The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Why Some Books Are Meant to Be Marinated In
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Psalm 119:105
Happy Friday, Brew Nation!
What was the best gift you have ever received?
It’s a classic icebreaker question we often ask around the dinner table or at networking events. For me, the answer comes without a second of hesitation: a copy of Tony Dungy’s Uncommon Life Daily Devotional.
It was tucked inside my Christmas stocking years ago, a gift from my wife Chris and my sons Brendan and Joseph.
With most books, we read them once, extract a few good ideas, and slide them onto a bookshelf where they gather dust. But this one has been entirely different. It has been a foundational part of my morning quiet time routine for eight straight years. I don’t read it every single day, but every time I open it, I write the current year right next to the date on the page.
Looking back through those pages is like examining a living artifact of my own personal growth. I am constantly amazed by how different passages hit me year over year—marked by different ink colors—and how timeless truths speak to me in fresh ways depending on the season of life or leadership I’m walking through.
What made it the ultimate gift is that it truly is the gift that keeps on giving. Frequently, I’ll read a page, think of a client, a peer, or a friend, snap a quick photo on my phone, and text it over with a short note. And today, while reflecting on that daily habit, I thought of you—the readers of The Champions Brew
4 Encouragements for Your Reading Journey
If you want to turn reading from a passive task into an active engine for personal and leadership development, keep these four principles top of mind:
- Books are high-impact gifts: Give them, read them, and let them plant long-term seeds in the lives of the people you care about most.
- Some books are meant to be marinated in, not just skimmed: Real growth doesn’t come from racing through a title once to check a box. It comes from returning to trusted truths, re-reading the classics, and letting those principles steep over time—like a crockpot rather than a microwave.
- Share encouragement when it hits you: When you read a passage that lights a fire in you, don’t hoard it. Use it to lift someone else up along the way. You never know if that message is the exact encouragement they needed today.
- Act on the immediate thought: If a specific person pops into your head while you are reading, reach out immediately. Take a quick picture of the page, send a text or an email, and let them know you were thinking of them. It takes 10 seconds, but it can completely change the trajectory of their day.
The Library of Return
This year, my reading stack is a mix of three distinct categories:
- Books I am reading for the very first time to stretch my thinking.
- Books I am re-reading for the second time years later to capture what I missed.
- Books like Tony Dungy’s devotional that I am reading for the 7th or 8th time, uncovering new layers of wisdom every single pass.
True leadership development isn’t just about accumulating new information; it’s about relentlessly deepening your practice of the core truths.
Quote of the Week
“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity, and once more in old age; even as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon, and by moonlight.” — Robertson Davies
Being the Uncommon Leader means treating learning as a lifelong practice of stewardship rather than a one-time event. It is the “huddle room” of daily reflection—the space where you let key truths shape your character over decades. Common leaders read a book once (if at all) and move on to the next shiny object. Uncommon Leaders build a library of trusted resources, return to them often, and generously pass that wisdom on to others.
Email me at coachjohngallagher@gmail.com with the subject line “BEST GIFT” to share the book sitting on your shelf that is waiting to be reopened!
What You Need to Do
The Shelf Audit
To start getting more out of what you read, execute these three steps today:
- Reopen a Classic: Go to your bookshelf and pick out one book that deeply impacted you 3 to 5 years ago. Set it on your desk or nightstand to re-read over the next month.
- Snap and Send: The next time a page, quote, or Scripture passage makes you think of a colleague, family member, or client, pull out your phone, take a photo, and text it to them with a quick note of appreciation.
- Give a Book Away: Buy a copy of a book that changed your life (or hand off a copy of your own!) and gift it to a rising leader on your team this week.
Growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow will get better, but you don’t always need new ideas to grow—sometimes you just need to remember the foundational ones. Reopen the book, share the encouragement, and keep climbing.
It’s an honor to be your trusted Friday Coffee Guy. Sitting down with a hot cup of coffee, opening a great book, and sharing those reflections with Brew Nation is one of the highlights of my week. If this edition encouraged you to pick up a book and pass along some encouragement today, SHAREit with a friend, then click SUBSCRIBE. Let’s grow Brew Nation together!
Until next week—reopen the classics, pass along the wisdom, and go grow champions!
