Something to Read

“Libraries always remind me that there are good things in the world.” – Lauren Ward* 

This month I dug into a particularly special library – one that houses books written by our Point Taken trainers. Yes, you are correct that I used the plural form of “book” in the last sentence…because more than one of our trainers has accomplished the huge endeavor of writing a book. This month, I’m highlighting two of our amazing trainer-authors and their books:  

You’re a Leader Charlie Brown by Carla Curtsinger. 

Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier. 

  • You can purchase both books easily with quick delivery from Amazon by clicking the titles above. Or you can find the audiobook for Eleanore of Avignon from the online retailer of your choice.  

You’re a Leader Charlie Brown by Carla Curtsinger. This book is a delightful and fun refresher on leadership skills – told from the perspective of Charlie Brown and his crew of friends. I loved how Carla embodied each of the characters and gave examples of how each of them exhibits leadership skills.  

I learned some interesting facts, like – Beethoven was a prankster (see the chapter by Schroeder, of course, for more on Beethoven) – and that 85% of what we know, we have learned through listening….but we listen at only a 25% comprehension rate (see the chapter by Linus for this and more tips on listening). Overall, this book was a good reminder to me that leadership takes many forms and we can learn something from every type of person because perspective is crucial in communication.  

Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier. This historical fiction novel is storytelling at its finest. We start with the status quo – a young herbalist (Eleanore) is living in Avignon, France with her father and identical twin sister. All is well until an inciting incident – she meets an important character that helps grant Eleanore entrée to a famous resident of Avignon. The rising action sees Eleanore face the arrival of the black plague, a queen in need of medical care, and a possible love interest. The decisive moment in the book took me completely off-guard and kept my attention gripped through the falling action and resolution of the book. This is such a beautiful book and you do not want to miss the opportunity to experience all that storytelling can make us feel.    

*Lauren Ward is a theatrical artist and singer who was nominated for a Tony Award for her rendition of Miss Honey in the Broadway musical production of Matilda.  

Something to Hear

Birdsong in the airport

While walking through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport earlier this month, I heard a sound that you don’t initially expect – a bird was chirping inside Terminal 1. This isn’t entirely surprising…I have seen birds in many different airports. I feel like the birds inside Orlando International are particularly happy to be living there.  

What I did differently this time, was pull out my Merlin Bird ID app and use it to identify that I was listening to a house sparrow happily sharing their song to all of the travelers in the C gates. The news algorithm on my phone must have been enjoying my experience with the house sparrow because the article, “How Scientists Started to Decode Birdsong” from the New Yorker popped up on my feed and it was one of the most fascinating things I listened to this month…aside from the house sparrow, of course.  

It turns out communication may not be reserved just for humans. Next time you see a bird in the airport, ask them where they’re headed!  

You can listen to this 38-minute story by viewing the article on the New Yorker website. I was able to access the recording without a subscription, but you can also do the 30-day free trial to hear it.   

Something to Do

Take a deep breath

I’m giving this tip mostly because I could use it as the end of the year draws closer and the holidays result in more disruptions from my daily routines. I like routines. And lists. And daily structure. So, I will use my deep breaths to remind myself that a brief period of unstructured enjoyment can be good for me.   

If you need a little structure to your unstructured breathing moment …I know, I know…it’s in my DNA to organize and plan, I can’t help myself!   Here’s a 5-minute breathing exercise that can help re-center amongst the chaos.  

Something to See

An early morning sunrise on the Garden State Parkway. The calm of the skies was a comforting juxtaposition to the speeding traffic.