Last week I shared a few quick thoughts on my reading of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I shared how deeply I need reminding of the lessons contained within, and how thankful I am to authors such as Covey for passing them along.

Today I’d like to share another key idea that won’t let me go. Ironically it comes from the subsequent chapter to last week’s post. Just as systems and organisms reach a point of irreducible complexity, meaning any further reduction or removal of parts would in effect break or render useless the aforementioned, Covey’s list of essential habits must contain not only “be proactive, but this week’s topic: “begin with the end in mind.” It would collapse and fall into ruin if either pillar were abandoned or removed. You can’t have one without the other.

My heart is prone to wander. It drifts with the moving tides until I look back at the shore and realize I’ve moved. In those moments, I need resources to help me get back on track.

Those resources often come in the form of podcasts and books. Both provide excellent reminders of the man I want to be and give helpful light to finding the path forward.

Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a reoccurring book upon my desk. I pick it up and read a page here, and a chapter there from time to time. Every now and then, however, I am compelled to revisit it in its entirety. I am in the middle of doing this for the third or fourth time.

I love the above from Austin Kleon. It reminds you that the internet is not only a place to share finished ideas but a place to discover the seeds of work you are yet to undertake. It also encourages me to keep sharing some of those seeds with others.

At the end of each month, I post a few of the books I’m reading. I hope that you find something to encourage and motivate you on your journey towards becoming your personal best.

“Nothing can mature character,” Tim Keller said, “like marriage.” Each new day it seems begets some new and often frustrating episode that serves to aid your growth.

Marriage is two people living under one roof, learning what it means to intertwine two lives into one. It's also the perfect soil for the seeds of discord to sow the fruit of conflict. It is foolish to expect two broken and flawed people to produce anything else.

What happens when we head the inward call?

In obeying adventure’s beckoning, you find the mind and heart sing as one. They focus and move in unison. Your mind becomes sharp, and productive beyond measure. Things that once presented difficulty you complete with ease.

The moment you run out the door it feels as if heavy weights fall from your shoulders. You feel lighter, happier, and filled with a great sense of belonging.