6 Important Things Books Have Taught Me

Some people find reading books boring. When I was younger (di pa naman ako matanda) I really didn’t like to read. I thought it was boring. Something only nerds will understand. Then, the long vacation of summer 2014 came. There was a 3-month vacation because of the academic calendar shift.

One day, I saw my mom’s books and tried to read it. To my surprise it was good. I really got into it. The first book I read was Beyond Talent by John Maxwell. It talks about molding your character and doing your best to reach your ceiling. After that, reading has become my hobby. I read books every time I get a chance.

There are a lot of lessons I learned from the books I read. As of now, here are the valuable things I learned:

1. Encourage and inspire one another

“Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.” – John Maxwell

Encouraging and inspiring people is a noble job. You don’t get paid for it. You do it because you know it can change the world. Changing people’s perspective is not that easy. Turning those negative thoughts into positive ones is a hard task to do. Also, you need to walk the talk. You can’t expect someone to believe in you if he doesn’t see it in you. To be a person of influence, you must be a person of integrity. Let us also not forget that a motivated and inspired person performs at a high level. Imagine if all of us have the right mindset, we can really change the world. Making people motivated will result into a better Earth.

2. See things beyond our capabilities

"You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness." –Zig Ziglar 

I’m pretty sure that no matter how good you are, you still think that there are a lot of things beyond your capabilities. We tend to limit ourselves when things get tough. Eric Thomas once said, “When you want to succeed as bad you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful”. Have you tried pushing yourself to the limit? If not, then burn that midnight oil! Greatness is the product of passion, patience, toughness, and belief. You can do anything if you believe and work hard for it.

3. You are unique and you are God’s masterpiece

“Constantly remind yourself that you are a masterpiece and you have a role to play in creating the overall masterpiece God intended the world to be” – Marianne Mencias

We are all different from one another. That guy who smokes the cigarette in the street is different from you. The cashier at SM is also different from you. We each have our own unique set of skills. Just like in basketball, you can’t create a team with five point guards on your starting lineup. You will need a point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward, a power forward, and the center. All of our difference will cover up each other’s weakness. The world is created like a puzzle, and we are the pieces to create that masterpiece.

4. “Imagination mo ang limit”

“If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” –Zig Ziglar

I believe that you need to have a dream for yourself. You have dream to be a successful person in the future. God gave us those visions for us to work on it. Dream high, it won’t hurt you. Use your imagination to envision greatness in you. Use it as your motivation, your inspiration and the engine that will drive you to peak performance. NBA Superstar Kyrie Irving, as a kid once dreamed playing in the NBA. Now look at him, he’s not just your average basketball player, he became one of the best point guard in the league. See how a dream could turn into a reality? Don’t limit your dream, as the old saying goes “Imagination mo ang limit!”.

5. There is always a potential for us to be great

“Your potential is really up to you. It doesn’t matter what others might think. It doesn’t matter where you came from. It doesn’t even matter what you might have believed about yourself at a previous time. It’s about what lies within you and whether you can bring it.”– John Maxwell

Look at the mirror: Do you see that guy to be a world-changer? If not, then you’re wrong. Every one of us has the talent to inspire, lead and create change in society. More than your known skills, there is still something yet to discover within us that could be a useful tool to achieve the best life. Whether you come from a poor family or might have been sick for a long time there is still something great inside you. Maybe you don’t know yet what is it but I believe you have what it takes to be the best version of you. Remember what I said in the first part, you are God’s masterpiece!

6. Highly favored and blessed!

“Start your day with faith and expectancy, and then go out anticipating good things. Expect circumstances to change in your favor. Expect people to go out their way to help you. Expect to be at the right place at the right time.”- Joel Osteen

From the moment you wake up, what do you anticipate? Is it having a bad day with bad weather and a bad day at the school or office? Or is it having a “better than good” day filled with joy, fulfillment and love? If you think about the former, then it’s time for you to change that attitude. Expect things to go on your favor, our thoughts are like magnets. Whatever we anticipate, it might happen. Have you seen a successful person who thinks of himself as a weak guy that can’t do anything? Of course those guys look forward to a great days. So let’s all put our faith in the Lord for He will do great things for us.

Image Credits:

• http://atleventsgroup.com/atl-events-presents-three-tips-to-encourage-innovation/
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Smile_at_Last_(Imagicity_617).jpg
• http://wallpaper222.com/explore/encourage-one-another/
• http://pwdfiles.verafiles.org/a-filipina-paralympic-legend/
• http://www.raisingsupaman.com/2015/01/cultivate-hopes-harvest-dreams-the-farmers-only-way/
• http://www.wvi.org/afghanistan/article/i-love-eat-eggs