you'd be in pretty good shape I'd say. Atomic Habits is obviously another one I'm quite fond of.
Aim to truly understand and apply, not merely consume and have the ability to quote.
The great theologian and pastor John Piper once said “Books don’t change people, paragraphs do — sometimes sentences.” And these two books have some of the best paragraphs and sentences you'll find.
Find books that you can accept them for what they say and apply it to your life. You'll be better because of it.