The Lost Years – James Michener
For anyone, especially in the immediate post-undergraduate years, who has struggled to figure it out, this one is a must. Get inspired yourself and, by all means, share it with others.
The Journey – Mary Oliver
This is the poem that changed my life. If you follow your heart’s desire the path to get there WILL NOT be easy. Which is precisely how you know you are on the right path.
Kenyon College Commencement Address – David Foster Wallace
What if we stopped and considered that the person in front of us right now has greater needs, greater pain and greater fear than we do? I fail at this ALL THE TIME. But then I remember DFW’s comment that is “unimaginably hard to do this” and I take it easy on myself and start again.
Sonnet 29 – William Shakespeare
“With what I most enjoy contented least.” Aka, the grass is always greener. Amen, brother.
The Transformative Power of Classical Music (TED talk) – Ben Zander
If only for the last 5 minutes you MUST watch this. Say it with me now: “Who am I being?”
Divided Brain, Divided World – Jonathan Rowson & Iain McGilchrist
I did better with this .pdf than I’m doing with the full length book but the power of this insight about our overwhelming reliance on the left brain in a world so desperate for right brain thinking is, well, overwhelming.
Putting Leaders On the Couch – Manfred Kets de Vries
Really, anything by Kets de Vries is extraordinary. Until leaders develop the courage to look more deeply at themselves and until we both expect and help them to do so, we’re going to struggle mightily to thrive in the face of ever quickening change.
