John Maxwell’s book Intentional Living is a great read to start off the year. Maxwell is known for his bestsellers that talk about leadership, winning relationships, and cultivating the right attitude for success. Intentional Living: Choosing a Life that Matters gets into a little of each of those subjects. The question that this book asks us is this: “Are we living a life of success or a life of significance?”
While those two things might be similar, they are very different and require very different attitudes. Significance or success? As Maxwell makes clear, there is nothing wrong with success but we will only find our deepest fulfillment in a life of significance.
A life of significance is a life which seeks to add value to those around us. It is a life lived intentionally for the purpose of serving others. How different would the world look if even a small percentage of us could get a grasp on these principles?
Intentional Living is divided into four sections.
“I want to make a difference,”
“Doing something that makes a difference,”
“With people who make a difference,”
“At a time that makes a difference.”
Each section takes us deeper into the examining our own hearts and motives for why we do what we do. We all want to be successful and there is nothing wrong with that. Living a life that adds value to the people around us, however, ensures that our lives will also be significant. How sad would it be to end up at the end of our life and realize that we had only accumulated stuff but had done nothing of lasting value?
Maxwell gives us a strategy to living intentionally. This is an easy book to read because it is full of stories and illustrations from John’s own life. You will be challenged, though, to live a life of significance. Check out Intentional Living. I know you will love it!
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