Investing In Yourself

On the day after Christmas I entered a bravery contest.

I went to the mall.

It felt like a gladiator arena.

The place was crawling with people.

There were long lines, short tempers, and apparently deep pockets as people capitalized on the after Christmas sales.

Before all was said and done our family had spent 5 hours in the melee.

That’s right 5 hours.

A momentary respite came on a visit to the bookstore in the mall.

The bookstore was devoid of long lines and sparsely populated. I thought that was strange.

Just a few feet away shoppers hauled bags and bags of bargains to their cars but it seemed like no one was taking advantage of what the bookstore had to offer.

How often do we forget to invest in things that matter?

Styles change with the seasons.

New shoes become old shoes that are hardly worn.

Trends fade and become thrift store bargains.

But good books can have a lifelong impact.

As Confucius suggests, “No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”

Invest in yourself.

Invest in your career.

Invest in your relationships.

Invest in your leadership.

Invest in your ministry.

Develop a personal library books that you can draw perspectives and insights from. It doesn’t matter if you get them on sale or pay full price, the payoffs from good books are always worth the investment.

What are some of the books you are currently reading or planning on reading soon?