An Untethered Soul

Michael Singer, what a man! What a book! If there is only one book you choose to connect with please let it be this one. He takes the reader on his own spiritual journey but with such real (and thought-provoking examples) that you’re left speechless.

Take this one story (I simplify it of course): “Imagine you’re on a highway passing trees. You’re not thinking of anything but just noticing the tree’s till your attention is caught by the car in front of you. It reminds you of a former partner and BAM you are somewhere else, spiralling and thinking about the relationship. Thought has shifted from nothing to something based on a memory of the past.” We can thus choose to be a prisoner to our thoughts or take a moment and bring ourself back to the present.

What are your triggers? Do you notice when you feel upset? What happened? Was it really something the other person said or an old wound, needing to be healed?

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway

This book pushed me to question all my fears and embrace the things I was scared to do. I began to see fear as an opportunity to “grow and learn” not “shrink and run”. I’ve shared this book with many friends (and one ex-boyfriend) and I like to think it similarly changed their life. Oftentimes we’re so caught up in what can go wrong we forget about what can go right. The teachings of this book have not only pushed me out of my comfort zone (many times!) but also encouraged me to better understand myself.

Mindset

I completed my undergraduate thesis on Carol Dweck’s “Mindset” but it was not till I assisted a professor at LBS that I really connected with the book. In getting to understand the core tenets of a Fixed versus Growth mindset I began to question myself and my own beliefs. What really makes us believe we can’t achieve something? Why does one naturally have to be good at something to to be able to do it? Learning is a process and therefore will always be accompanied by failure. You have to get it wrong to understand where/how you can improve.

The Gifts of Imperfection

Brene Brown is Magic. Pure Magic. I read this book very slowly - charged with post-it notes and highlighters in hand! I think I’ll probably go back and read it again at some point. As a perfectionist, I saw myself in many of her ramblings. I learnt that: Being vulnerable is ok: getting it wrong is ok; the slash effect is real (i.e. having more than one career) and that creativity connects us to our core. This book made me pause and question (in all honesty) who I really am - what do I really enjoy?

The Magic

This book played a phenomenal role in helping me cultivate gratitude in life. Rhonda Byrne takes you on a “28-day Gratitude Journey” whereby you write 10 things you’re grateful for every day coupled with additional exercises. It made me realize how much we as a human species have to be grateful for. I now start my day (well most days) with “three things I’m grateful for”. Admittedly it can be hard on an off day and I don’t force myself on those days. However, I’ve found that even writing one thing on an off day can help me in seeing things (maybe even for a few seconds) very differently. Being grateful is being present and having joy for where we are and the small things in life.

The Power

Thoughts become things. This book helped me to become aware of my feelings and my reactivity. It got me to really “dig deep” and come face to face with the beliefs I hold about myself and how I show up in the world. I changed. My interactions with people changed. My life changed!