This world is full of wisdom.
Here are some of my most frequent recommendations to clients for inspiration and information to complement our work together.
What speaks to you?
Quotes
“Our lives are not problems to be solved. We can have meaning and beauty and love, but nothing even close to resolution.” -Kate Bowler
“When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them.” -Martin Buber (substitute Mother God, Allah, Yahweh, the Universe, your deity of choice)
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” -Archbishop Desmond Tutu
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places." - Ernest Hemingway
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you." -Rumi
“When you feel a peaceful joy, that's when you are near truth.” -Rumi
"When people show you who they are, believe them the first time." -Dr. Maya Angelou
“The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her own life.” - Dr. Viktor Frankl
"When a woman tells the truth, she is creating the possibility for more truth around her."- Adrienne Rich (I’d argue this is true for all people, not just women!)
“It’s really good not to have ambition for specific titles and offices, but to have ambition for values and how you want to live.” -Derrick A. Bell, Jr.
WorthwhiLe Reads
The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron (all of them!)
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul Mason and Randi Kreger
Life Skills for Adult Children by Janet Woititz and Alan Garner
The Gift by Hafiz
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
The Fiddler in the Subway by Gene Weingarten
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott
Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I’ve Loved) by Kate Bowler
How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by Adrienne Maree Brown
How to be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
The works of sociologist Brené Brown can help you improve your self-worth and your ability to connect with others authentically. Her TED talks are a great place to start (be sure to watch them in order). I also recommend any of her books, including:
Other Favorites
Article: The Happy Brain Chemicals That Make You Feel Good
Article: The Best Treatment for Depression? It Could be Exercise.
Columnist: Carolyn Hax
Documentary: The Mask You Live In
Online course: The Science of Well-being for Teens (free, and valuable for adults, too!)
Podcast: The Happiness Lab
Podcast: NPR Life Kit
Podcast: Ten Percent Happier
Podcast episode: Cosmic Questions (from The Daily)
Podcast episode: Kryptonite for the Inner Critic (Ten Percent Happier with Dr. Kristin Neff)
Poem: Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Skill: WOOP My Life
Skill: Breath of Joy yoga move
TED talk: How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime
TED talk: How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over
TED talk: Violence Against Women is a Men’s Issue
TED talk: We Don’t Move On From Grief (We Move Forward With It)
TED talk: Why I’m Done Trying to Be Man Enough
Website/Podcast/Instagram: The New Happy