Friday, March 11, 2011

Part 2 of Do Hard Things

I wrote a standard review about the book Do Hard Things here. My oldest daughter is now reading the book and we have been discussing it quite a bit. She is enjoying the book and I can see that it is inspiring her to think about how she can make an impact in the world around her. I think this is great, and I think the book does a good job of offering that inspiration to young people.

In the book, Alex and Brett talk about how they arrived at the point of working harder and engaging more fully in the world around them. They share that it began as they were reading some of the classics. Their father had prescribed an intense study schedule for them, and they were reading books that were about big ideas. They were having discussions about the big ideas when they decided to begin the blog that grew into their website and book.

In Do Hard Things, Alex and Brett are just telling their story. They don't actually recommend reading the classics to others in the book. Perhaps they are unsure of how important that step was in their journey.

I was struck by the fact that they were reading classics when they formed the plan of how to begin making a difference. The classics are about big ideas, and people that have taken action on the big ideas. Classics can offer us inspiration about where to start, and give us the strength to continue when it becomes hard. I feel that any person wanting to do hard things will be better off if they study the classics.

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