looking for your next book?
If you read my blog post two weeks ago, you saw a glimpse of the knowledge I’d collected from the books I read during my early 20’s. Today in similar format, I’m sharing some of my favorite takeaways from books I read in my mid 20’s-present day. If you’re a reader and enjoy books that challenge you, that help you learn more about yourself, and allow you the space to grow and evolve in, then I suggest you read through this list. I hope something grabs you today and that it’s useful and propelling. If you have any suggestions for me, I would really love to hear!
off we go
mid 20’s- present day…
Wherever You Go There You Are -Jon Kabat-Zinn
*I have 7 pages of takeaways from this one (vs the normal 2-3 for the others)…this book was very, very powerful for me*
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”
“Meditation is a way of walking along the path of life and being in harmony with things as they are”
If angry= try opening your hands and putting your palms together near your heart space in a sort of prayer position..right in front of the person you’re angry with.
Is my religion “kindness”?
Look through your own eyes and see with eyes of wholeness. Act with integrity and kindness.
Conversations with God -Neale Donald Walsch
“What would love do now?”
Live a life of purpose every day.
Be the cause of your experience.
Are you going to be in a place called fear or a place called love? Where are you coming from as you encounter life?
The Art of Learning -Josh Waitzkin
Confidence is critical for a great competitor!
The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace a long-term learning process.
“Growth will probably come at the expense of previous comfort or safety”
Draw wisdom from every experience, good or bad.
Every loss is an opportunity for growth!
The Travelers Gift -Andy Andrews
Your future is what you decide it will be; until you take responsibility for where you are there is no basis for moving on.
Challenges are gifts, opportunities to learn.
“If you worry about what other people think of you, then you will have more confidence in their opinion than you have in your own”
Who must I forgive? …myself…
Average people compare themselves with other people. I compare myself to my potential.
The Gifts of Imperfection -Brene Brown
*9 pages of notes on this one. Brene is one of my heroes*
You have to practice courage, compassion and connection. Practicing these things cultivates worthiness.
“Before you can feel a deep sense of love and belonging a person must believe they are worthy of love and belonging. Let go of what others think and own your story”
Authenticity: “the daily practice of letting go of who we think we are supposed to be and embracing who we are…”
“Meaningful change is a process. It can be uncomfortable and often risky. However afraid we are though…What’s the greater risk? Letting go of what people think or letting go of how I feel, what I believe, and who I am?”
The War of Art -Steven Pressfield
“Resistance arises from within. It is self-generated”
The battle must be fought anew every day.
“Casting yourself as a victim is the antithesis of doing your work”
Fear tells us what we have to do.
Gorgeous for God -Lisa Natoli
“There is is. Plain and Simple. Perfect love casts out fear. That’s the undoing of fear. If you don’t want to be afraid anymore, then love everything with a perfect love that never changes, that never deviates, that gives all to all. If you do this, fear is impossible”
“Heaven is not a place nor a condition. It is merely an awareness of perfect oneness and the knowledge that there is nothing else, nothing outside this oneness and nothing else within”
God = Me
Letting Go -David R. Hawkins
Letting go is an inside job.
“Letting go is a practice involving releasing our belief that we are responsible for another humans experience or state”
Letting go sometimes means allowing ourselves to receive the love and care of others.
Live with the intention of seeing good, attracting good and spreading good!!
Practice random acts of kindness. :)
Resilience -Eric Greitens
“One of the habits of the truly powerful is that they have the humility to recognize the power in everyone”
“The constant pursuit of pleasure can actually distract us from enjoying what we already have”
Take responsibility for your life.
“It’s not enough to tell yourself a better story. You have to live your better story. Its not enough to make meaning out of what has already happened. In light of that meaning, you have to live the next moment, the next chapter, the next scene”
Seat of the Soul -Gary Zukav
“Allow yourself to become aware of what you feel. Give yourself permission to choose the most positive behavior in each moment. As you discharge negative energy consciously and set your intentions according to what your heart tells you, as you challenge and release your fears and choose to heal, you align your personality with your soul and move towards becoming a being of light, fully whole and empowered and inwardly secure. Humbleness, forgiveness, clarity and love, all the gifts of the spirit take root and bloom, and you draw to yourself the Universe’s greatest gift: human beings with open hearts”
“Rather than a soul in a body, become a body in a soul. Reach for your soul. Reach even farther”
Dying to be Me -Anita Moorjani
Always be an expression of my own unique essence.
We are pure love, every single one of us.
True joy can only be found by loving myself, going inward, following my heart, and doing what brings me joy.
“What matters is how you feel about yourself, right here right now, because that’s what determines how you conduct your life here. There’s no time except the present moment, so it’s important to be yourself and live your own truth”
The Power of Now -Eckhart Tolle
The present moment is the most important moment because its the only moment I have any power over.
I create a good future by creating a good present!
Set intentions before a match to be fully in each moment.
Take deep breaths and remind myself that I’m in control of my thoughts. I can choose positive thought vibrations in each moment.
Slow down when I eat and ask my body what it needs to feel nourished and satisfied.
We are all one, so we are all God.
The Law of Attraction -Esther and Jerry Hicks
“Give thought to what you want, so much thought, and such clear thought, that your inner being offers forth emotion”
Be clear about what you want, the reasons you want it, and the reasons you believe you will have it.
What is the greatest measure of success? -the existence within you of positive emotion.
The way you feel is your point of attraction!
The Magic -Rhonda Byrne
*I went through every single step of this book. In detail. Fully. Truly magic.*
Awakening the Buddha Within -Thich Nhat Hanh
Appreciate the moment of transition from one thing to the next.
Less thinking, more feeling and doing.
Your true calling is knowing yourself and being yourself authentically.
Mans Search For Meaning -Viktor E. Frankl
“Mans search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life…is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone…”
“Persons facing difficult choices may not fully appreciate how much their own attitude interferes with the decision they need to make or the action they need to take”
I have a choice. Always.
Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting -Lynn Grabhorn
Identify what I don’t want, then identify what I do want. Expect, listen and allow the Universe to deliver what I do want.
Spend some time each day thinking and flowing energy to all of my wants and desires and dreams.
When I do think about my obstacles, I can choose to spin my thoughts to appreciate them because without the challenges I would not know what I actually want!
Way of the Peaceful Warrior -Dan Millman
“Satori occurs when attention rests in the present moment, when the body is alert, sensitive, relaxed and the emotions are open and free. Satori is the warriors state of being”
The master dedicates his training to life.
“Feelings change, sometimes sorrow, sometimes joy. But beneath it all remember the innate perfection of your life unfolding. That is the secret of unreasonable happiness”
Real Love -Sharon Salzberg
“If we feel incomplete we search for others to complete us, but we can’t gain from others what we’re unable to give ourselves”
What stories are you telling yourself? the tales we tell ourselves are the control themes in our psyches
To truly love ourselves: “treat your stories with respect by acknowledging they got you here and then remember you have the power to rewrite your present into something different”
Healing is an inside job.
“In a relationship there is a space between me and you, and it must be respected. We can’t expect another person to be just like us when we are two different minds and bodies”
The Mindful Athlete -George Mumford
The intention behind where my effort lies is key to what I will accomplish.
See failure as opportunity.
Believing in my abilities and in myself may be even more important than talent alone.
Where I put my mind and my thoughts is where my life is heading.
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind -Vishen Lakhiani
When raising our children instead of asking them “why” questions ask “what” questions. “Billy what happened that made you drop the spoon?”
Ask your child to think of one thing he/she is grateful for today.
“Stop postponing your happiness. Be happy now. Your thoughts and beliefs do create your reality, but only when your present state is joyful”
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It -Kamal Ravikant
I vow to fully and deeply and authentically love myself.
I vow to treat myself with kindness and loving compassion.
These books are still great, I just don’t have notes to share with you…
The Book of Joy -Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
Untamed -Glennon Doyle
To Love and Let Go -Rachel Brathen
Body Mind Mastery -Dan Millman
Sacred Hoops -Phil Jackson
The Wisdom of Insecurity -Alan Watts
The Untethered Soul -Michael A. Singer
The Four Agreements -Don Miguel Ruiz
E2 -Pam Grout
7 Mindsets of Success -Sten Morgan
Open -Andre Agassi
The Urban Monk -Pedram Shojai
The Power of your Subconscious Mind -Joseph Murphy
The Celestine Prophecy -James Redfield