Minute With Mallon: Expand Your Mind
Something I Taught:
According to Eleanor Roosevelt, great minds discuss ideas, and that's precisely something that my clients and I love to do. We're constantly immersed in conversations about life-changing books.
I enjoy two types of books: ones that enrich me and ones I read for pure enjoyment. I always keep one of each on my reading list. For books that help me grow, I prefer having both a physical copy and a Kindle version. Highlighting and making notes help to remember key ideas, and having both formats allows me to do just that.
Recently, my wife Sandy told me about two apps that allow you to either read or listen to books for free: Hoopla and Libby. I suggest you give them a try!
A few days ago, I finished listening to the book My Reading Life by Pat Conroy. He is best known for books like "The Great Santini," "The Prince of Tides," and "The Lords of Discipline." His ability as a storyteller and his vivid depictions of the American South (which is where I'm from) are what draws me to his writing.
This book focused on his lifelong love of reading, which came from his mother. Listening to Conroy’s book energized me to begin exploring some of the classics which had such an impact on his life.
For years, I thought I was "cheating" when I listened to audiobooks. I still believe there are some books that must be read to really get the meat of the material. These tend to be the books that can grow you.
But at the end of the Audible book, there was a brief 5-minute interview with Pat. One of the things that he talked about was how he thought storytelling was becoming a thing of the past, but that tools like Audible were bringing it back. He went on to talk about how there are so many super-talented people who now record books and whose voices draw you into the stories.
I love stories and storytelling. So the next book I listened to was The Great Santini by Pat Conroy. Several years ago, I watched the movie which starred Robert Duvall. I thought it was fantastic, but I can truly tell you that the book blew the movie out of the water! A pure "10!"
So I listened and learned from Pat and then made a decision that for the majority of my enjoyment books, I'm going to listen to them either on Audible or on the other two free apps I mentioned above. You'd be amazed at how quickly you can go through a book while listening on the way to the gym, sitting on the porch, while cooking dinner, waiting in a doctor's office, etc.
Fictional stories provide readers with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the lives and experiences of diverse characters, increasing our empathy and understanding of the world around us. If you want to read more but struggle to find the time, you may want to try audiobooks. Listening to a great story also reduces stress and relaxes the mind. These days, we can all use help with that! :)
Something I Learned:
LISTEN UP LEADERS:
As I was writing the section above, I did a little digging.
There was a notable study in 2013 on the topic of "Exploring the Link between Reading Fiction and Empathy" by David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano. This study found that reading fiction can enhance empathy and emotional understanding. Participants in the study who read fiction showed greater empathy compared to those who read non-fiction. Unlike non-fiction, fictional narratives immerse you into the characters’ experience, which helps individuals develop a deeper understanding of human emotions, ultimately raising one's emotional intelligence to higher levels.
Over the last year, I can think of at least three current clients who told me straight out that they lacked emotional intelligence, and it was causing problems in their careers. If you feel this way too, read fiction. And even if you feel like you already have high emotional intelligence, read fiction too!
Fiction exposes you to diverse perspectives, worlds, and scenarios, promoting flexible thinking by challenging your mind to explore new ideas. 💡This can lead to increased creativity as you learn to think outside the box and consider different viewpoints.
Reading or listening to a great story can also provide a temporary escape from the demands of everyday life, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
Lastly - Do any great fiction come to your mind that you loved? Please let me know by emailing me at Robert@RobertMallon.com. I'm always looking for the next awesome read! ❤️
Something to Ponder:
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."
- Joseph Addison
Something I Saw:
Thanks for investing a few minutes with me. As you think about what you’ve just read, what is the ONE ACTION that you’ll do or implement in order to make your life better? 🔬
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Have a comment? Reach out to me at Robert@RobertMallon.com
Until next week!
Robert
