The Power of Total Engagement - Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr (4 of 5 Sunday Afternoon Naps)

I pulled this book off the shelf in one of my many wanderings through the Bingham Creek Library. It is a good resource for anyone who feels that they are running faster than they have strength.

The origin of this book was Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr's quest to improve the performance of professional tennis players. As they studied the habits of the sport's top players, they discovered that the top tier athletes had developed various "rejuvenation rituals." Between points, games, practices etc. they were able to quickly move from intense action to deep rest stages. This allowed them to effectively recover their strength and be back at the top of their game faster than their competitors. Tony and Jim concluded that the most successful athletes lived life as a series of intense sprints followed by periods of rest, instead of one long and exhausting marathon.

Tony and Jim spent many years helping professional athletes develop their own rejuvenation rituals. With time, they decided that they could also adapt their ideas to help top business professionals. They found many ways to help men and women in office environments take short breaks throughout the day to help them maintain their efficiency and effectiveness in the long hours of the afternoon.

It's always amusing to see how the world is always one step behind God. "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Any primary student is already familiar with the principles discussed by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr. I'll admit that it was somewhat interesting to see these principles applied to the worlds of sports and corporate business, but there wasn't anything life-changing in these pages for an active member of the Church.