I have a problem.
Well, let's call it a "problem".
It's possible you can relate.
The number of books I own seems to be growing at a rate faster than I am reading them...
"But it's not my faulttttttt..." I can hear my brain screaming on the inside, as if I am being asked to defend myself.
If I did have to build a defense, here are two key pieces of evidence I would provide:
Exhibit A: My StrengthsFinder results
Right up top there, big number one, is Learner. StrengthsFinder says that "People exceptionally talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn" and I would argue that when it sits in that number one spot, it could be described as an insatiable desire to learn. It's awesome...and can also be intense (*glances at bookshelf*).
Exhibit B: My VIA Character Strengths results
When I completed my coaching certificate back in 2015 we took the VIA Character Strengths assessment and...it turns out I'm a deeply consistent human.
This is the understatement of the century.
I will watch unlimited episodes of How It's Made. I can't enjoy a massage or watch a play without being unendingly curious about what magical combination of body parts they're using to poke my muscles or what's happening in this show that hasn't gone to plan, but the audience would never know. I've worked at a sewage treatment plant just to know how we actually clean water (IT'S SO COOL).
It doesn't turn off.
I want to know EV. RY. THING.
At some point, I realized that if I could have anything, my job would be (1) to read all the books I have on my shelf, and (2) share all the fascinating information with other curious people who don't have time to read all the books on their shelves.
And I can hear you saying, "Uh...don't you run your own business, and can't you make your job anything you want it to be?"
WHY YES. You are so wise.
Sooooooooo I created a community where I get to devour every book that has been written about kindness, creativity, and delight, share it with other deeply kind humans, and then ultimately build a grand framework to share my exploration of kindness.
(All of my dreams end with building a framework, not gonna lie.)
Each week, I get to read from one of my books, use my distillation and synthesis powers to create a 20-minute teaching, and share with thoughtful, curious people.
Here are the books I've devoured and shared in the community so far:
And here is what's on deck next (even just looking at this list gets me SO EXCITED):
A member of the Secret Society said, I am a human version of Blinkist, and I think that might be one of the highest compliments anyone could ever pay me.
If you take a look at your to-do list right now, and it has:
"Find a human version of Blinkist that will teach me everything that has been written about kindness, creativity, and delight."
On it, then,
1. I must commend you on the specificity of your to-do list and
2. Do I have an invitation for you!
I would love to invite you to a workshop I'm running this month to share more widely about what we've been learning in the Secret Society of Unreasonable Kindness. You can purchase a ticket by clicking on this delightful button:
Now that you know my dark secret, may I recommend you send any books my way that you would like put through the human Blinkist machine on the topics of kindness, creativity, and delight.
I will have no choice but to add them to the list and share my book report with extreme enthusiasm.
- Lindsay "Curious About Everything" Gordon
unreasonablekindness.eventbrite.com