by Dr. Cindy Briggs
I love books. Any books. All books. I have been a reader for as long as I can remember, and I have also loved sharing books with others. I am happy to tell my friends about the latest, greatest book I have read. I also can be found giving books as gifts.
Last year, I did an online business book club so I could share with entrepreneurs different books that they might not have time to read, but would help their businesses. I did this for several months…but it didn’t seem to stick (you can read my pivot post about this!)
Why am I sharing this, and does it really matter? Well, I am sharing because sometimes a book touches my soul so much that I have to actually write an entire blog about it. Not only do I want to share it with others, but I want to scream from the rooftops that everyone should read this one. I think we all struggle so much with thinking everything needs to come quickly. You know– overnight success.
My friend Mary has written, Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots and it spoke to me deep in my soul. I love the statement on the back cover that says, “When gold stars, highlight reels, and seeking the approval of strangers on the internet are not enough, Mary Marantz gives you permission to stop running.”
That has been me— chasing… trying to impress… trying to be the “best” and honestly it wore me about. You can read a post I wrote about that too (Pivoting) . Mary wrote about trying so hard to be the best in the room, trying so hard to make others not see the internal insecurities. Is this you? Have you ever struggled with this? I know I have… many times.
I don’t want to give away too much of the book– because I want you to read it. However, there is one portion I have to highlight. It is in section no. 25 and she discusses the “missing” in our lives. The part that we want, but for whatever reason it hasn’t happened. She discusses how overachievers have usually been able to get a certain outcome. The sentence reads, “And by sheer force of grit and tenacity mixed with some good old-fashioned persistence, we’ve always been able to get the outcome we desire. Except for that one square.” (pg. 211)
Needing to be fully transparent here… I am more than just a fan of Mary’s. I have had the opportunity to know her personally. I spent six months with her as my coach. She helped me define some key areas in my business (and life). Now before that I was a fan for many years. I just had the blessed opportunity to get to personally hug this beautiful woman. I saw determination, kindness and love in her eyes. As I read her words, I know that she wants to embrace each reader and help them through their struggles.
As I said at the start of this post, I do love books (my Amazon account can prove that). I rarely feel that one book should have it’s own post…. until now. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did, and I hope you will gain new insights that will help you come out embracing, slow growth equals strong roots.
Dr. Cindy Briggs is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, college professor, wife and mom. Her mission is to provide programs that can help entrepreneurs and communities thrive. To find out more, visit www.cindybriggsphd.com.
