Reading with Mandy

I usually don’t focus on specific books because of the way I read but this week I wanted to talk about how reading nonfiction particularly in the self-improvement/personal development space can be really helpful in helping you take stock of your life and make important adjustments. There are certain elements of life that are definitely worth exploring when you are able to devote time. I do find that certain books come along in life just when you need them and want to discuss a few of them for me. I think the most important skill to start with when embarking on a personal development journey is emotion regulation. If you don’t have the ability to regulate your own emotions they will sabotage your progress every single time. My two favorite books to help with this are The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson and Unf*ck Yourself by Gary John Bishop. The swear words serve a purpose in getting you to focus on what actually matters and what you actually can control. They both were liberating. After working my way through those the next author to check out is Dr. Nicole LePera who actually guides you through the different steps to take to improve mental health and emotion regulation. After that then it’s time to focus on habits. I personally prefer The Power of Habit by Charles Duigg over Atomic Habits by James Clear but both are good and helpful if you want to understand how to form new, healthy habits while eliminating bad habits. Once you get that in a good spot then I’d read Marie Kondo’s The Magical Art of Tidying Up and Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead because both emphasize values and think you need to be clear on that to help create a home that represents the life you want to lead. It also helps you get into the habit of living a life where you are actualizing your values. For me perhaps the hardest and most important thing to get in good shape is health and eating habits. I’m currently reading Good Energy: The Surprising Connection between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means with Calley Means which talks about how to create health in your life and also your habits. I think there needs to be a foundation of how to build habits mindfully before you try to implement anything else personally but can go in the order that works for you. There’s always going to be more to learn in my opinion. I’m also working on The Creative Cure by Jacob Nordy and planning on trying The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron this summer. I think adding in a creative element of art or even play is an essential pillar of health. I like to use books as inspiration and sometimes as a check for the different areas of my life I need to improve or maybe tweak. Change can be good. Intentional change is even better. Happy Reading!