How Reading Changed My Life — and How It Can Change Yours

I want to tell you something that might surprise you coming from a PsyD-credentialed life coach: some of the most transformative moments in my personal and professional development didn't happen in a classroom or a therapy session.

They happened in a chair, with a book in my hands.

Reading has been one of the most powerful forces in my life. It's shaped how I think, how I coach, how I lead, and how I see the world. And after decades of working with clients from all walks of life, I've come to believe that the right book at the right moment can be as life-changing as any coaching session, any degree, or any mentor.

Here's what I've learned — and how you can use it.

Books Are the Most Accessible Form of Mentorship

Think about this: for the price of a paperback, you can spend hours inside the mind of a world-class thinker, leader, or expert. You can absorb decades of their experience, their failures, their breakthroughs — distilled into something you can hold in your hands.

That's extraordinary. And most people take it completely for granted.

When I was developing my coaching philosophy, I didn't just rely on my academic training. I read voraciously — psychology, philosophy, biography, leadership, spirituality. Every book added a new dimension to how I understood human potential and what it takes to help someone truly change.

The mentors I've never met in person have shaped me just as profoundly as the ones I have.

The Book That Changed How I Think About Permission

One of the core messages I've built my coaching practice around is this: stop waiting for someone to give you permission to live your best life.

That idea became the title of my own book — Stop Asking for Permission — Just Do It — because I saw it play out in client after client. Brilliant, capable, talented people who were waiting. Waiting for the right time. Waiting for someone to validate their dream. Waiting for circumstances to be perfect.

The truth is, no one is coming to give you permission. The gate is already open. You just have to decide to walk through it.

Reading helped me understand that truth at a deeper level. Books by leaders who had failed spectacularly before succeeding. Memoirs of people who had rebuilt their lives from nothing. Stories of ordinary people who made extraordinary choices — not because they had more resources or more talent, but because they decided to stop waiting.

That's the message I want to pass on to you.

How to Read for Transformation (Not Just Information)

There's a difference between reading to consume information and reading to transform your thinking. Most people do the former. The most successful people I know do the latter.

Here's how to make the shift:

Read with a question in mind

Before you open a book, ask yourself: What am I trying to figure out right now? Maybe it's how to lead more effectively. Maybe it's how to rebuild your confidence after a setback. Maybe it's how to find more meaning in your work. When you read with a specific question, the book becomes a conversation rather than a lecture.

Slow down at the parts that hit hardest

You'll know when a passage lands. Your pace slows. You re-read a sentence. Something tightens in your chest or loosens in your shoulders. Don't rush past those moments. Sit with them. Journal about them. Ask yourself why that particular idea is resonating.

Apply one thing before moving on

The biggest mistake readers make is finishing a book and immediately starting the next one without applying anything. Pick one idea — just one — and put it into practice before you move on. Transformation happens in the doing, not the reading.

Build a personal library of ideas

Keep notes. Highlight passages. Return to books that shaped you. Over time, you'll develop a personal library of ideas that becomes the foundation of how you think and make decisions. That library is one of the most valuable things you'll ever build.

The Books I Recommend Most Often to Coaching Clients

Over the years, I've recommended hundreds of books to clients. The ones that come up most often share a common thread: they're honest about struggle, clear about principles, and deeply respectful of the reader's capacity to change.

Some themes I return to again and again:

• Resilience and recovery — books that show how people rebuild after loss, failure, or trauma
• Purpose and meaning — books that help readers clarify what they actually want from their lives
• Leadership and influence — books that reframe how we think about our impact on others
• Faith and perseverance — books that speak to the spiritual dimension of human endurance

My own book, Stop Asking for Permission — Just Do It, was written with this in mind. I wanted to give readers something they could return to — a reminder that the life they want is not out of reach, and that the first step is always a decision.

Why I Also Wrote About Dolly Parton

My second book explores the life and legacy of Dolly Parton — not just as an entertainer, but as a model of compassion, resilience, and authentic self-expression.

What draws me to her story is what draws me to all great stories: the gap between where someone started and where they ended up, and the choices they made in between. Dolly grew up with very little and built something extraordinary — not by pretending to be someone else, but by leaning fully into who she was.

That's a coaching lesson in itself.

Reading and Coaching: A Powerful Combination

Here's what I've found in my practice: clients who read alongside their coaching work progress faster. Not because reading replaces the coaching relationship, but because it deepens it.

A book can plant a seed that a coaching conversation then waters. A coaching session can open a question that a book then answers. The two reinforce each other in ways that accelerate growth.

If you're serious about changing your life — your career, your relationships, your sense of purpose — I'd encourage you to do both. Read widely. Read intentionally. And find a coach who can help you turn what you're learning into real, lasting change.

Your Next Chapter Starts Now

Dr. Arthur George Scott, PsyD has spent a career at the intersection of education, psychology, and personal transformation. Whether through books, coaching, or both, the goal is always the same: to help you close the gap between where you are and where you're meant to be.

"Think about your future. The choices you make today will give you the success you deserve tomorrow."

You don't have to figure this out alone. The right resources — and the right guide — can make all the difference.

Discover coaching with Dr. Arthur George Scott and explore the books that can change your life.