If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to better yourself, have you seen many changes? From dieting and exercise to a few simple procedures, altering your body image takes a lot of work but is almost always a common resolution to have. But what about your mind—have you been neglecting it in favor of your physique?
Readers are Leaders
There are a myriad of activities to help give you a mental makeover: memory games, flashcards, brain-training websites and dozens more. But there’s an old-fashioned technique that can help you with fine details, memory, and vocabulary (just to name a few). Reading—whether you love it or hate it—has more benefits to it than negatives, and it only takes a few minutes of your time each day.
Reading the back of the shampoo bottle, of course, doesn’t count; and while fiction novels are a popular choice, non-fiction books are what your brain is craving. Aside from learning about historical events and modern culture, you can also develop yourself as a professional by learning from others. It’s certainly important to sample a few from each category: history, politics, religion, philosophy, psychology… Once you’re in the non-fiction section, however, choosing your first book can be hard. To make things easier on you, we shared one of our favorites: Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.
Summary
Given rave reviews by The New York Times, Carl Rogers, and Harold Kushner, this deeply personal account of Frankl allows you to experience the trials and tribulations of Nazi Germany first-hand. Frankl documented his experiences as an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate, and paired it with his psychotherapeutic method as a psychiatrist. At the time of Frankl’s death in 1997, it had sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Although this first-hand account of the Holocaust may seem like nothing more than an interesting read, it certainly has value for both your professional and personal life. Throughout Frankl’s analysis of himself and his mental processes as he experienced one of the ugliest times in history, it also encourages professionals to help others find meaning in their work. Whether you’re at a desk job from 9 to 5 or working the night shift driving the interstate, it’s important to find meaning in whatever it is that you do.
Here’s an excerpt from the book itself to demonstrate what we mean:
“What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our question must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.”
For us here, we have an incredible passion for helping others feel their best in their own skin. From minor procedures like Botox to intensive reconstructive surgery, we want you to feel your best by looking your best, which allows you to bring passion and confidence into your own professional world.
Have you read Frankl’s work, or have we persuaded you to? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the book and your own efforts on mental makeovers!