There are many avenues people may walk down that will ignite the inspiration to write. These paths trigger something inside of the writer's psyche that leads to the urge to put these words down. Unless these thoughts are intended for a private diary, most writers want to share their thoughts with the world. Especially if the ideas are truly inspiring. When these words become paragraphs and these paragraphs turn into chapters, a book seems to be a viable option.
I am an avid reader, but do not always have the time to read all the amazing published books that are out there. So, when I do take the time to read a book, I want it to have some meaning for me, something that impacts my life, whether in a small or big way. The genres I prefer are generally non-fiction: memoirs, self-help, psychology, biographies, Christian, etc. I also prefer an occasional historical or inspirational fiction piece.
That last category, inspirational fiction, may seem vague. Let me explain what I mean by that. An inspirational fiction book is one that is a narrative, a story, but has some inspirational impact and lessons underlying the story.
Recently, there have been a few inspirational fiction books that I finally got around to reading because they were recommended by friends. I would like to mention them here. One of the reasons I managed to finish them was because they were short and easily manageable. If you are one with a short attention span, these books may be appropriate for you as well. Either way, I would recommend them.
- 'For One More Day' by Mitch Albom - A story of the impact on grief-stricken character Charley, from the death of his over-attentive mother and his relationship with the father that abandoned them. What would he say if he had one more day with her?
- 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' by Mitch Albom - A story about an amusement park maintanance man, 83-year old Eddie. Moments after a tragic accident, Eddie sequentially encounters five pivotal people from his life that provide insight and meaning to his own life.
- 'The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success' by Andy Andrews - This book is similar to The Five People You Meet in Heaven except there are seven people and they are famous historical figures that provide the midlife antagonist, David Ponder, gifts in the way of written "Decisions for Success."
There is a general theme in these three books. You are only given one chance in this life to make a difference and to be successful in all areas of your life. You affect more people than you even realize on a daily basis and even the smallest acts of kindness leave an impact. It is important to stay positive and not take those you love for granted. The messages are about truly living! If that is not inspirational, I don't know what is!
