"15 Invaluable Laws of Growth:" A Book Review and Reflections

As Eric and I hopped in the car and started on our way down to Miami to board our cruise, I plugged in my phone and clicked play on my Audible app. The book was one that was recommended to Eric through his work: The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, by John C. Maxwell. The aim of the book is to help YOU become the best YOU that YOU can be by following some simple laws to live by.

Now, I'm not a fan of books that tell me there are specific steps I have to take to become the best version of myself; no person is the same and I don't think any author has the wisdom or authority to insist that they know what is best for everyone. But that is NOT what John is doing in this book.

Within the folds of his pages, John lays out familiar scenarios that we realize are similar to our own, in different ways. We always find excuses to avoid our own success, we're always getting in our own way, we're always telling ourselves we can't or that we're not good enough. WE are our greatest obstacles, which is both a good and bad thing: it's bad because we ought to treat ourselves better than we typically do; but it's good because we can change our behavior and thus eliminate our greatest obstacle.

I encourage you to read Maxwell's book: not for the 15 laws he lays out, but for how he encourages self reflection. While the laws were helpful outlines for examining his tips, the highlight of the book came at the end of every chapter. There, he would suggest a few activities in self reflection and exploration that helped you to really discover what this "law" would mean to you.

For example, chapter three of the book outlines The Law of the Mirror. To give the gist, he describes that we need to see and appreciate the value in ourselves and in our own lives if we want to add any more value. You can't think that you're worthless and then add worth, that's now how it works! So at the end of the chapter, he insists that we write down our 100 favorite things about ourselves; 100 personal qualities we deem our best. So I pushed Eric

to sit down and do it with me and I came up with words I hadn't really thought on before! "Steadfast, celebratory, giggly..." I really surprised myself when I wrote down "imperfect." I liked that I was imperfect: that I snorted when I laughed, that I laugh at myself when I trip in public, that I have conversations with my dogs! It made me really appreciate who I am.

One of our favorite quotes from the book was one John gave us when discussing generous living as fulfilling living. He suggests we ought to "be rivers, not reservoirs." By this, he means that many people live like reservoirs: hoarding their resources, just in case they need them or because they can. Instead, live like a river: flowing and allowing people to draw from your wealth of resources. By giving to others in this manner, you're bound to have a richer and bigger life. That really touched me, and I hope that I always continue to live like a river.

Eric and I really enjoyed this book, and I gave it a solid three (of five) stars for being a great book to introduce readers to self-development and growth reading. I encourage you to pick up a copy today- Eric and I have already moved on to his next book, Intentional Living, and we're very excited to share it with you!