Reading for fun was tied to so many memories that it hurt too much to even want to dive into. And, n the depths of my grief, I clung onto trying to reconnect with me. And, the books I found, were helpful, in that each of them was a 30 day, or 6 week, or some other program that had an essence of time wrapped around it. To me, it felt like being in school. They simultaneously gave me an anchor of something to focus on, as well as hope, that in the time period that they specified, that I'd start feeling better.
While each of them holds nuggets for healing. I'm learning that sometimes growth and healing don't take place as fast as we'd like it to. Just because you make it through a book or a course, doesn't mean that poof! Magically, you're peachy keen, a guru, filled with unconditional love, constant happiness, and all of the answers to the world. And, that's OK. That's part of the process. And, part of my growth is to not judge nor compare myself as to where I'm at on my journey. And, I'm happy to say that I've gotten so much better at self-compassion.
Last month, I got tired of not having any mind candy that I could just relax into at the end of the day. One of my friends had made a post asking all of her friends to list their top 10 books of the year. Because it'd had so many recommendations, I picked up "Girl on the Train." It was suspenseful, had a good story line, a lot of plot twists and turns, and I couldn't put it down.
Then, one that I'd been seeing previews for "The Longest Ride." I have an affinity for rodeo, so naturally, that appealed to me. It was my first Nicolas Sparks book; and my last. That he has had so much success as a writer gives me hope! After skimming through that, I finally got to my Kindle list, and for a long time, I'd had in it, "All the Light We Cannot See." I finally downloaded that. And, oh my gosh! Historical fiction is my absolute favorite type of read! I absolutely adored the characters and the way it was beautifully written.
And, a week ago, I started re-reading the Harry Potter series. I've not read them since college, I guess, that's when they came out....but, over this weekend, I finished two; and am well into the third. I adore the imagination, creativity, and the wizarding world that JK Rowling created! As I'm going through my workday, I can hardly wait to get back to reading!
I've not abandoned my self-improvement reading. In a previous post, I mentioned how I'd heard a phenomenal interview by Nancy Levin on her Jump! And Your Life Will Appear process. Well, after her interview, I had the opportunity to sit in on a sample group coaching session; and it was awesome! I got to be one of the guinea pigs; and the way Nancy handled everyone on the call was so skillful, respectful; and authentic. I felt validated; and like I could really benefit.
So, I signed up for her program! I'll be starting this evening; and the course runs through the end of September. I'm nervous, yet excited about what it'll hold; and how exactly I'll jump or grow. But, I'm looking forward to it as well.
In case you're interested in some of the books/courses now in my healing library, this is what I've read over the last 9 months:
- Daily Love - Mastin Kipp
- The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho (though, this was mostly a pleasure read; it was very helpful)
- Forgiveness: 21 Days to Forgive Everyone for Everything - Iyanla Vanzant
- Spirit Junkie - Gabrielle Bernstein
- Discover Your Soul Signature - Panache Desai
- Spiritual Kinesiology Magic in Minutes - Phillip Mountrose and Jane Mountrose
- Life Loves You - Louise Hay and Robert Holden
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| Strahov Monastery Library Prague Czech Republic - How I would LOVE to spend days here reading! |
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