Had dinner with an old childhood friend recently. We haven’t seen each other in over 7 years but we do “see” one another on Facebook. I can tell she had a pep in her step just by her genuine smile, her stories of accomplishment, low points that didn’t stay low for long, and her excitable demeanor that could light up a dim room. I repeatedly told her that her positivity was a breath of fresh air! It was an amazing feeling to be in the company of someone who strives for more in life. After two hours of nonstop chatter (we had a lot to catch up on), we both happily admitted that we love reading books on leadership, success, and self-care. My friend is currently getting her doctorate in the nursing field. We both know that teaching post-grad wouldn’t exactly bring in huge waves from an income perspective but the bigger question was: what’s the return on investment? Reading alone is big but the act of APPLYING and DOING what is read (aka investing in oneself) is even bigger. Turning up the volume on personal growth is an amazing task with a big ROI.