Blogging has been on the back burner as I’ve been focusing my writing energy on my memoir! I’m 20,000 words in and it may just be (in Anne LaMott’s words) a shitty first draft, but the point is that the words are there, and they are mine, and it feels terrifying and challenging and so rewarding to welcome these thoughts to form, to put them down on paper.
But today I’ll take pause from the reflections of my life and childhood and share what I’ve been reading these past couple of months in quarantine.
The Dip (Seth Godin) is a short read that discusses the slump individuals experience when embarking on a new path. There is a skill to knowing when to ride through the dip to greater outcomes, or not, and differentiating this can be a huge factor in today’s rapidly changing world. I listened to this one free on Libby, and though it was short I had a hard maintaining full attention. Lots of people swear this was is a game changer, but wouldn’t describe it so personally.
Brendon Burchard is another big name in the world of personal and professional development, and his book High Performance Habits is an awesome and motivating read. A lot of great self-reflection activities, and some exercises I may use in the corporate world too. I listened to this on Audible and highly recommend!
The Self-Love Experiment by Shannon Kaiser was recommended by a friend, coach, and someone I highly respect! This book is definitely geared towards women and handles topic on overcoming body image issues and how to improve your relationship with yourself. While Shannon’s experience resonates with many, I am not sure I connected with her as deeply. I listened to this one on Audible!
Marianne Williamson has been on my list to read for ages, as another key player in the realm of New Age philosophies. Her study on the Course in Miracles has inspired almost every author I adore, so it was finally time to break into her writing. It is really interesting to see the marriage between what we call “New Age” ism and the Christian language found in “A Course in Miracles”. Overall, I loved it, and I love her, and I read for free on Overdrive.
The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) is a non-stop adventure. It takes you through the jungles of Peru on a mystical adventure a taps into the world of energy, people, love and institutional fear and control along the way. I loved this, and found a used copy at Changing Hands for only $6 bucks!
I discovered Glennon Doyle’s book “Love Warrior” last year and read the entire thing in one Saturday afternoon. Her raw, unfiltered and brutally relatable experiences in the world cuts right through to my heart. Her new book, “Untamed” left me speechless and wanting to send a copy of this book to every woman I know. I know I’ll be reading this time and again in years to come. I purchased on Apple iBooks but needs to get a physical copy.
As I’ve committed to reading one book per month on finance/abundance, I wanted to see what Marianne had to share on this topic. This ‘book’ read as a series of lectures from her time speaking to audiences in Los Angeles, and goes well beyond the topics of financial abundance. I found this one on Audible.
Mary's Thoughts & Things 