Other People’s Words

by | Jun 5, 2021

One of my favorite email newsletters to receive is this one from James Clear, who is perhaps most know for his book on habits. The newsletter always follows the same format: 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider for the week.

The quotes are my favorite part. 

I always get introduced to new ideas from a range of authors, scientists, artists, and other creatives. The wisdom that I receive from those quotes inspired me to share some the recent things I’ve highlighted in books I’ve read lately that I found comforting, useful, or interesting.

Here are some of my favorite recent quotes (and links to the books and authors where they originated from):

“We resist transition not because we can’t accept the change, but because we can’t accept letting go of that piece of ourselves that we have to give up when and because the situation has changed.” From The Way Of Transition: Embracing Life’s Most Difficult Moments by William Bridges

“One simple question — is this in line with the vision? — can help eliminate hours, days, or even months of torturous discussion.” From Leading Change by John P. Kotter

“Self-knowledge is needed to plot a path through change and transitions and, above all, to provide a sense of identity and coherence.” From The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity by Lynda Gratton

“Who you are as a leader is not the starting point on your development journey, but rather the outcome of learning about yourself. This knowledge can only come about when you do new things and work with new and different people. You don’t unearth your true self; it emerges from what you do.” From Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra

“Meditation and writing practice point inward and offer a built-in form for meeting our true self. Then we’re on our own. Each person has to find her way to meet the world and to carry that true self, what’s inside, out into the flow of life and into her readers’ minds.” From Thunder and Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer’s Craft by Natalie Goldberg

“Don’t push growth; remove the factors limiting growth.” From The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization by Peter M. Senge

“Before you start designing a learning experience, you need to know what problem you are trying to solve. A lot of learning projects start with the goal rather than the problem, but that puts you in the position of solving problems you don’t actually have, while failing to address the real issues.” From Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen

“The only way to successfully fulfill your mission is to trust — really trust — that you live in a friendly universe.” The Anatomy of a Calling by Lissa Rankin

What are some of the books and quotes that you have run across and really enjoyed lately?

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