Project Bookshelf: Erin Cantrell

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Only one book on this shelf is one that I purchased for myself. Every other book was a gift. Were some gifts better than others? Absolutely! I would much rather read one of my James Patterson books again before I touch How to Survive a Freakin Bear Attack. But hey… here we are.

People read for two reasons: one, because they think they will actually enjoy it, and two, because someone told them to. I can proudly say that I am a prodigy of the latter option. I used to hate reading! Someone would have to pay me to pick up a book. Now, it is one of the most rewarding things in my life.

The books seen above fall into one of three categories:

1. Books suggested for me through sports
2. Books given to me for personal growth
3. How to Survive a Freakin Bear Attack

My background consists of countless days spent in a locker room. It was sweaty and gross, but it was home. Back then, I was young, and I was ignorant, thinking my only purpose was to be a human machine. But my coaches knew there was more. They knew we needed to grow as people to grow as players. To do that, they challenged us to read. The first book was Watership Down which might’ve been a little too much for a 14-year-old, but The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon changed my life. I can almost guarantee that unless you were an athlete at some point in time, there is almost zero chance that you have read this book. I won’t spoil anything because I strongly urge everyone to read this it, but if you don’t, just know that you are an energy vampire.

Did you know you can take your bus anywhere you want to go? Say yes three times with me. Yes, yes, yes. You can take it to the movies, the beach or the North Pole. Just say where you want to go and believe that it will be so. Because every journey and ride begins with a desire to go somewhere and do something and if you have a desire then you also have the power to make it happen.

Jon Gordon, The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy

Personal growth can mean a number of things. It can mean to learn something or gain some peace of mind. The one book that I purchased is a combination of the two. A Daring Faith in A Cowardly World by Ken Harrison. This book was purchased for my mission trip to Alaska. It was the first mission trip I had ever been on and needless to say, I was terrified. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into and I felt in no way prepared. How was I supposed to introduce my faith to others when I was still new to it myself? So, to calm my worries and to hopefully grow, I read. This book taught me so much about the importance of simplicity in one’s life. It also forced me to slow down and breathe. After finishing the book, I felt like everything was going to be okay, and it was! It turned out to be the best experience of my life.

The final category is simple: books with a deeper meaning than just a title. How to Survive a Freakin Bear Attack means so much more to me than actual survival skills. It was a gift that showed that someone was listening to what I was saying. As one can infer, I was talking about how I would survive a bear attack, so the gift was pretty spot on!

Every book does not have to serve the same purpose and every book doesn’t have to stay on a shelf forever. My favorite books to read are not seen above because they have been given away to live on a new shelf for a while. Will they ever return back to my shelf? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean that what they gave me was any less valuable. A good book can be one that is worn, teared, maybe has some sand left in it. But it can also be one that is treasured, never touched, and serves as a reminder in your life about what led you to this point.

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