Attention Class of 2020, and Parents!! It’ll change your life, I can promise you that!

I’ve heard a lot of parents with high school seniors lately worried that this “lockdown” due to the Covid-19 coronavirus will ruin their kid’s senior year.  I know that things like hanging out with friends, dances, sports and the like will be severely hampered, but, is that really what high school is all about?  I mean, I definitely get the whole social aspect of those events, but what if we look at this from a different angle, what if we look at this as an opportunity to do something that many attending public high schools rarely do?  What if we were to think a little outside the box and take some of this social distancing time to actually gain some wisdom?

One must first acknowledge, and then understand, that knowledge is much different than wisdom.  To break it down to its most basic form, knowledge is knowing that water boils at 212 degrees, wisdom is knowing not to stick your hand in boiling water…  I’ve known plenty of very knowledgeable, (smart) people in my life that were dumb as a stump when it came to common sense, lacking any real wisdom.  Once one acknowledges that smart does not equal wise, one is on the way to wisdom.

What I am about to give you may be the most valuable advice you may ever obtain in your lifetime, but in order for it to be of value, you must not only take the information given, but absorb the information and implement it in your life knowing that your future depends on it.  Generally wisdom comes with time.  For some, it takes a lifetime of mistakes, many of which are made time and time again, but for others, there is a shortcut.  This does not mean you will not make, and hopefully learn from those mistakes, but you can fast-track some of the learning.  It really comes down to knowing what books to read.

I have often said that there are a handful of books that if made mandatory for high school curriculum, we could drastically change for the better the trajectory of the future for young adults everywhere.  I’m not going to get into full book reviews in this writing, that may come later, but in my opinion, if read and implemented, the principles within the following books will forever change your life for the better…

1. “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey… Hopefully most in high school aren’t inundated with debt in their life, but the book provides some hugely valuable lessons on myths about debt, credit and money. https://www.daveramsey.com/store/product/the-total-money-makeover-book-by-dave-ramsey
2. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.. A book that has for decades helped people of all age groups transform their ways of thinking and solving life’s problems by shifting the paradigm… available through Audible, Amazon & anywhere else books or audiobooks are sold.
3. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie… Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time… Includes lessons in: Making people like you, winning others over to your way of thinking and changing others without building resentment… Again, available through Audible, Amazon & anywhere else books or audiobooks are sold.
4. “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki… This book is the story of how Robert learned life lessons from his father, and the father of his best friend.  The book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and explains the difference between working for money and having your money work for you.  One of the best-selling financial literacy books of all time… Again, available through Audible,  Amazon & anywhere else books or audiobooks are sold.
5. “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill… A must for anyone wanting to improve their lives and their positive thinking. There have been more millionaires and indeed, billionaires, who have made their fortunes as a result of reading this success classic than any other book every printed. Again, available through Audible, Amazon & anywhere else books or audiobooks are sold.

This is not an all-inclusive list as to the best books to change the trajectory of your life, but I can promise you, without hesitation, that if you read these 5 books, and implement the wisdom and principles found within them, your future will be a much, much better place.  I only wish that someone had provided me with this list 20 years earlier.  Thank you for visiting Wilksopinion.com, and hopefully this post has provided that fork in the road that leads you to a greater destination…