I know I primarily share a lot of hair, makeup, and beauty around here, and I’ve dabbled in some personal growth topics with you from time to time. But let’s not forget that the MOST beautiful thing about us will always be our heart and our mind.
In January of 2019 I set out to observe of my mindset, say goodbye to limiting beliefs and challenge myself in personal development for the sake of growth. I decided I wanted to read 1 book every 60 days and challenge the status quo of my thoughts.
I’ve always enjoyed reading and rummaging though bookstores to pick out books ‘I’d like to read one day’, but seldom “found the time” to do it. So, I decided to MAKE TIME to read a few books I already had on my bookshelf and grab some new ones that I heard were good.
So I created a morning routine. (if you want to know what that looks like now that I’ve been consistent with it for a year - let me know and I can dive more into that with you). So in my AM routine, I scheduled 15 minutes to read. JUST 15 minutes every day and here are the books I chose to put on the list.
The first book I decided to read was You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I needed an overall pep talk about life and had heard that this was an entertaining read with good concepts. This book is great if you’re looking for a one stop shop. The author talks about: ego, being in the moment, your subconscious, fear, meditation, not caring what people think, money, self doubt, and just doing the damn thing. If you’re new to self awareness - this is a great place to start and you’ll have fun reading it.
Next, I FLEW though Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. This is SUCH an easy read, and I loved her writing style it felt very conversational. I immediately felt like Rachel and I were besties and kept wanting read the next chapter because it felt like hanging out. Girl Wash Your Face talks specifically to women about stopping the lies and negative self talk so you can show up as the woman you’re meant to be. It’s pretty powerful. Now I’m not a mom, but the chapters on MOM GUILT were real you guys - I got a whole new world perspective about what it takes to be a woman PLUS a mom AND showing up in a mans world. I’d recommend this book to a friend.
I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck because the title got me! I quickly LOVED that Mark Manson’s writing style was very tongue in cheek and full of sarcasm. It’s like he was saying similar things I had been learning - but in reverse, from more of a cynical perspective and I was into it. The main topic of this book is that social media and the consumer culture are giving us a twisted view. So caring LESS about all that B.S, not giving AF about what people you don’t even know think - and focusing on the REAL happiness of life. If you’re a skeptic too, I would say this might just be the angle you need to change your mindset.
I’d be reading SO MUCH about our subconscious thoughts and beliefs that I realized - I needed to really understand what the subconscious mind even was, because it’s sorta hard to conceptualize at first. So I went to my bookshelf and picked up The Power of your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy. I’m not going to sugar coat it - this book was kinda like reading a mix of science and philosophy and at times felt like a textbook. This is where I started to fully understand Habitual Thinking and stretch my thought processes. If you geek out of self awareness and consider yourself well versed in this subject, you’d probably really like this book. If you’re new to the scene I recommend starting out with the other 3 above mentioned books.
I needed to take a mental break after reading The Power of your Subconscious Mind and wanted to go with something I knew would be a little more upbeat and a conversational read. I liked Jen Sincero’s book, You are A Badass and thought I’d pick up her 2nd book You are A Badass at Making Money. I had been reading about a Scarcity Mindset and was curious what it meant. Now Scarcity isn’t just about Money, although that is this books’ focus - it talks A LOT about the limiting beliefs we have that make us fearful and how to have a Wealthy Mindset. Wealth is health, time, love, happiness and yes money is a tool to help us get those things. Abundance in all areas of life - is an inside job. If you need that reminder - check out this book.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was just what I needed to focus & remain in the present moment. It’s easy in this day and age to get consumed with everything that’s going on around us in the digital space, and cram our brain with thoughts of past and future. Don’t let the pain of the past, or the anxiety of the future ruin your ability to be present in The Now. This book focuses on meditation, observing our thoughts and removing negativity so we can truly be present in the current moment. If you feel like you are detached from your present life because you are remembering the past, or are so focused on what is to come this book is a wonderful reminder that RIGHT NOW is what we have.
For my last book for the year, I decided to test out the whole Audible thing - even though I was SO opposed to listening to a book (I felt like I was cheating on paper and the written word) I ended the year with Rachel Hollis’s most recent book, Girl Stop Apologizing. I think this was the perfect book & author for my first Audible. Rachel narrates the book herself, and because I had already decided we were BFF it was easy to listen to. She inspiringly tells women to pursue our ambitions, chase those big goals and build up our confidence. Rachel Hollis puts on RISE conferences for women based around these concepts and I REALLY want to the one she does that’s designed for Entrepreneurs!
Now that I know reading 7 books is doable in a year (that’s the most I’ve ever read in a year outside of formal education) - I’m setting the realistic goal of reading (and listening) to 10 books in 2020. I’m focusing on books that have to do with leadership, habits, entrepreneurship and whatever else sounds good. If you have some recommendations I’d LOVE to hear what they are as I build my 2020 Reading List.
Don’t forget to also invest in the beauty of your mind & soul this year!
xoxo babes~
