Getting back on track...

So, I did something really cool this morning. I listened to a book on tape in Spanish on the drive to work. This is cool…because other than the trip to Mexico, I haven’t done much with Spanish in like 2 or 3 months. As I’m writing in English, you can probably see I have a ways to go.

The nice thing this time around…is that I seem to be a lot more relaxed about the whole learning a language thing.

Not that I didn’t enjoy it before, but I think I was expecting a bit much of myself…and perhaps overrating the value of becoming bilingual. Now, it seems a lot more like the main motivation is that it is just something I enjoy…which is definitely good.

It’s been kind of a strange year. I set out with a whole list of things that deep down I really wanted to change. It had been a long time since I had been so focused on “improving my life.” Not everything is “just how I would like it” and I suspect life will never quite be like that, but I think I will always reflect on this as the “year of change.” Maybe not the year I became a man…but definitely a year in which I did a lot of growing. Some of that growing by choice…and some not.

The book I was listening to is called “Winning with People.” Well, that’s the English (and original title). The Spanish version is titled “Cómo Ganarse a la Gente.” It’s a really good book, and I would recommend it strongly to anyone. So much of happiness in life comes from the lovingly empathic relationships we strive to develop.

One thing I’ve found about books though…is they only help as much we truly internalize the ideas, and more importantly, weigh them out and decide for ourselves what we really believe. I actually have read the book I was listening to…from cover to cover already this year. There were a lot of good ideas…but no question I could have done a better job in making those ideas a part of me. Sometimes when we try too hard to do too much…it can be a bit self defeating. Nobody ever found happiness overnight. You just work at it bit by bit, and take in life’s lessons as they come.

I’ve got another book I’m working on finishing (bilingually as well). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I know a lot of people who’ve heard of it, and many who think it’s dumb…but for me…I think it’s one of the most profound compilations of ideas out there.

To a large extent…for me…success is about learning to be the type of person that deep down I would like to be. But it is also accepting who I am…and that life really is a process best taken one day at a time.