A book that changed my perspective last year.

When you stumble upon a book with handwritten notes and highlights, it’s like stumbling upon a stranger’s journal. You can’t help but feel a sense of intimacy, as if you’ve been given a personal connection to the previous owner’s thoughts and feelings.

The book that changed my perspective last year was ‘Coach, Lessons on the Game of Life’ by Michael Lewis. Despite its brevity, it’s a book that packs a profound punch. My used version from Half-Priced Books holds a real treasure: a dated, handwritten note on the first page.

It’s a gift from Peggy to Justin, a note from a mother to a son. Peggy recognizes how this book could help Justin “after the fallout from the big transformation.” Oddly enough, Peggy is the main character’s wife’s name, and she lets Justin know that she thinks he shares the same traits as the main character, Coach Fitz, “I love the way you are wired. Like a prodigy of Fitz, you possess an intense level of sacrifice, courage, and endurance to reach your full potential.”

It’s one of the best book reviews I’ve ever read! And it’s handwritten on my copy. It’s a fabulous lead-in to Lewis’s story about his experience with Coach Fitz and how timeless lessons learned from small moments on a baseball field from an old-school coach in the heat of competition change and shape you forever.

At the beginning of this year, it’s a powerful reminder about the importance of the mentors and relationships we cultivate in our professional and personal lives. It’s a journey we can’t navigate alone, and that’s the beauty of it.

Peggy ends her note to her son by telling him, “Enjoy the story.” Don’t forget to take time to enjoy your story this year. Cheers!