Whether you are in the northern or the southern hemisphere, September seems to be a month that foretells not only a change of seasons but also possibly bigger changes as well. Personal changes. For every New Year’s resolution that I have made, it is often the decisions made several months earlier than January 1 that seem to have made the greater changes in my life. What hits me is that September is a month of rejuvenation! So allow me to share a dozen quotes that I find insightful, but most of all, refreshing!

It’s elementary: “The more that you read, the more things you will know,” Said Dr. Sesuss. “The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” August and September are great months to exhale and do some mind-stretching via a few great books. Here are five 2018 releases that I highly recommend.

The new matrix framework that we are designing as both a concept and as an assessment tool enables people to find their starting point as an entrepreneur. It’s no longer a binary matter: that you are or are not an entrepreneur. Our new approach makes entrepreneurship like a language of moves to be mastered and used in different combinations in different situations.

The reality is that those who are growing up with Instant Reply technology have no recollection of anything different. For these, shall we call them “digital natives”, the physical world is broken simply because it does not move at the speed of their digital lives. I see over and over with would-be entrepreneurs whose start-up ideas are designed to “fix” something in the physical world that is “just too slow”.

I recognize myself in the bullet points presented by the author. Often, when I feel that my work and personal life has become a web of perplexity, I often think of that sportswear ad that advises, “Just do it.” Only, in my head, I say to myself, “Just do something!” Not doing something seems like a dereliction of my duty as a human being. Or, as Steven and Diana note when they describe how inaction feels, most times, for most people. “It is natural to associate Not Doing with…”

As someone who was raised to appreciate the psychology of the game of baseball, any automation of the game hurts. To my mind, big data and analytics matter, yet often a baseball player’s performance is affected more by human inputs such as emotion. Nothing can boost a hitter’s batting average than a home cooked meal or a visit from family or friends.

In no way do I want to discount the workplace trauma that is here to stay as companies of every size invest in new technologies. The work world is going through major change, and people will be affected. Yet, my optimism remains string that opportunities will emerge from these substantial threats to our livelihoods — if we can think clearly and operate today with a foresense of what is coming tomorrow.