In this episode of Books That Changed My Life, host Chris Collins is joined by retired NFL player and author Andrew East.

Andrew opens up about growing up in Indianapolis, his college and NFL careers, the contract-bound book club that made him a reader, and the Book That Changed His Life: The GAP and the GAIN by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

He and Chris explore what happens when you measure yourself by the "GAIN" instead of the "GAP," the link between high achievers and depression, gratitude, and the annual goal-setting ritual he and his wife swear by.

Stick around to the end, where Andrew is joined by his wife, Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, to talk about their new book, The Courage to Commit.

They get into the four years (and couples therapy) it took to write it, the challenge of merging their authorial voices, why commitment is the truest form of freedom, the letters they wrote to their younger selves, and more!

#booksthatchangedmylife #library #bookrecs #bookreport #interview #podcast #chrisbulldogcollins 🚨 Grab the coolest book & library tees, socks, hoodies & more! https://booksthatchangedmylife.org/collections/all

In this episode of Books That Changed My Life, host Chris Collins is joined by Olympic gold medalist and author Shawn Johnson.

Shawn opens up about growing up an only child in Des Moines, the obsessive intensity that made her a champion at three and an Olympian at sixteen, the two-year stretch of depression that followed her step back from gymnastics, and the Book That Changed Her Life: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.

She and Chris go deep on perfectionism, the impossibility of "winning" at parenting, the four cures for busyness, consumerism as the new religion, and the small daily rituals — "day of delight," morning coffee, "bev time" — she and her husband use to keep themselves in the moment.

Stick around to the end, where Shawn is joined by her husband Andrew to talk about their new book, The Courage to Commit. They get into the four years (and couples therapy) it took to write it, the challenge of merging their authorial voices, why commitment is the truest form of freedom, the letters they wrote to their younger selves, and more! Pick up a copy of Shawn and Andrew's book at https://thecouragetocommit.com/.

#booksthatchangedmylife #books #library #bookrecs #bookreport #interview #podcast #chrisbulldogcollins 🚨 Grab the coolest book & library tees, socks, hoodies & more! https://booksthatchangedmylife.org/collections/all

In this episode of Books That Changed My Life, host Chris Collins is joined by actress, author, and podcast host Jennie Garth! Jennie and Chris talk growing up in the rural Midwest, her educator parents and their devotion to literacy, the chaos and joy of home design, decision fatigue, and life as the baby of a big blended family, before diving into the Book That Changed Jennie's life: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.

Jennie recalls discovering Bach's slim, illustrated parable at thirteen on her mother's shelf of self-help books, and how the story quietly molded her into the person she is today.

The two explore the book's themes of nonconformity, transcendence, and reaching one's highest potential, tracing uncanny parallels to Jennie's own journey: breaking away from the flock, enduring loss and grief, and discovering that forgiveness was the moment she finally felt free.

Along the way, they consider what a fifty-year-old fable about a seagull who chose to fly higher can teach us about living authentically and leading by example.

#booksthatchangedmylife #books #library #bookrecs #bookreport #interview #podcast #chrisbulldogcollins 🚨 Grab the coolest book & library tees, socks, hoodies & more! https://booksthatchangedmylife.org/collections/all