Die Empty – a book by Todd Henry

I am an avid reader and believe that other than having hands on experience in business, learning from others through books, is the second best learning method. I know that both Barns and Noble and Amazon rank me near the top of their book buying customers. I make it a point to purchase at least 2 business books a month.  (I enjoy reading business books much as others do watching TV or reading novels. I also took a speed reading class in college which has served me very well).

Back to Die Empty. The title caught my interest; it stood out among many other uninspiring book covers. Today I want to share a few of the lessons I learned from this book:

           “Alas for those that never sing, But die with all their music in them.”  Oliver Wendell Holmes

The main message in this book can be summarized in the following sentence: “I want to know that if I lay my head down tonight  and don’t wake up tomorrow, I have emptied myself of whatever creativity is lingering inside, with minimal regrets about how I spent my focus, time and energy.”

The main goal of the book is to bring a new found clarity and sense of urgency to how you approach your work on a daily basis, and over your lifetime.

For me, this book was all about growing a business. It means that we should put all possible effort in doing our best work each and every day. It does not, however, mean that work should be the all-consuming focus of our lives. It does mean that we should be making steady progress each day on the projects that matter, in all areas of life.

As small business owners each of us has a unique contribution to make to the world. This unique contribution is made up of our passion, skills and experiences. The delivery of our gift can only happen if we concentrate every day on delivering our best possible effort.

To ensure that you are engaging in your life and work in such a way that you are maximizing your contribution, you must pursue relationships that keep you on track with your goals.

Don’t rush out and buy this book today; I summarized the important messages. Focus on emptying yourself so that every night as you get into bed you can honestly say that you did the very best in all aspects of your life.