If you know me well, then you know that I love to read. And while it can be extremely satisfying to lose oneself in a novel, I have been focused lately on a different type of genre...is it fair to say that the self help genre has transformed into the self care genre...can I get an applause emoji ;)??? XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Brené Brown's Braving the Wilderness was such an easy read, because, unlike her earlier writing that was a bit more like reading a textbook (useful but causing my brain to hurt as if I was eating ice cream with no calories), this book felt like I was having a conversation with a friend. I used it as my "vacation getaway" book while I was visiting a friend who had a conference in KC and invited me to use the time to catch up on our friendship as well as some much needed me time. One brownie and four hours later, Barnes & Noble (and their friendly staff) was free of my calm presence and I was that much wiser. My favorite quote from this book is from Maya Angelou: "You are only free when you realize you belong no place - you belong every place - no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I heard of this author from Marie Forleo on YouTube, and I was hooked. David Bach has another book (among others) called The Latte Factor: Why You Don't Have to Be Rich to Live Rich, and although The Latte Factor is the book that was being discussed on Marie TV, when I went searching for this author, I ended up with Start Late, Finish Rich: A No Fail Plan for Achieving Financial Freedom at Any Age instead. In the back of my head, I had already been thinking that this may be a more appropriate book for me to read, so I picked it up, and there you have it! Two takeaways that have been useful for me are as follows: 1 - I switched from a monthly to a biweekly mortgage payment, and I shaved two years off of my total mortgage. 2 - In order to save money, truly save money, it is ideal to have savings in real estate and investments, including your company's retirement plan. What has stayed with me, specifically, besides the above generalizations, is to pay myself the first hour of any workday, and this pretax investment in myself is how most millionaires start saving their money - just something to think about! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I first read Girl, Wash Your Face after a friend recommended her and I watched all of the YouTube videos I could in one sitting, especially my favorite and first one here - How to Deal with Rejection and Stay Motivated. What I love about this book is that it is subtitled, "Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be." The whole premise and each chapter title of this book is that you (and I) were told a certain lie (and sometimes many) about who we really are, and these lies, especially to women, are incredibly common. My favorite sample lies are as follows: "I'm not good enough," "I can't tell the truth," "I will never get past this," and "There is only one right way to be." If we all eliminated these lies, sometimes disguised as unhealthy self chatter, from our lives, we would be able to move mountains. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX If Girl, Wash Your Face tells you that you CAN move mountains, Girl, Stop Apologizing explains HOW to do it. I have a copy of this book that I have read and reread, underlining key passages, and returning to them to help me prioritize and reach my goals. Rachel has a no nonsense way of talking to you like a good friend, and like any really good friend, she tells you the truth even when it would be easier to do otherwise. One of my favorite quotes from Girl, Stop Apologizing is as follows: "If I could tell you anything, if I could convince you to believe it, it's that you're made for more. You were made to have the dreams you're afraid of having. You were made to do the things you don't think you're qualified for. You were made to be a leader. You were made to contribute. You were made to make changes for good, both in your local community and the world at large. You were made to be more than you are today and - this is the important part - your version of more might not look like my more, or hers." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I find it helpful to read leaders in the field, regardless of their politics and/or if we see eye to eye on every single point. Having said this, I would have read Becoming by Michelle Obama, regardless if she was a celebrity figure or not, based on her writing style. I started it as a pleasure read, thinking that I would take a break from all of the self care books that I was reading, and ending up going back to it time and time again as a "lessons learned" book because of the incredible message that Michelle shares, and in doing so shares it in a very humble and accessible way. The beautiful thing about reading a book like this is that you typically learn something about a dynamic that you're not usually exposed to, and as a bonus, you learn about people that you would otherwise not have the opportunity to meet. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
What books have you been reading? Would you like to hear about other books that I have read in the past year? Are you committed to reading as a way to further your professional and/or personal development? Please let me know in the comments below, and as always, blessings and peace to you and your loved ones!!!
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AuthorValerie Ellis, who is in alignment with the Black Lives Matter Movement and everyone whose life is impacted, now or before, by times of social injustice. Archives
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