Book Favorites to Help You Through The Holidays and Beyond
Do you believe you’re living at a time that is rich with potential for you to create a life filled with incredible meaning, happiness, and promise?
Maybe not, especially if you’re one of the 50% of workers that says they’re suffering from burnout.
Frankly, I was feeling a bit that way myself over the last several months. Experience has taught me effective ways to cope, which is why you will repeatedly see me mention spending time in nature, meditation, and maintaining connections with the people who are important to you.
The other thing I do which I haven’t mentioned much other than some quotes are the books that help to provide perspective and new ways to think about the human condition.
As we enter yet another holiday season with the pandemic wreaking havoc, I’d like to provide you with a reading list that I’ve dipped into when I need to find some words of wisdom and hope.
These are in no particular order and are both recent publications and from decades ago. Regardless, I hope they serve you if you need inspiration or solace.
1. Yes to Life – In Spite of Everything by Viktor Frankl
I purchased this book in the fall and my enjoyment of it is marked by the numbers of page corners turned down, sentences underlined, and paragraphs marked as being especially meaningful. If you are in need of finding some hope or are searching out ways to make your life meaningful, this book is worth your time. Don’t let its short page count fool you into thinking it’s short on timely messages.
2. A Life at Work – The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do by Thomas Moore
This book invites you to look at your whole life as part of your work and dispels the myth of work and life being separate. When I was trying to decipher what and how I wanted to work, this book helped me validate what I’d known all along. “A job is never just a job. It is always connected to a deep and invisible process of finding meaning in life through work.”
3. Think Like A Monk – Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty
In a nutshell, this book is about learning how to dig down to the root of what you want and how to rise out of confusion and distraction. He shares his knowledge about the power of meditation, mindfulness, gratitude, and service among other things as the pathway to living a fulfilled life. While the topics weren’t new to me, his approach and his journey encouraged me to stay on the path.
4. Tapping the Source – Using the Master Key System for Abundance and Happiness by William Gladstone, Richard Greninger and John Selby
Have you ever gone into a bookstore just to browse and stumble upon a book that you need right at that moment? When I discovered this book at a used bookstore, that’s how it felt. It combines meditation with intention and walks you through a process to gain clarity for defining what you want. My life meant I wasn’t very good at either declaring what I wanted or learning how to focus once I did. This book gave me an understanding and a process for both.