What I'm Reading

After I finished this book (In Search of Balance by Dr. Richard Swenson) I proclaimed, "This was the best book of the decade!" Hopefully I can find the words to explain this bold statement.

I am an avid reader and I enjoy most of the mushy self-help type of books. This book kinda falls in that category. However, Dr. Swenson is a different from the typical self-help author. He is also a brillant futurist, physican, researcher and award-winning educator.  In a few words, the book is about restoring balance in our fast-paced go, go, go society. His wisdom has been honed by the big-picture perspective of an exhaustive study of the stresses of modern life and progress (quoted from the back cover).

Here are a few of my favorite highlights:

"We have neglected our quantitative side for too long. If we are going to regain balance in a sustainable way, we need to know what is happening in our lives in understandable quantitative terms. It is important to realize that everything cost us time, money or energy.

To make progress in work-life balance, we all must first admit (1) humans have limits; (2) we are humans; (3) therefore, we too have limits; (4) the escalating process of progress will assault these limits; (5) exceeding our limits will not only harm our work and our life outside of work, but the balance between the two.

Wisdom, worship and love are slow, mellow and deep. These will be in our room on that last day. 

Leave work at work. Take time off, and protect it. Turn off the phones during dinner. Resist the urge to check email or text messages. Get in the car and go somewhere. Give full attention to the moment and to the people you are with.

Christians make a difference in this world by being different from this world; they don't make a difference by being the same.

Love is the greatest multiplier. Whatever it touches, it heals. And when it is used, it always increases."

Please, find this book, take a quiet afternoon and soak in the wisdom. I did not even scratch the surface of explaining this awesome book. You will laugh, cry and learn so much from Dr. Swenson.