What Are You Reading?
I was struck this morning by a LinkedIn posting by my friend and colleague Eileen McDargh. Here’s what she wrote:
Get in control by reading only what matters. And what matters concerns your business, your future, your soul.
Another friend and colleague of mine, the late Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, was famous for saying:
You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.
Reading is becoming a lost art. What used to be “reading time” has now been taken over by television, Facebook, Words with Friends (BTW, I just played “civet” for 57 points!), and aimless Internet browsing. And this is a shame, because time spent reading great books—books about your business, your future, your soul—is like time spent digging in a vein of pure gold. Biography, history, great fiction—these can all pay rich dividends.
So why aren’t we doing it? Why, instead, do we find ourselves saying things like:
“I’m so behind on my reading.”
“I’ve got a stack of books I’ve been meaning to get to.”
“I’d love to read more if I could just find the time.”
Really, would you ever say, “I’d love to dig in a vein of pure gold if I could just find the time”? Of course not. You’d find the time!
So why not make reading a priority? Instead of saving it until everything else is done (which, by the way, will never happen), make it an appointment. “I can’t play Words with Friends right now—this is my reading time.”
I encourage you (and by “you” I mean “me” as well) to schedule reading time every day. Another friend and colleague, Randy Gage, begins and ends each day by reading something motivational and uplifting. That’s not a bad practice.
Finally, I’d like to invite you to share your insights with other readers. What are the books that have made—or are currently making—a positive difference in your life? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
Bill Stainton
Bill's keynote presentations combine Business Smarts with Show Biz Sparks!
Author of The 5 Best Decisions the Beatles Ever Made
Speaker, Author, Beatles Expert



Some of you know that I used to produce a sketch comedy TV show in Seattle called Almost Live! It was on the air for fifteen years, and number one in its time slot for ten straight years. During those fifteen years, my team and I won more than 100 Emmy Awards. At the risk of sounding immodest, we were really, really good at what we did. Our goal was to give an award-winning performance every week, and most of the time we did just that.
As a professional speaker, I fly for business a lot. And after a few years of worrying about things like locking the door and watering the plants, I eventually came up with the brilliant idea of using a checklist (something most of my fellow speakers figured out within days, or, at the outside, weeks). The difference was amazing. No more worrying! Just go down the list, and everything’s taken care of! I now have a packing checklist and a “leaving the house” checklist.
I’m a private pilot (nothing big, just little Cessnas), and as a pilot I use a checklist every time I fly. Even though I’ve done a pre-flight check on a Cessna 172 hundreds of times, I still use a printed checklist each and every time. It’s that extra little insurance policy to make sure that nothing important gets left out.
I’m getting ready to board a plane, something I do several times a week. Each time, I’m putting my trust—and my life—in the hands of the pilot. This is, in all likelihood, a person I’ve never met, and never will meet. But I rarely, if ever, think about it, and I’ll bet you don’t either. The trust is so implicit that you don’t even think about it.
It’s a cold, gray, rainy day here in Seattle, and I noticed fewer people at the gym this morning. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I don’t think so.
Last night I heard a television commentator say that the Republican nomination is going to come down to “who wants it more.”
See that guy on the left? The one at the Steinway? That’s Andras Schiff, one of the greatest concert pianists alive today. Andras and I have a few things in common: 1) we both play the piano; 2) we both play Steinways (although his preferred instrument is a Bosendorfer); 3) we’ve both had dinner with my sister (but not at the same time; I’ve never met Mr. Schiff, whereas I’ve met my sister several times).