5 Lessons Most People Learn Way Too Late in Life

It's best to learn these lessons while you're still young.

1. Perception is reality

It's true. The way you interpret and understand the world directly affects your beliefs
and the way you live your life. Perception creates bias as much as it creates
understanding. It creates fear as much as it creates curiosity.

Do you want your reality to be narrow or vast?

Will the bliss that ignorance provides be sufficient, or do you need more?

The truth is most people want more. Even if it is on a subconscious level. Humans
tend to trail blaze. From cradle to the grave, our society emphasizes the importance
of education. Learning and discovering is what we do, but still it is increasingly hard
to understand what you don't understand.

So how do you learn to know what you don't know? Start by asking yourself: What
don't I know? What do you want to learn more about?

Most importantly, understand that it's OK to be wrong. In error there is growth.

2. Everything is temporary

Your good times are temporary and your bad times are temporary. So when you're
up, enjoy it, bask in it, and be grateful for it. And when you're down, know you will get
through it. Know that it's not the end, and that it's just a rough patch. Life is full of
twists and turns, ups and downs, and surprises.

We forget that it's about the journey not the destination.

There is a lesson in everything. I think it's hard for a lot of people--especially young
people--to appreciate life. Recognizing the full worth of your hardships and your
blunders is key to appreciating the journey. It's just as important to stay humble and
be grateful for the joys life brings you.
Everything is temporary, so make the most out of all of it.

3. The importance of being present

"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in
the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present." --Lao Tzu

More often than not, we tend to worry about what's to come, or dwell on something
that's already happened. While it's crucial to care and consider your future, be
careful not to let it hinder your present. Moments turn into memories. Enjoy the
moment while you have it.

It usually takes a lifetime of piled up worries for a person to realize: Worrying isn't
productive.

Living in the past is equally unproductive. There are definitely benefits in being able
to reflect on yourself and on your past. Paying attention to what you've been through
and how that makes you feel matters. It takes a lot of emotional energy to grieve,
process, and overcome.

The balance of being able to take time to reflect, and to prioritize your future while
spending the majority of your day in the present, is beyond valuable, it's life
changing.

4. Do what you love, love what you do

There was a huge mosaic near my university in London that said that those words. I
was grateful to walk past it almost every day and remind myself of the importance of
loving your career and loving what you do. Your work is a considerably large aspect
in your life that you dedicate yourself to. If you aren't happy in your career, that
unhappiness will seep into other aspects of your life. And while nothing is perfect, it's
important to work on yourself and position yourself to reach the goals and
satisfactions you desire.

Most importantly: Invest in yourself.

This goes for your non-work life, too. What habits and hobbies do you want to stop?
Which ones do you want to develop? It's important to be conscious of the type of
people and activities you surround yourself with. Information is like nutrients to your
brain, be aware of what you are feeding yourself. Success isn't one triumphant
moment. Success is a series of moments (and choices) leading up to bigger
moments.

You are the only person who can get in the way of living every day doing what you
love.

Bob Dylan said it best when he said "What's money? A man is a success if he gets
up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to
do."

5. Being happy takes work

The happiest people tend to be the ones who've worked the most on themselves.
Being happy takes a lot of work. It's just as much work--if not more-- to be unhappy.
So choose wisely. Being happy means at some point you decided to take control of
your life. It means you decided to not be a victim and to put that energy back into
yourself. Sometimes it's hard, but you have to pull yourself up and push yourself
forward.

Your lifetime is a series of developments and personal growth.

One of the worst things you can do for self-development is comparing yourself to
other people. It's easy to get caught up in jealousy and wanting what other people
have. Especially with the way we interact with social media. You have to remember
that people tend to show only the best parts of their lives on those platforms. It's not
fair to yourself when you see that and think "I want to do that" or "I want to look like
that". Not only does that distract you from being appreciative of what you have in our
own life, it doesn't provide any productive input to yourself. Most often, your
perception of someone's life is a fallacy. And even if it isn't, focus on yourself. It's
your journey and your path that you should be concerned with.

Being happy takes practice. Whether it's you learning to let go of your ego, or
forming more self-loving habits...it takes practice. You only have one life, work as
hard as you can to make it your best life.
10 Habits of the Most Confident People
Confidence breeds success. Are you as confident (and successful) as you can be?
By Andrew Thomas Founder, Skybell Video Doorbell

When I look back on my 20s, I see two different versions of myself. The first five
years were dominated by feelings of insecurity and anxiety. I was living a life I did not
want, and I wasn't confident enough to stop it. Then, in the second half of my 20s, I
learned to embrace my purpose and began living the life I wanted -- the life of an
entrepreneur. One thing is clear: The success I've experienced while launching
and growing SkyBell would not have been possible with my old mindset.

Now at age 32, I can clearly see my shift from a negative mindset to a success
mindset was caused by my developing more confidence. When you feel confident,
the whole world seems to belong to you. You suddenly surround yourself with other
successful and confident people, and both opportunities and success come your way
with ease.

Here are 10 ways you can develop the mindset shared by the most confident people.

1. Define your purpose.

It's hard to be confident in what you're doing if you're not sure why you're doing it.
What is your purpose in work and in life? Once you identify your "why," you'll be
more confident because you'll be coming from a place of purpose.

2. Avoid comparing yourself with others.

In almost every case, when you compare yourself with someone else, it takes the
form of negative self-talk about how you're not good enough. Doing this weakens
self-confidence. The only person you need to compare yourself with is the version of
yourself that you want to become. That's it.

3. Focus on solutions.
There will always be challenges. But focusing solely on a problem is a self-defeating
practice. Instead, acknowledge that problems will arise, and when they do, focus on
finding solutions as a strong leader. The more problems you overcome, the more
confidence you'll build and the easier it will be to find solutions.

4. Play to your strengths.

Sometimes we spend more time making up for our perceived weaknesses than we
do honoring our strengths. While I certainly agree with improving weaknesses, you
might find that your confidence will increase when you play up your strengths. For
example, if you're not good at math (like me), don't be a CFO. Stick with your
strengths.

5. Fake it till you make it.

If you suffer from imposter syndrome, or the untrue belief that you're not good
enough, just pretend to be confident. Keep embracing the idea that you're already
successful. You might not be convinced at first, but eventually your thoughts will
follow your emotions and you'll become a more confident person.

6. Take action.

Fear can be paralyzing. Ignore the voice in your head telling you that you can't do
something, and take action anyway. The more you let fear hold you back, the
stronger the negative voice will become. It works in the other direction too: The more
you take action, the quieter the negative voice will become.

7. Take pride in your appearance.

When you look good, you'll feel good. When you feel good, you feel confident. Wear
the clothes you want to wear. Invest in how you look and you'll invest in your own
success.

8. Focus on the positive.

Negative self-talk and pessimism are a vicious cycle, and a drain on your
confidence. Focus on your positive attributes instead of perceived weaknesses;
focus on your accomplishments rather than on your perceived failures. Keep focused
on what is working instead of what is not working.

9. Be ready.

Success is part preparation and part opportunity. Study, practice, and do what it
takes to prepare yourself for when the right opportunity knocks on your door. If you're
prepared, you are more likely to have the confidence to capitalize on the opportunity.

10. Embrace the power of body language.

Body language speaks much louder than words. When you're feeling down on
yourself, change your posture: Pull your shoulders back, hold your head high, stand
with your feet wide and put your hands in the air like a superhero. Notice how the
new stance quickly changes your mood and boosts your confidence.

Final word.

There is no magic solution that will suddenly make you a more confident person. But
when you focus on making consistent and small steps, you can transform yourself
from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Building confidence is like building
momentum: Just keep taking action and you'll feel more and more confident with
each positive step.

30 Books You Need to Read to Earn 'Well-Read' Status

With this list, you'll feel like you can dominate the Trivial Pursuit literature section.
For anyone who wants to attain the vaunted title of "being well-read," it's more about
breadth than depth. (As for feeling well-read, read the postscript.)

To "feel" well-read in literature, it's all about the categories, not the books
themselves. Read a few books in a few different genres, time periods, points of
views. I've thrown in a few controversial books, just so you know what all of the fuss
is about.
Here's how you can feel like a regular literati:

Western Classics (Ancient & Modern): to give you a good foundation for the who's
who of Western literature.

 The Odyssey (Homer): epic of a dude who just can't get home without a little
help from the gods. (Extra credit if you read the Iliad, too!)
 A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens): the quintessential story of the French
Revolution, love, and longing.
 Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austen): the story that started the "hate at first sight
turning into love" trope.
 Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy): Very long. Very melodramatic. Very Russian.
Very classic!

Dystopia: the stuff of our worst fears and nightmares.

 Nineteen-Eighty-Four (George Orwell): the book that introduced "doublethink"

into our lexicon.
 Brave New World (Aldous Huxley): another classic dystopia. Gammas,
Deltas, oh my!
 The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood): a feminist spin on the genre.

Science Fiction & Fantasy: we can't overlook the geeky cousin of the classics, can
we?

 The Lord of the Rings series (J.R.R. Tolkien): this guy made the epic (also
called high) fantasy genre. Be warned, it's a bit of a dry read.
 The Foundation series (Issac Asimov): some of the pioneering stories in
science fiction, natch!
 Neuromancer (William Gibson): here's something a bit more modern. Plus,
you just can't beat "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned
to a dead channel" as a snappy first line.
Great American Novels: these zeitgeist works practically defined a time period of
U.S. history.

 The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald): you can't think of the Jazz Age without
thinking of "old sport."
 Bonfire of Vanities (Tom Wolfe): the terrible movie nonwithstanding, this book
captured the self-indulgence of the 80s NYC crowd.
 The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck): I dare you to get into a conversation
about the Great Depression without thinking of this book. I dare you.

Literary Heavy Hitters: books that make people go "Whoa, dude!" when you say
that you've read them.

 Ulysses (James Joyce): stream-of-consciousness writing plus an unhealthy

sexual obsession with an orphan with a limp equals literary greatness. True
story.
 Infinite Jest (David Foster Wallace): fractals, man! Fractals!
 Gravity's Rainbow (Thomas Pynchon): lots of stuff happens that a lot of
people pretend to understand.

Popular Fiction: those guilty indulgences that everyone has read (but won't
necessarily admit to it). Warning: this is U.S.-centric, feel free to indulge in your
country's guilty pleasures.

 A Song of Ice and Fire series (George R. R. Martin): hey, there's a popular

HBO miniseries about it!
 The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins): better than Twilight.
 Fifty Shades of Grey (E.L. James): be torn between hilarity and despair in this
BDSM spin-off of a Twilight fan fiction. Who knows, maybe this'll spice up the
bedroom.

Immigrant Experience (U.S./U.K.): ah, the magical experience of being thrust into a

new culture.
  Interpreter of Maladies (Jhumpa Lahiri): say hello to our recent Indian arrivals!
(For our tea-drinking cousins across the pond, try Monica Ali's Brick Lane.)
 Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan): the book that inspired a movie and furor in the
Asian American community about stereotypes and Tan's possible self-
loathing. (For a less controversial read, try Ha Jin's Waiting--and yes, there's
a lot of longing and waiting there.)
 How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Julia Alvarez): how four sisters start
to forget their Spanish and their native homeland of the Dominican Republic.

Non-Western Classics (Ancient): if Westerners get theirs, so should the rest of the
world.

 Ramayana (India): this is THE Hindu epic. Full stop.

 Romance of the Three Kingdoms (China): a bit of Chinese history, highly
romanticized and dramatized. Kind of like "A World Turns."

Non-Western Classics (Modern): the stuff that you should read to feel

worldly and well-read. (More applicable if you're from the U.S. or Western Europe.)

 One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez): this novel single-

handedly legitimatized Latin American literature in modern times. Too bad you
don't know who he's talking about half of the time.
 To Live (Yu Hua): getting banned in China just adds to its street cred.
 Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe): the sad tale of colonialism in Africa.
Definitely merits a frowny-face.

Satire: throw in a little giggle into your reading list.

 Cat's Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut): some say Slaughterhouse-Five is his best, I say

this one.
 Catch-22 (Joseph Heller): come and see what the catch-22 is. I promise you,
it's gorgeously ironic.
 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams): you kill two birds with
two stones here: sci-fi and satire.
This is where I reach the end of my endurance. I haven't even gotten into the non-
fiction stuff, but alas ... I must eat.
With this list, you'll feel like you can dominate the Trivial Pursuit literature section!
Life is good.

Postscript: since this question is more about sentiment than reality ... I hate to break
it to you, but if you're truly a well-read person, you will never feel well-read. They're
always on the lookout for their next book--that category that they're missing--to add
to their impressive list. It's a Sisyphean goal, really.

If you feel well-read, you're probably not.

8 Leaders Share Their Secrets to Succeeding Under

Pressure
Professional pressure often comes with the territory in most careers, but it's possible
to handle the situation with grace.
You're not likely to find a career path without deadlines or scrutiny. Throughout your
professional life, you'll find yourself pressed for time or having to answer to someone
for your actions.

This kind of pressure can be overwhelming, but it's important to find ways to work
through it and come out on top. To help you, we asked a group of business leaders
how they've learned to cope and succeed under pressure. Follow their guidance to
meet your goals, no matter what curveballs your career is throwing at you.

Focus on one task at a time.

Trying to tackle a huge project on a tight deadline is often a source of stress. Instead
of looking at the total stress, Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers
Personal Finance, recommends focusing on each specific task you must complete
before moving onto the next.

"Forget about the overall result until you're almost finished," says Schrage. "And
since you've probably had these moments before, think back to one or two where
you particularly shined and use that for inspiration."

Prioritize what's important, not what's urgent.

We've all had to choose between "urgent" and "important" tasks on our to-do lists.
According to Solomon Thimothy, co-founder and president of OneIMS, the "urgent"
tasks shouldn't consume you. It's best to optimize your workflow and prioritize the
important things on your list.

"If you don't want to spend the rest of your career fighting fires, take time to prevent
them from happening in the future," Thimothy adds.

Treat it like a game.

Working under extreme pressure can sometimes feel like life or death. Before he
reaches this point, Zach Binder, co-founder and president of Bell + Ivy, stops to
adjust his perspective and treats the pressure like a game.

"I challenge myself to get through the time having as much fun as possible while
doing it," Binder explains. "If you can find the fun in the situation, all pressure will be
gone."

Take care of your health first.

The secret to succeeding under pressure and scrutiny? Taking care of your physical
and mental health. 

"The most organized person will crumble without sufficient sleep," says Rachel
Beider, CEO of PRESS Modern Massage. "Make sure you're prioritizing a healthy
lifestyle and habits to establish a strong foundation for success."

Learn to ignore the negativity.

A thick skin is a must when you're facing professional scrutiny, says Angela Ruth,
customer experience rep for Calendar.

"You need to learn to ignore certain things like negative behaviors or comments
because letting them impact you will only stop you from succeeding," Ruth says. "Do
not emotionally react to what others are trying to stir up. Keep focused on what you
need to get done. You'll succeed and shut them up in the process."

Ask for help.

When you're feeling pressured to deliver results on a timeline, it helps to remember

that there are others around you who can help, including your team. Piyush Jain,
CEO of SIMpalm, says he is often able to get help from his team when needed,
because he makes a point to help them too.

"Planning your activities is important, but if you get support from team members, you
can deliver more and do it efficiently," says Jain.

Remember your past successes.

One thing that works for Stephanie Wells, founder of Formidable Forms, when she's
stressed is reflecting on past successes.

"When you feel stressed or under pressure, remember all that you've already
overcome," Wells says. "If you got through that, then surely you can get through and
achieve anything."

Keep your eye on the prize.

Tunnel vision is sometimes considered a bad thing, but it's absolutely essential when
you're trying to get work done under pressure.

"Stress and anxiety are often a result of thinking about the unknown in the future,"
says Matthew Podolsky, managing attorney at Florida Law Advisers, P.A. "Remove
this by moving one moment and one breath at a time. Keep your eyes on the prize
regardless of how you feel or the pressure that surrounds you. Any attention paid to
stress will be attention taken from the goal."
14 Great Books for Anyone Who Wants Get Ahead in Life

The highest achieving people you know are probably readers. Here are the titles
they just might have on their nightstand.

The highest achieving people you know don't sit around watching TV in their free
time. They work hard at continually sharpening themselves, and one of the most
common ways of doing it is by ingesting the wisdom of others. Here are more than a
dozen books to check out, according to executives and founders who say these titles
made a real difference in their perspectives.

1. The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial
Part of Any Bold Venture by Scott Belsky

"This book is a bit of a guidebook on navigating the tough times when creating
something from nothing. With powerful interviews mixed in from key figures across
many genres of business, this book is such a useful tool for anyone at any level. It
helps you find clarity and why in almost any scenario. Whether building a team,
creating a new product or service, or just pushing your business and teams to the
next level of success, this book has allowed me to act more methodically and
strategically in so many different situations of my daily life."

--John Holdridge, general manager at Fullscreen, an entertainment experience

company serving over 400 brands and over 2,500 creators and celebrities who
generate more than seven billion monthly video views across a global network of
social channels

2. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of
True Inspiration by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace

"Anyone looking to inspire creativity and innovation and lead their teams to new
heights should read [this book, in which the author] shares how the Pixar leadership
team built a creative culture and maintained a pipeline of innovation for decades. I
revisit the philosophies they lived by on a regular basis, and two of my favorites are:
'Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre
idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something even
better,' and 'It's not the manager's job to prevent risks. It's the manager's job to make
it safe for others to take them.'"

--Donnalyn Smith, president, North America, at Momentum Worldwide, a global

experiential advertising agency that won its first Grand Prix at Cannes Lions in 2019,
with 30 offices across 21 countries producing events for over five million people

3. Educated by Tara Westover

"Any successful person knows there are no greater keys to achievement than grit
and the willingness to learn or adapt. It's one thing to say that aloud and quite
another to know how to embody such characteristics in practice. [This book] is the
autobiography of a woman born to an extremist, rural family. Not only is it a
captivating read -- I finished it in a day -- but it also furthered skills imperative to my
career as an entrepreneur. Westover demonstrates how commitment to learning and
hard work ultimately leads to her success, despite overwhelming hardship."

--Casey Grage, CEO of Hubly Surgical, a medical device company whose team has
more than 25 patents

4. The Rivers Ran East by Leonard Clark

"I believe [this book is] the best travel and adventure book of all time ... It's full of true
stories of swashbuckling adventures that mesmerize readers and seem to defy
reality. It inspired me to seek out new cultures and frontiers in both my leisure
pursuits and races around the world. The book also reinforces the value of discovery
and authentic experiences ... "

--Matthew Von Ertfelda, SVP of food and beverage and global operations at Marriott
International, which has more than 10,000 restaurants and bars around the world

5. The School of Life: An Emotional Education by Alain de Botton

"[The author's] writings put it all in perspective: how to be more effective at work,
deal with miscalculations as well as successes, and be resilient at the same time as
you are creating ... or to simplify from what I have learned over the decades, working
in politics and business: stay flexible, keep your sense of humor, and don't take
yourself too seriously."

--Steve Wilson, founder of 21c Museum Hotels, a hotel brand with eight properties in
its portfolio and three additional hotels in the pipeline, including soon-to-open 21c
Museum Hotel Chicago

6. The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill

"As a small child, around 12, my father gave me this book and insisted I read it. At
over 600 pages long, my adolescent mind could neither grasp nor appreciate it. But I
have re-read this book 10 times over my life, and it is amazing how there are still so
many lessons to learn. Despite being written almost a century ago, the process to
achieving victories both great and small is easily mapped out for us. I owe so much
of my success to this timeless instruction. It made me believe, even at a very young
and impressionable age, that one can achieve anything one wants, if one can
believe it, envision it, and work diligently toward it."

--Darren Sadana, CEO of Choice IoT, a T-Mobile and Metro PCS agency with more
than 300 retail locations nationwide

7. Traction by Gino Wickman

"[This book] walks you through the Entrepreneurs Operating System (EOS). [It] has
changed the way I think about and run my business. Fundamentally, it's quite simple
and the return on investment is huge. [It] lays the infrastructure that will allow your
business to hold more productive meetings, ensure you have the right people in the
right seats, recognize problems before it's too late, and generally improve
efficiencies."

--Chase Terwilliger, CEO of Balanced Health Botanicals, a family of CBD brands

that has grown from four employees to more than 120, increased product SKUs from
one to over 800, and secured partnerships for products to be sold in more than
5,500 retailers nationwide

8. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

"Unlike what you would expect from the co-founder of Nike, [this book] is simply a
tale of the Nike adventure, not a business book. It walks you through the journey in a
very down-to-earth way. While there are many lessons on company culture, loyalty,
creative thinking, etc., what I found most helpful was the candor with which it
describes the horrors that a founder faces. It reminds you that you are not alone, and
that chaos is OK.  Not many people tell you as a founder: You're supposed to feel
like sh** much of the time. It's helpful to know that sometimes, Phil had it worse."

--Mladen Barbaric, serial tech entrepreneur as well as founder and CEO of Airgraft,
a technology company that recently raised $33 million

9. Drawdown edited by Paul Hawken

"The strapline on this book is 'the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to
reverse global warming.' It was written by a coalition of researchers and scientists to
identify realistic solutions to climate change. The title is hopeful, identifying that point
when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. This book sits
on my desk and I turn to it when I need inspiration. I've also sent copies to friends
and family because I believe it really is that important. To me, as an executive, this
book identifies 100 areas in which you could inject purpose into your organization. I
know there are lots of problems that we can embrace as executives, but climate
change is the existential threat to humanity. Consumers are looking for companies
with purpose, and what could be more worthwhile than battling climate change?"

--Anne Carlson, CEO of Jiminy's, a sustainable pet food company using insect
protein to reduce the carbon pawprint of pets and growing at more than 70 percent
year over year

10. Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty

"One of the gravest systemic issues facing our modern society is the increasing
wage and income inequality that seems to be spreading across the globe. The
ramifications of these income rifts range from societal friction to start, to complete
upheaval and even revolution at the extreme. I had been looking for a deep, data-
based treatise on the root causes of this dynamic and found this book to be
incredibly thought-provoking and enlightening."
--Victor Cho, CEO of Evite, a digital platform for creating, sending, and managing
digital invitations, with more than 100 million users

11. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

"In technology and at startups, people can easily forget how much our heart and
emotional experience matter. Particularly in fintech, organizations can get lost and
think of people as numbers to be optimized and overlook the real human experience
and the intense emotions that people feel around managing their money. I love [this
book], because it's a reminder of the messy, complicated, beautiful reality of being
human."

--Lindsay Holden, CEO of Long Game, a personal finance app that has been
featured in publications including TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, Today,
and Fast Company

12. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M.

Sapolsky

"I love understanding the drivers behind the decisions we make, and this book looks
at human behaviors from a multitude of perspectives (biochemical, anthropological,
genetic, etc.). By reading it, you're reminded to take a deeper look at your own
behavior and the behavior of those around you. This is definitely a must-read for
anyone running a consumer business."

--Beth Gerstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Brilliant Earth, a global retailer of

ethically sourced fine jewelry with 200 employees and eight showrooms across the
country

13. Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

"I'm passionate about putting humans first, and this book embodies the idea that true
leadership means treating your team as human beings and being willing to sacrifice
your own self-interests for the greater objective. Simon's examples taken from the
military show how this leadership style applies in literal life-or-death situations. While
building a business certainly isn't as dire, it's important to recognize that, as [the
author] says, 'leadership is the choice to serve others with or without any formal
rank.' Understanding how to put people first -- removing perceived internal threats,
giving them the resources they need to thrive, and having their backs even in the
most difficult situations -- can be counterintuitive to those of us who are a 'numbers
person,' but the approach has worked time and again."

--Lawrence Whittle, CEO of Parsable, a connected worker platform company that

provides global industrial companies with digital tools for their frontline workers to
increase productivity, quality, and safety, with users in more than 120 countries and
14 languages

14. The Second Mountain by David Brooks

"Whereas 'the first mountain of life' is about tireless, hot, hard work toward  success,
[this book] highlights the second chapter of life in which a rare few are able to realize
what actually matters in life. The second mountain is about discovering that true joy
comes from discarding the pursuit of happiness to free us to follow a life of purpose
and joy. It is about committing ... to a spouse and family, to a community, to a
spirituality and faith, and to a vocation, to something more profound than success.
[The author] paints a picture of what this life looks like, and it is beautiful, one in
which the slow burn of steady joy fuels life. For your own life, what might that look
like? This book is about finding that answer. It's not what you think."

--Matt Dalio, founder and CEO of Endless, a company that teaches digital literacy to
youth with a suite of games called Terminal Two, which recently was named "Best
New Coding Games" by Parents.com