I love books. I always have. Some of my favorite early memories consist of completely immersing myself in whichever book I happened to be reading at the time. I would read for hours and hours – never wanting to put the book down and feeling both gratified and saddened when I reached the final page. Thankfully, though, there was always another book to pick up and begin.

Over the past few years, I haven’t read nearly as much as I wanted to. It wasn’t something that consciously happened – I just got busy. Work took center stage. Life took center stage. And reading for pleasure somehow seemed just a bit too decadent. It just didn’t seem like there was time. That all changed last summer when I found myself spending most of my time on the couch – my body was completely exhausted from adrenal fatigue, and my mind wanted nothing more than to soak up some healing words. 

So I started reading again. And since then, I have become a sponge – reading, reading, and reading some more. I have stacks of books next to me at all times. I finish one and immediately begin another. And it has been such a blessing for my soul. I have found my home again among all of these loving, healing words.

I wanted to share just a few of the books that have especially spoken to my soul over the past few months. They have become very personal to me – books that speak to where I currently am and where I am wanting to go.

 
1. The Joy of Burnout: How the End of the World Can Be a New Beginning – Dina Glouberman

I love this book immensely. So many books about burnout feel dark and negative. So many sort of make burnout to be somehow a bad thing, rather than a blessing. This book shows how reaching a state of burnout is truly a beautiful thing – it means that we are hearing our soul’s message and are ready to do something about it. It’s that space in between feeling completely powerless and embracing our true power. It’s that space where we give ourselves permission to stop, to breathe, and to listen.

I’ve written candidly about my own journey through burnout here on Soul Speak, and I completely am in alignment with this book’s message. It has been one of the best experiences that I’ve ever gone through because it’s bringing me back home – back to myself. And that is such a beautiful thing.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from it:

“Burnout is ultimately positive if we are open to its message. This is because it asks us to become more of who we really are.”

“Burnout is the result of having become better able to hear our soul but not yet daring to listen. Burnout demands that we listen.”

“Burnout could be defined as joylessness. Yet burnout forces us to take a step towards joy. We won’t stop, so burnout stops us. We won’t make space for ourselves, so we burn out and all we have is space. And it is out of that space that the joy eventually comes.”

You can learn more about it by clicking here.

2. Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires – Esther and Jerry Hicks

For years, I had such a strong aversion to the Abraham-Hicks’ teachings. As a skeptic, I thought it was all just a hoax, and I truly didn’t want to be anywhere near their books.

I now know that I simply wasn’t ready for this message and these teachings. And, thankfully, they kept circling back around my life until I was ready to open up and truly hear them.

That happened last August when we read one of their books in the Soulful Life Sanctuary. I couldn’t believe how much it resonated with me at such a deep level. I was in awe of how everything I knew to be true was right there on the pages. Since then, I’ve gotten all of their books and all of their DVDs and have completely immersed myself in their teachings.

I love that their message is so simple, so loving, and so filled with truth. It speaks directly to my soul, and I am so happy to have this beautiful connection. Basically, their teachings are that we are here to feel good; we are here to expand and grow; and we can have everything we want if we are a vibrational match to it.

While I love all of the books that I have read by them, I chose to feature this one because it’s the most accessible and a great one if you’re just being introduced to their writing for the first time.

Here are two of my favorite quotes from it:

“Once you begin to understand the correlation between what you are thinking, what you are feeling, and what you are receiving, now you have it. Now you hold all of the keys that are necessary to get from wherever you are to wherever you want to be, on all subjects.”

“Be easy about all of this. You tend to take life so seriously. Life is supposed to be fun, you know.”

You can learn more about it by clicking here.

3. Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome – James Wilson

When I first found out that I had adrenal fatigue last summer, I wanted to find out everything I could about it. My doctor gave me some information, but I wanted to know more – to truly understand what was happening in my body.

While I have read several books on adrenal fatigue since then, this book is the most comprehensive and helpful by far. It helped me see how this happened, why it happened, and then laid out a realistic program to help me recover.

Healing from adrenal fatigue isn’t just about taking some supplements and getting more sleep. It’s a lifestyle change, and this book covers every aspect of it – from diet to supplements to movement to sleep to emotional factors to so much more. It’s a truly holistic approach, which I love.

You can learn more about it by clicking here.

4. Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder – Arianna Huffington

I love Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, and last fall I watched an episode where Arianna Huffington was sharing about her brand-new book.

Everything she said spoke to me, and I began to read it shortly after.

In it, Arianna writes about success and shares in such personal and loving ways how the true definition of success must include what she calls “the third metric,” which includes our own well-being, our intuition and connection to our soul, our sense of wonder, and our ability to give.

She weaves together her own personal stories along with scientific research – helping us see just how important this new measure of success truly is.

It came into my life at the perfect time: while I was recovering from burnout. I had been measuring my own success from a more traditional sense without even realizing it. I had forgotten in many ways about honoring my own soul, making sure I made time to rest and replenish, and having downtime to simply BE.

I truly think every single person should read this book. It helps us redefine our own version of success and embrace a more holistic version that includes time for all that matters so much that we oftentimes forget about.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from it:

“We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.”

“Like airlines, we routinely overbook ourselves, fearful of any unused capacity, confident that we can fit everything in. We fear that if we don’t cram as much as possible into our day, we might miss out on something fabulous, important, special, or career advancing. But there are no rollover minutes in life. We don’t get to keep all that time we “save.” It’s actually a very costly way to live. My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me, and that what misses me was never meant for me.”

“Bring ourselves back to that place of stillness, imperturbability, and loving—until it becomes second nature to return quickly to what is our true nature.”

You can learn more about it by clicking here.

5. Gift from the Sea – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I first read this book many years ago when someone gave it to me as a college graduation gift. At the time, I was in a very different place in my life: excited to get out into the world and start my first real job. Slowing down and reflecting just weren’t part of my vocabulary at the time. Fast forward many years later, and this book is exactly what I needed, and I’m so happy that it circled back around again so that I could fully appreciate its wisdom.

It was written in 1955 – before the internet and cell phones and all of the other ways that keep us connected to technology and each other 24/7. And yet, even then, Lindbergh was feeling pulled and scattered and needed to get away to embrace solitude and stillness. Lindbergh gave herself permission to go away to the sea for a brief time and simply allowed herself to write, be still, and explore her innermost thoughts.

It speaks to me so deeply right now because I’m in such a similar place. I, too, have taken time away from the outside world in order to be able to hear my soul’s whispers. And I, too, have a strong longing to be at the sea. I know that I will get there sooner rather than later, and I partly have Anne to thank for this loving reminder.

Here are two of my favorite quotes from it:

“If one is out of touch with oneself, then one cannot touch others.”

“What a commentary on our civilization , when being alone is considered suspect; when one  has to apologize for it, make excuses, hide the fact that one practices it – like a secret vice!”

You can learn more about it by clicking here.

 

How about you? Have you read any of these books? Did they speak to you as well? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. And if you haven’t read them yet, I highly recommend you check them out. I would also love to hear about any books that are currently speaking to you. Feel free to share them below!

Hugs,