Welcome to My Garden: A Father’s Gift of Reflections, Life Lessons, and Advice

“The garden is a metaphor for life. It is a place of potential, beauty, abundance, challenge, and transformation.”
—Larry Dossey

The mistakes we make and the hardships we endure have a positive aspect: they teach us lessons. They plant seeds from which a garden of wisdom can grow.

In Welcome to My Garden, author and entrepreneur Brian Murray shares some of the most meaningful lessons he has learned over his lifetime, covering topics from health and mindfulness to gratitude and empathy. The volume was originally written as a series of letters for his own children, but Murray invites readers along on his journey with the hope that it will help others find encouragement and perspective as they navigate challenges, joys, and relationships in their lives.

We are all cultivating our garden of wisdom. The stories and takeaways in Welcome to My Garden will serve as an inspirational guide as you tend to your garden with the care it needs.

BookLife Reviews by Publishers Weekly:

"In this inspirational memoir/self-help guide, author Murray (Crushing It in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate) shares life lessons for his four children, personal reflections, and a wealth of wisdom, tips, and guidance gathered throughout his career and personal journey. Filled with anecdotes and things he wants his children—and readers—to take with them, Welcome to My Garden is a touching open letter from one generation to the next, revealing insights (“how powerful it can be to free yourself of the assumptions and constraints imposed by the world around you”) discovered in both the business world and Kathmandu (“to open yourself up … and experience true connection with others can be a deeply fulfilling experience”), as Murray writes directly to his audience with a candid consideration of his successes, setbacks, discoveries, and transformative experiences.

Equally encouraging and motivational, Murray explores the harvest that comes from the “seeds” one plants in their own life and the way they take root and bloom over time. Emphasizing the importance of being a creator, taking risks, expressing gratitude, and facing life's biggest obstacles or goals "a single step" at a time, Murray makes the case that discovering one’s own path starts with discovering one’s own heart, urging readers to always trust in yourself, be yourself, and "do what feels right.” “Who can provide you with the best advice?” he asks. “Yourself.” Anecdotes are blended with practical advice, such as three illuminating things to consider when delaying gratification by working hard to achieve long-term goals.

Each chapter ends with a section entitled "What Do I Want For You?” in which Murray both reinforces key takeaways and touchingly underscores why they matter. While this work originated as a guide through life for his children, Welcome to My Garden will resonate and offer clear-eyed, practical lessons for any readers entering into a new phase of life, whether it be a new job, college, or taking steps toward becoming an entrepreneur.

Takeaway: A father’s wise, touching guidance on being yourself and finding success."