Book Report

A few weeks ago, I placed a feature on my sidebar to share with everyone what books are on my bedside table.
One of the books I have been reading is Mary Lou Retton's Gateways to Happiness



It is a book I have been wanting to read for years, and finally picked up at the library the other day. I am still reading, having just read the introduction and the section on Gateway #1, but so far, here are some of the things that have struck a chord with me...

* Remember, being happy isn't something that simply comes to us without effort. It's an ongoing challenge that we all face every day, especially in an unpredictable world where our stregnths and faith are constantly being tested.
* No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished? (Lee Iacocca)
*The truth is that an ideal family is not something that we are simply born into - it's something that every single family member has to work at every day to create.
* Families can suffer tremendous stife and unhappiness if family members refuse to treat each other with respect and choose to act selfishly instead of generously.
* Talk to your family with an open heart and listen with an open mind.
* One way to maintain the balance between family and career is to give 110% in all you do. By "giving 110%", I don't mean working yourself to the bone until you collapse from exhaustion - I simply mean being fully present and involved with whatever you are doing, when you are doing it.

So, that is my book report from the first gateway. Stay tuned for the rest in future posts...