Author Review: Grow with John Maxwell

By Bianca Galan

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.” – John Maxwell

John Maxwell is an American speaker, author and pastor who focuses mostly on leadership development. Maxwell has sold more than 20 million books. According to SUCCESS magazine’s website, he is the founder of a non-profit organization called EQUIP which has trained leaders in 126 countries.“Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP, a non-profit organization that has trained more than 5 million leaders in 126 countries worldwide. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek best-selling author, Maxwell has written three books that have sold more than a million copies.”

As human beings we should always strive for the best by learning how to be the bigger person in awful situations and by striving to give our all in college, our careers and even at home with the family. Because we are college students and it takes most of our time, we sometimes forget about how important it is to grow mentally and emotionally. Below are four John Maxwell books that every college student should consider reading.

“The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential”

In this book, Maxwell explains the 15 laws that he considers to be the road to personal growth. He explains laws like “The Law of the Mirror,” which says that you must see value in yourself to be able to add value to yourself; “The Law of Awareness,” which says you must know yourself to grow yourself; and “The Law of Contribution,” which states that developing yourself enables you to develop others. This book is a great way to start your journey to self-improvement and start looking at yourself in a more positive way. If you want to improve in your academics or your career, the first step is to know who you are and feel proud.  

“Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success”

People, as part of their nature, can sometimes feel sad because they have “failed.” As the book states, “The question is not if you will have problems, but how you are going to deal with your problems.” Maxwell uses his knowledge in this book to show us examples of people who are now successful who have battled failure. This 15-chapter book gives us steps to understanding that failure is just part of life formation. This book is great for those moments when you feel low in life. It lifts your spirit and teaches you how to keep going and keep pushing.

“Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success Is Determined by Your Daily Agenda”

In this book, Maxwell talks about the daily dozens. The daily dozens are the 12 areas of life he considers necessary to be a success. These areas include attitude, priorities, health, family, thinking, commitment, finances, faith, relationships, generosity, values and growth. Maxwell utilizes a chapter to go in-depth on each of these areas and gives advice on how these areas can be developed daily. “Make Today Count” is a great way to inspire you to get your priorities straight. Sometimes we can feel uneven with our priorities because we spend so much time in class or doing homework, but this book is a great way to begin to organize yourself and your time.

Maxwell’s books are a great way to begin to take charge of your life in and out of the college arena. They can help you look at yourself in a more positive light, organize yourself and learn to accept what happens and how it happens in your life. We all have moments where we need advice about how to live a balanced life and Maxwell’s books are a step in the right direction. Take these years of your life and dedicate them to being a better you in every aspect.

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