Reading books is vital for brain health, stress reduction, and cognitive development, acting as a "shield" against cognitive decline while enhancing imagination and emotional empathy. It builds vocabulary, improves focus, reduces stress, and fosters deep emotional connection and understanding of new perspectives. What are some of your favorite books, that have helped you grow? Here are my top five (5): 1. The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino 2. How is THAT Working - A Roadmap From Rat Race to Freedom by @Robert Hollis 3. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason 4. The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishan Lakhiani 5. If It's Going To Be, It's Up To Me by Robert Schuller

(from The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino) The God Memorandum is the pivotal message in The Greatest Miracle in the World. It reveals the central truth Mandino wants the reader to understand: You are not an accident. You are not insignificant. You are a deliberate creation of God—unique, unrepeatable, and endowed with inherent worth. Mandino explains that every human being carries a divine spark and a purpose that no one else can fulfill. Your thoughts, choices, and actions matter—not just to you, but to the world. The memorandum reminds us that God did not create us to drift, hide, or diminish ourselves, but to grow, contribute, and serve. At its core, the memorandum teaches that self-belief is not arrogance—it is obedience to the truth of your creation. When you recognize your own worth, you unlock the capacity to love others, to serve them, and to help lift them toward a better life. This directly aligns with the principle I want highlighted: "If you don’t love yourself, if you don’t believe in yourself, and if you don’t believe in helping others reach the Promised Land—then you’re not going to do anything" (as quoted by @Robert Hollis). Mandino makes it clear: - You cannot give what you refuse to acknowledge within yourself. - You cannot lead others forward if you deny your own value. - You cannot help others rise if you insist on staying small. The God Memorandum is a call to resonsibility. To accept who you are. To believe you matter.And to use that belief not for self-glory—but to serve, uplift, and guide others toward their own promised land. That is the miracle. Why Og Mandino Recommends Reading for 100 Days In The Greatest Miracle in the World, Mandino prescribes a 100-day reading discipline for a very specific reason: lasting transformation requires repetition long enough to bypass emotion and install belief. Mandino understood that: - Insight creates inspiration, but repetition creates identity. - Most people change briefly, then revert to old thinking. - The subconscious mind only accepts new truths after sustained exposure.

Come sit with me for a minute.. . . Ever since my stroke on May 8th, I’ve felt life in a different way… deeper, softer, slower. And something has been sitting on my heart this morning that I want to share with you. One day — and we never know when — we’ll live a moment that never returns. The last hug.The last kiss.The last time someone we love says our name. Those moments don’t announce themselves. They don’t say, “Hey, this is the last one… pay attention.”They just show up looking like any ordinary moment, and we let them pass because we think we have more time. But friends… life is fragile. It’s breathtaking, but it’s fragile. My stroke taught me that. In one moment everything can change, and the world looks different when you open your eyes again. What truly matters isn’t what we bought, what we achieved, or what we planned for. It's the love we gave. The warmth we shared. The kindness we tucked into someone’s heart when they needed it most. So today, hold your people a little closer. Say the words you’ve been holding back. Let your voice shake if it needs to — say it anyway. Look into the eyes of the people you love long enough for them to feel seen… valued… unrepeatable. Because at the end of this beautiful, fragile life, it won’t be the big moments we long for.It'll be the little ones — the laughter at the kitchen table, the gentle touch, the quiet day that slipped by without us knowing it was the last of its kind. And hear me: Love is the only thing that lasts. It's the only thing we carry with us, and the only thing we leave behind. So keep loving… fiercely, gently, wholeheartedly.That’s how we change the world, one cup of coffee at a time. ☕💛✨ Come join me every Tuesday night at 6PM (EST) for Grandma Grady's Coffee Chat: https://www.skool.com/ageless-wisdom-grandma-grady-5485

I read something this morning on ✖️ from Alex Hormozi, and it really made me pause and reflect... He wrote: “You’re right. You had it harder. You started with less. Bad things happened to you. But believing those things limit you , prevents you from becoming an example to everyone else like you. Be the one who had it worse but still did better.” When I read that, I whispered to myself...“Now that’s a profound, soul-stirring truth.” So, I rewrote it in my own words — my Grandma Grady version: “I’m the one who had it the worst...I had the hardest childhood. I’ve known years of poverty-level financial struggles. I’ve been hurt, betrayed, and physically and menially abused. HERE I AM TODAY!! — living proof that I am NOT defined by my circumstances!! I DID BETTER! I did a hell-of-a-lot better!! 🙏 My children had the kind of childhood I could only dream of and for the last 40 years, no man has laid a hand upon me nor have I had to worry about where my next penny was coming from; I have plenty of food, cozy warm shelter, and an abundance of favor from God. God has been faithful — always.” 💖 ✨ Beautiful Souls, let this be your reminder that our past may explain you, but it does not define you. Through faith, grace, and perseverance, you can rise —and become the living example someone else needs to see. 💫