It’s been a busy September.

I had a lot to get done and I’m still working on finishing some things I started in September.

No matter how busy I am, I continue to find time to read — I never want to stop learning. I’m determined to continue this reading habit to support my decision to keep learning new things.

It opens my mind!

New perspectives.

New ways of doing things.

I’ve shared some of my top reads for the week before, so I thought I’d share some more.

Again, I have no affiliation with these writers.

I simply support their work and admire the thoughts, ideas and feelings they bring to the table.

Enjoy the summary for each article, and let me know what you think of them in the articles comments below —

1. The Purpose Of Life Is Not Happiness: It’s Usefulness

I begin with my favourite post.

Darius Foroux writes about the battle most of us face between being happy and feeling fulfilled, in life.

We love doing things that make us happy. From going on holiday to buying a new car, we keep chasing that next nugget of happiness.

If you change it up and look at happiness as being a byproduct of your actions, choices and decisions that involve working towards a larger purpose, you’ll begin to notice how wonderful life really can be. True happiness is derived from moments of interaction and connection.

I’m happiest when doing something useful for somebody else, whether it be a friend, family member, colleague or even a stranger. When I’ve done something valuable for them, they’re happy which makes me happy!

Find something useful to do for someone. Do it. Let me know how you feel afterwards.

“Being useful is a mindset. And like with any mindset, it starts with a decision. One day I woke up and thought to myself: What am I doing for this world? The answer was nothing.”

2. What it Means to Serve Others — The Mark of a Servant Leader

Recently I’ve been reading a lot about the topic of leadership. I’m very determined to become a better leader.

From Christopher Connors’ article I learned about how putting others’ interests above your own, can help you with becoming a respected leader.

Paying it forward by helping others along the way when it wouldn’t have benefitted you directly, is what our we as a society could do more to make this world a better place. Often we forget that doing good things for people eventually comes back to us in some way.

Find out what it means to be vulnerable as a leader; to be vulnerable as someone who gives more than they get.

“Meaningful relationships are what matter most. Showing the people around you that you care about them and that you’re willing to put them first, is the mark of a true leader. Great leaders are vulnerable and unselfish. Ultimately, they thrive by exhibiting this behavior and in so doing, they earn the respect of all.”

3. Changing Culture: Shift Small Habits for Big Wins

After working in different environments over the years, I’m intrigued about how company culture affects the workplace.

I’m a big believer that a company culture that breeds trust and cooperation in the workplace, will succeed.

Alison Randel writes about how companies can improve culture with small shifts to bad habits in the workplace.

She begins by explaining that habits consist of three parts: trigger, routine and reward.

So to can change culture, it’s important to first identify the poor habits and behaviours that require change.

What are the triggers, routines and rewards of these bad habits?

Small shifts are what improve the bigger organisational culture. It all begins with one step at a time.

If you look at culture change as a series of successful habit shifts, the process of making it a reality starts to feel more achievable. The impact of one small change across every team in your organization means hundreds or thousands of interactions shifting to align with the culture you want. It’s not simple, but there are practical approaches you can take to move the needle.

4. FRIDAY ADVICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

This is a very different post to which I usually read. In fact, I’m quite sure SF Ali hasn’t written a post like this before.

A very short post, with many takeaways.

Farooq’s post includes 20 lines of advice for ‘young people’. I feel this can be applied to anyone who’s having a hard time with life though. As cliche as the advice might seem, I look at it as a learning opportunity.

Take each point seriously.

It’s one of those ‘Advice to my younger self’ kind of posts, which I actually enjoyed.

11. Your mind is your best friend and worst enemy.