Friday, September 30, 2011

Lessons Learned

If you follow my blog, you're familiar with my #52in52 project. As a grad student, I thought that sounded like an awesome way to start my first year as a professional. I started in January, and figured it would take me through December. Unfortunately, on this last day of September, I completed my project. I've learned a LOT this year, and I've had lots of questions about what I read, and I'd like to share what I've learned. Because I work in education, I rarely track my years from January - December (just look at my memory books with Brandon - they go September - August, like the school year), so we'll work our way through chronologically.

January
I read 17 books in January. (That's either a sign that it's a down-time at work, OR that I spent a lot of time commuting.) I read about struggles and I learned that you're not alone. Whether you are a corporate hot-shot thrown into motherhood when your best friend dies (The Accidental Mother, Rowan Coleman) or struggling because of new surroundings (The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, Dinaw Mengestu), you will never be alone.
I read about choices and I learned that you can overcome anything. Whether it's where you left your brother as a child (Sarah's Key, Tatiana de Rosnay) or a relationship that you didn't act on years ago (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford), there are reasons that we make the choices we do.

(My guess is I'm missing some books in February.)
March
I read 5 books in March. I read about love and passion, and I learned that you can move on from the pain. Whether it's the pain of having to put your best friend to sleep (The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein) or the pain from being the happiest person on earth (Generosity, Richard Powers), we can move on.

April
I read 3 books in April. I read about trials, and I learned that everyone is being tested in their own way, and that we need to learn to appreciate one another more. Whether it's the trials of surviving every day in war, (Generation Kill, Evan Wright), surviving every day in life (Tell Them Who I Am, Elliott Liebow) or the test of a friendship (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See), we all are being challenged, and no one has it "easy." That was a good month for that lesson.

May
I read 3 books in May, and I learned that we have to be more positive in order to succeed in life. (How Full Is Your Bucket, Tom Rath)

June
I read 5 books in June, and I saw my learning as an extension of April and May. We have to be positive in order to overcome life tests. Life's test could involve our parents and their parenting style (The Glass Castle, Jeannette Wells), or not knowing who your son's father is (A Father's Affair, Karel Glastra Van Loon), positivity is key in life.

July
I read 4 books in July. I learned that there are some books I have no desire to finish (but I did - The Things That Matter, Edward Mendelson), and that you shouldn't read sad books on the CTA, unless you want to look crazy (Atonement, Ian McEwan).

August
I read 9 books in August. I learned a great deal about many things (Approaching the Qu'ran, Anthony Michael Sells and Three Cups of Deceit, Jon Krakauer), and re-visited a high-school recommended (but not read) reading (The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros).

September
I finished my challenge with books in September. I laughed (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie), I cried (sobbed - The Meaning of Matthew, Judy Shepard) and I took a look at a fellow (but complex) book lover (The Book Thief, Markus Zusak).

Someone asked my favorite. I can't pick just one - and I think that's proved by what I've learned. I wouldn't give this knowledge up for anything, but I can narrow it down.
1 - The Meaning of Matthew, Judy Shepard
2 - Three Weeks With My Brother, Nicholas Sparks
3 - Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson
4 - The Glass Castle, Jeannette Wells
5 - The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein

What have you read this year?

Lessons Learned

0
| Friday, September 30, 2011
If you follow my blog, you're familiar with my #52in52 project. As a grad student, I thought that sounded like an awesome way to start my first year as a professional. I started in January, and figured it would take me through December. Unfortunately, on this last day of September, I completed my project. I've learned a LOT this year, and I've had lots of questions about what I read, and I'd like to share what I've learned. Because I work in education, I rarely track my years from January - December (just look at my memory books with Brandon - they go September - August, like the school year), so we'll work our way through chronologically.

January
I read 17 books in January. (That's either a sign that it's a down-time at work, OR that I spent a lot of time commuting.) I read about struggles and I learned that you're not alone. Whether you are a corporate hot-shot thrown into motherhood when your best friend dies (The Accidental Mother, Rowan Coleman) or struggling because of new surroundings (The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, Dinaw Mengestu), you will never be alone.
I read about choices and I learned that you can overcome anything. Whether it's where you left your brother as a child (Sarah's Key, Tatiana de Rosnay) or a relationship that you didn't act on years ago (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford), there are reasons that we make the choices we do.

(My guess is I'm missing some books in February.)
March
I read 5 books in March. I read about love and passion, and I learned that you can move on from the pain. Whether it's the pain of having to put your best friend to sleep (The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein) or the pain from being the happiest person on earth (Generosity, Richard Powers), we can move on.

April
I read 3 books in April. I read about trials, and I learned that everyone is being tested in their own way, and that we need to learn to appreciate one another more. Whether it's the trials of surviving every day in war, (Generation Kill, Evan Wright), surviving every day in life (Tell Them Who I Am, Elliott Liebow) or the test of a friendship (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See), we all are being challenged, and no one has it "easy." That was a good month for that lesson.

May
I read 3 books in May, and I learned that we have to be more positive in order to succeed in life. (How Full Is Your Bucket, Tom Rath)

June
I read 5 books in June, and I saw my learning as an extension of April and May. We have to be positive in order to overcome life tests. Life's test could involve our parents and their parenting style (The Glass Castle, Jeannette Wells), or not knowing who your son's father is (A Father's Affair, Karel Glastra Van Loon), positivity is key in life.

July
I read 4 books in July. I learned that there are some books I have no desire to finish (but I did - The Things That Matter, Edward Mendelson), and that you shouldn't read sad books on the CTA, unless you want to look crazy (Atonement, Ian McEwan).

August
I read 9 books in August. I learned a great deal about many things (Approaching the Qu'ran, Anthony Michael Sells and Three Cups of Deceit, Jon Krakauer), and re-visited a high-school recommended (but not read) reading (The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros).

September
I finished my challenge with books in September. I laughed (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie), I cried (sobbed - The Meaning of Matthew, Judy Shepard) and I took a look at a fellow (but complex) book lover (The Book Thief, Markus Zusak).

Someone asked my favorite. I can't pick just one - and I think that's proved by what I've learned. I wouldn't give this knowledge up for anything, but I can narrow it down.
1 - The Meaning of Matthew, Judy Shepard
2 - Three Weeks With My Brother, Nicholas Sparks
3 - Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson
4 - The Glass Castle, Jeannette Wells
5 - The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein

What have you read this year?
 

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