The Paintbrush of the Mind & Book Recap of 2021

My 2021 word recap: 

-Wrote 119 posts (about 40,000 words – I write short pieces) 

-Published 87 new podcast episodes 

-Listened to over 30,000 min of audiobooks

-Read about 44 books 

Here are my thoughts on how to intentionally digest words & share your voice…

Words are the paint and writing is the paintbrush of the mind. The words we use reveal our minds. 

And they can paint incredible pictures and empower us to create phenomenal futures. 

Words must be both digested and shared. 

Everyone, including you, has words that can contribute to society and make an impact.  

In my small corner of the internet, I’ve written about 119 Sparks and posts, roughly 40,000 words (I write short pieces), and am working to write daily. 

I’ve recorded some of those words into podcasts, publishing 87 new episodes this year. 

But the real power to share comes from the digestion of new words that can fuel your growth, challenge your thinking, provide new insights, or allow you to take a stance. 

Having listened to over (at least) 30,000 minutes of audiobooks and programs on both Audible and Scribd (NOT including podcasts) and read about 44 books, here is my book recap:  

Currently reading/finishing 

• Tao of Charlie Munger by David Clark 
• Gandhi’s Autobiography (which is phenomenal thus far) 

Books that have had a significant impact on my life this year (and have changed my actions) 

• See You At The Top by Zig Ziglar 
• The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey 

Books I’ve repeated or have gone through multiple times this year…

• The Practice by Seth Godin
• Almost everything Ziglar… 
• Every book from Jim Collins (by far my favorite business author behind Drucker) 
• The Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas by Peter Kreeft

Up next on my reading plate are: 

• Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio 
• More of Charlie Munger (investing) 
• More of Dan Kennedy’s no BS Books (marketing) 
• And of course more Ziglar (on repeat) 

The thing about words is that it’s not about volume, it’s about quality and repetition. 

I encourage you to study what you want to learn more about and what can add value to your life and to others. 

Learning from Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, allowed me to refine what areas of my life I have been “practicing” for nearly a decade and have decided to double down on educating myself around those topics. 

The topic I focus on studying include: 

• Theology 
• Personal growth 
• Direct response, marketing & sales
• Leadership & business strategy 
• Finance & investing 

I don’t limit myself to these topics only but I know growing in these areas is like investing in an account that has been compounding in interest for decades. 

What are your topics? Look back at your previous 10, 15, 20 years and what are you proficient in? How can you become an expert in that field? 

Seth Godin in This is Marketing mentions that whatever field of work you are in, you should be well-read in that field, from authors who shared their ideas and opinions for that particular study. Allowing you to build on top of their foundations OR challenging them with braver new ideas. 

I’d also encourage a healthy amount of personal development books and of course, health-related books to have a more wholesome approach to your mental diet. 

What’s your goal with words next year? Don’t just strive to read more, focus on quality and repetition. 

And don’t just digest what you read, share it. 

There is a book inside all of us.

Your’s may just be waiting to be written… one post at a time.