If you were running a 100-yard dash against someone in a wheelchair, and the one in the wheelchair was given a 90-yard head start, could you still win? Well, of course not and this, in one way, is what life is all about. In life, regardless of what we are doing, if we have a good enough edge, we will still win.

I have used this little analogy to introduce you to a topic that, in one way or another, affects each of our lives. The topic is simply this: self-help books provide an edge. For some reason, this thought reminded me of a little poem titled, “Don’t Quit.” If you are not familiar with it, please allow me to share it with you.

                                                            “Don’t Quit”

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging, seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

and you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

— Edgar A. Guest

This is so true. In many, many cases we will win if we just stick it out and do not quit. But back to the fact that we all need that little edge — as one who does not have a lot of formal education, I have found that one of the things that has given me the edge is reading self-help books, with the hands down, national best seller, the Holy Bible, being the starting point. I have developed a list of great self-help books that I would like to share with you. I have read every one of them, some more than once.

1. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell.

2. Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell.

3. A Game Plan for Life, Coach John Wooden.

4. Gifted Hands, Dr. Ben Carson.

5. Same Kind of Different As Me, Ron Hall.

6. See You at The Top, Zig Ziglar.

7. The Strong-Willed Child, Dr. James Dobson.

8. How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie.

9. He Still Moves Stones, Max Lucado.

10. John Adams, David McCullough.

11. Common Sense, Thomas Paine.

12. The Thread That Runs So True, Jesse Stuart.

13. Psycho-Cybernetics, Dr. Maxwell Maltz.

This will get you started, and you will soon realize that the true winners in life are readers.

—

(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)