Goal # 4: Read 3 Non-fiction Books

• The Sewing Book by Alison Smith: I read this one cover to cover. It is a reference book that teaches the necessary techniques for sewing. This book teaches you all the basic to the most advance techniques. I liked learning about the fabric choices and which ones work best for which projects. But, I must say that reading the entire thing made me worry if I’d ever be able to learn to sew really well. I think I scared myself.

• Linchpin: Are you indispensable? by Seth Godin: If you have read my blog post Not a Dull Read After All you’ll know that it talks about my connections between my teaching and this book. While this book focuses on how to become indispensable in your chosen work place, it also offers advice and insight that is useful for life. Take this line from my marginal scrawl for example, Godin writes, “Anxiety is practicing failure in advance”. Wow, I am ready for the Failure Olympics the way I’ve been practicing! Maybe there are better things to be practicing, like being aware of my lizard brain. The lizard brain? That is the part of your brain that runs away in fear, hides, cowers, and throws up defenses that stand in the way of you self-actualizing – becoming a linchpin, taking that step into whatever lays beyond where you are now. Another margin note scrawls around this, “Everything is a draft.” Isn’t that a freeing idea? My note to myself says, “This page, this blog post, this website, this podcast…these are all drafts. They aren’t perfect but there out there.” And, isn’t that what I wanted to do from the beginning? You should read this book if you are: loving your job, hating your job, worrying about your job, dreaming of a different job etc. Overall, I am glad I gave Linchpin: Are you indispensable? a chance.