4 Books To Read That Will Create A Better & Higher-Functioning You
Hola out there! On the tail end of October, I want to share with you a few books that I’ve enjoyed and are currently enjoying (ie, I haven’t finished reading them yet!) that I think you might also enjoy. October is for many things, three of those things being emotional wellness, Halloween, and of course books! October is actually National Book Month, and while I’m obviously a nut about all things health and wellness, I was also a book lover growing up as a kid. I don’t read nearly as much as I can or should these days, but I still enjoy a really good read when I stumble into committing. I’d love to share 4 books that have and are in the process of reshaping my life. I hope that you too can gain knowledge meant to take you to the next level or release something no longer serving you. Jump in! This is a quick recommendation of books I know can positively shift your life.
4 Books Meant To Shift Your Perspective & Habits To Create A Higher Functioning YOU
Books That Upgrade Your Perspective & Mindset
Stumbling On Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Stumbling On Happiness is one of my all time favorite books in this entire universe. It’s based around the psychology of how wildly off or wrong our current selves are when we make decisions for our future selves. Example: 18 year old self thought it would be brilliant for 24 year old self to have a career in accounting. However, 24 year old self is now seeing how wrong 18 year old self really was. How could 18 year old self be sooo far off? We don’t even like math! It also discusses how we grossly underestimate how similar we are to others and in how thinking that we’re so unique or different, we miss out on the opportunity to learn from other people’s experiences. If you geek out on psychology/sciency behavioral economics-type stuff, pick this book up now! It really humbles the human experience. Who said we were the dominate species?
You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
Fair warning: if you’re not big into the “woo-woo” type stuff, then take a deep breath and prepare yourself before stepping into this book. Jen Sincero does a wonderful job calling forth your awful habits of limiting your beliefs and dares you to think bigger, love yourself, and get out of your own f*ing way to receive the things and life you want. Lots of her stories help you to rewrite the subconcious stories you’ve learned that keep you from being the greatest version of yourself, not afraid to go after the unimaginable - because why not? Much of it parallels manifesting as well. This book is for you if you’re tired of being sick and tired and feel like you’ve got nothing else to lose. This book is also for the biggest “woo-woo” skeptics out there. Admittedly, I’m into the woo-woo/spiritual/Universe stuff, and although I loved this book, even I struggled sometimes to allow the bravado of the example stories to sway me. We’re all works in progress, but you need this book if you’re trying to do some great things (or just live a freer life.)
Books That Upgrade Your Actions (& Reactions)
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
I first learned of Brené Brown in grad school from my program professor when she showed us this Ted Talk in class, which to date has well over 44 million views. It went viral (thankfully) and Brené, whose a research professor at the University of Houston, was thrust into the spotlight. After understanding what her new visibility all meant, she then began writing books, Daring Greatly being one of them. I was given this book by an awesome manager who really helped me navigate some tough times, professionally-speaking. For those who are high on the Emotional Intelligence (EQ) scale (welcome to the club!), you’ll love this book! Brené eloquently weaves personal and research stories together to educate us about the significance of vulnerability and how it can positively impact our relationships with self and others. The significance of vulnerability, to me, is that it’s the secret sauce of life. It’s the power up you’re lucky to find. It’s the key to experiencing life a little more deeply, which can sometimes be scary as hell. Allowing vulnerability to permeate your life offers you a level of authenticity to present to the world and adds depth to your ability to experience ALL that life has to offer - whether good or bad, high or low. If you’re looking to do a little bit of emotional work or want to better understand humans in general, give this book a read.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Full transparency: I just started this book! BUT I’m hella excited to get into it and finish it out. I am someone who struggles with routine, consistency, and procrastination. The perfect recipe for mediocrity, amiright?! Being a health coach, I can tell you first hand how much people underestimate small changes. We have these grand dreams and goals and want to tackle them all within a day, which just isn’t gonna happen for you. [Sorry, not sorry.] Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones highlights the power in making very small, manageable, and incremental changes to help you build sustainable habits to get you where you want to be. The book is broken down into 4 laws - Making it: Obvious (Law 1), Attractive (Law 2), Easy (Law 3), and Satisfying (Law 4), which all dive into topics such as tackling motivation and willpower, how your environment influences your habits, and how shifting your viewpoint of habits can actually make them easier and more enjoyable to commit to. So far, I’m enjoying this read and am excited about the impending positive mind-set shifts I’ll benefit from.
If you’re dying to read any of these books and want to conserve money, you can easily access these books at your local library, buy them used, borrow them from a friend, or search the interwebs for the PDF version. There’s also nothing wrong with buying it brand new and diving in!
I hope these books are as transformative for you as they are for me. If you begin reading any, post a picture on social and tag me! Let me know what you learn and what your favorite takeaways are. Remember that you’re the captain of your ship, and you can set your sails to take you anywhere. ‘Til next time!
-seria.