ICYMI: 📚 Michelle Obama's The Light We Carry 🕯️, Enchantment by Katherine May ✨ & Bounce by Matthew Syed 🏓

If your summer ain't magical yet, after this email, it will be! 🪄  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

​ The 4 Minute Read Awegust ​August 12, 2023 || Read in browser​ Witness...the power of the elements!​ Hello there! This is Nik, re-delivering The 4 Minute Read to your digital doorstep, just in case you missed it on Saturday. By the way, I wouldn't be so daring as to call my own book awe-inspiring, but I do think 2-Minute Pep Talks fits right into our monthly theme of wonder and amazement. If you're in the market for 67 tiny, daily nuggets of inspiration that can turn what's usually a slow summer into a productive yet serene time, I hope you'll check it out. Here's this week's 4-part scoop: ​Enchantment by Katherine May (shows you how to integrate the 4 elements into your life for more calm) ​The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama (will teach you how to see the 2 kinds of fear and move past them) ​Bounce by Matthew Syed (explains the science of excellence and how you can master any skill) ​2-Minute Pep Talks by Niklas Göke (will get you through the summer motivation slump and beyond with 67 short, daily messages of inspiration) If your summer's not already magical, I hope after today's email, it will be! Let's go! Hot Off The Press Enchantment ​by Katherine May While the pandemic was mostly a disaster, in a way, it was also a gift: We got to hit reset, pause, and deeply reflect about what we want to add back into our lives once the world reopened — except who really did that? Not Katherine May, which is also why, soon after "the great return to normal," she felt more burned out than ever. She needed more calmness, balance, and sustainability in her life. Starting with a short hike to a nearby pile of stones in the English countryside, she eventually found more and more of it in the 4 elements. Enchantment is her exploration of those elements — earth, water, fire, and air — and their power to reconnect us to the planet, other people, and ourselves. If your life feels too hectic, you'll love this one. Enjoy! Read the Summary » ​ ​ Quote of the Week "The awe-inspiring is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. It becomes valuable when we value it." ​ — Katherine May ​ The Big 3 From the Book 1. Earth and water have the power to literally ground us and soothe our anxious minds. 2. Fire is dangerous but beneficial if we respect it, and air symbolizes never-ending change. 3. Ancient scientists believed in aether, a fifth element, which, while not real, gets to the core of enchantment. Master the Lessons in 4 Minutes » ​ A Book Brought to Life Need I introduce Michelle Obama? I don't think so. The First Lady of First Ladies has more than earned her seat at the table. In this follow-up to her mega-bestselling memoir Becoming, Michelle offers practical ideas on staying calm, optimistic, and confident in an unpredictable world. ​The Light We Carry tells the story of how Michelle's father died when she was just 27 years old. It tells stories of racism, political unrest, and persevering in times of crisis. In our video and summary, we focus on identifying, facing, and overcoming fear, "the biggest obstacle to sharing your light," as Michelle calls it. If you want to live a bold, empowered, unapologetic life and persist in times of fear, uncertainty, and doubt, watch this video. ​ ​ ​ The Steal ​ There's really no other way I can describe it: a steal. Where else can you get years of someone's life, thinking, and hard work for 4 dollars? ​2-Minute Pep Talks is a collection of 67 short, daily, inspiring stories compiled from my best writing over the course of five years, grouped into 5 categories: Comfort is about being at peace with the world and yourself, exactly as you are today. Work will deliver motivation, but it will also light the path towards discovering, creating, doing the job you'll never find on LinkedIn: the work you were born to do. (Tough) Love will provide new perspectives on things you've always known, while... Reminders will simply bring back some truths you need but might have forgotten. Hope wants to be nothing less than your springboard to the stars, even when the night feels dark and shrouded in mystery. Here's what kind reader Sandra said about the book on Amazon (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️): These 67 pep talks are full of wisdom. They can empower you to believe in yourself. They can give you courage and motivation, and they can help you overcome your fear and obstacles. Each pep talk is a gift, and they have had a profound effect on me. If you want to get lasting motivation for the entire remainder of the summer and beyond, get this book. Get the Book »​ ​ Dusty But Brilliant Bounce by Matthew Syed Written by the former #1 table tennis player in England, this book breaks down the science of excellence — no natural gifts required. It'll show you that training trumps talent every time, and that with the right mindset and deliberate practice, a concept Syed explains in great detail, you, too, can become a master of whichever skill you choose to learn. Read the Summary » ​ The Big 3 From the Book 1. With intense practice, 2 changes will occur in your brain to make it more effective. 2. Even minor details can inspire you to work hard for your success. 3. You can avoid choking under pressure by telling yourself that it's not a big deal. Master the Lessons in 4 Minutes » ​ The Meme Shelf Who said I wasn't? 🤪 ​ That's all for today. Have a great Monday and week ahead! Happy reading, -Nik PS: Shortform AI* is the most impressive and useful AI tool I've discovered so far. It literally summarizes any piece of content, from short articles to multi-hour interviews, in one click. Start a free Shortform* trial (comes with 20% off on top) and increase your learning speed like never before »​ ​ What can we do to improve the next edition? Tell us here. Did someone forward you this email? If so, you can sign up here. ​​​​​​ Copyright © 2023 Four Minute Books Preferences | Josef-Obenhin-Str. 4, Munich, 80634 | *Affiliate link ​Privacy Policy | Advertise With Us​ ​Unsubscribe | Opt-out of preference-based advertising​