Book Collection
A collection of my favorite books that have provided huge inspiration for growth, connection, love, and positivity!
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The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz Like many of my books, this one is also well-used and well-loved. Not only that, it happened to fall into my life at the exact moment I needed it (funny how that happens right!?!) Here I learned some hard, sound advice and that was to stop being the “yes girl” in order to make other’s around me happy and comfortable. I had to practice loving from the inside out. “Happiness can only come from inside of you and is the result of your love. When you are aware that no one else can make you happy and that happiness is the result of your love, this becomes the greatest mastery of the Toltec: the Mastery of Love”~ Don Miguel Ruiz.
Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. This exquisite book had me at hello. Not only was it first published in 1955, but Anne Lindbergh dared to be brave, dared to speak truth for herself and many other woman of the time. Her message is simple and encouraging~ giving ourselves the green light to find solitude (yes an hour… but how about beyond that? A day? A week? Dare I say a month?) AND work with our own creativity. Our creative energy is often the first to get tabled in this journey we are in. Anne says No! Work with it, bring it to the surface and let it rise up and out!
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron This was the VERY FIRST BOOK I picked up when I started my journey inward. To be completely transparent, I had NO CLUE that healing was even a thing. What I understood was that you went to therapy, and talked about your problems. I didn’t know that you could actually become friends with your own trauma. I didn’t realize how much FEAR I was walking around with ALL OF THE TIME. Reading this book definitely supported me in starting to shed some of these darker places.
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle This is where so much started to MAKE SENSE! Discovering the space between my EGO and my SOUL was life changing. A New Earth helped me part the curtains, clear out the clutter, clean my attic to come home to my own truth. “There is no substitute for finding true purpose. But the true or primary purpose of your life cannot be found on the outer level. It does not concern what you do but what you are.” PS- If you’re a podcaster… I highly recommend listening to Eckhart’s series with Oprah on Super Soul Sunday.
The Empath’s Survival Guide by Judith Orloff, MD Are you an empath? Are you someone who feels and senses EVERYTHING around you? Do you experience other people’s joys and sorrows? This book shed a lot of light on how I saw and felt the energies of the world. It also gave me tangible strategies to work with so I could navigate some of my own larger emotions. I HIGHLY recommend this book if you sense your child is an empath. Perhaps your child is highly sensitive or has different sensory needs. I believe we can teach young children to understand this part of themselves so they can navigate their worlds with greater ease and clarity.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz I truly adore Ruiz’s writing. It’s clear and simple yet OH SO POWERFUL. If you sometimes need reminders to “Be Impeccable with Your Word, Don’t Take Anything Personally, Don’t Make Assumptions and Always Do Your Best”… then please give this a read! For way too long I said things based on what I thought others wanted to hear. I was tentative to share my own thoughts and opinions. This book changed that for me!
Heart Talk by Cleo Wade. This beautiful collection was given to me by a very close friend and like most of these books here, I pick it up over and over again. I learned it’s ok and I’m ok to TUNE IN and listen to the rawness of my own heart. As many of us have probably experienced, our heart space is sometimes the first thing we shut off from the world in order to protect what feels scary. Cleo Wade says no… go there. Go to your heart and embrace the creative, vulnerable gifts that live inside.
The Last Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards. This is a beautiful chapter book for ALL ages. It celebrates the remarkable abilities of our imaginations while seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. I also love this book because it helps to strengthen our ability to visualize. Visualizing is a wonderful tool we can use when looking to heal inner wounds.
A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson. My copy of “A Return to Love” is tattered, torn, bent and inked. To say these words helped shift my course is an understatement. What it laid out so clearly is this ~ We have a choice in all we do~ choose our actions from a place of fear (remember fear is all the yuck… the anxiety, attachments, jealously, judgement, sadness, anger and rage) or a place of love (acceptance, joy, truth, creativity, peace…). “We must reveal ourselves at the deepest level in order to find out how lovable we really are. When we dig deeply enough, into our true nature, we do not find darkness. We find endless light.”
The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav I must admit that I have not read this cover to cover yet (partially because I am a slower reader AND this one really makes you think!)…But, if you’ve heard that inner voice call to you…then this is a great read! “When the energy of the soul is recognized, acknowledged, and valued, it begins to infuse the life of the personality. When the personality comes fully to serve the energy of its soul, that is authentic empowerment.”
I Am Human (5 book series) by Susan Verde Here is just a small sample of these beautiful picture books written by Susan Verde. Whether you’re a teacher or a parent or simply enjoy a good picture book then I HIGHLY recommend adding these to your collection. All of her stories help the reader or listener connect inward with their emotional and spiritual self. What a great gift! I often wonder if books like these were around when we were young… would we be living and loving differently?
Books by Peter H. Reynolds I ADORE the inspiration, celebration and creativity of Peter Reynold’s work! When I was in the classroom full time, I always enjoyed the moments when a child connected to his words. He invites the vulnerable child to the table and says “Yes! come on out friend!” Not to mention… I need his encouragement too. PS- He illustrated Susan Verde’s books.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle. If you’re reading these words right now, then I bet you have also DEVOURED this book. Yes! this reads like the Cheetah. Fast, fierce and unapologetically the best friend or permission slip needed to listen to that firey, inner light, living inside you. Sometimes for fun… I pick it up, flip to a random page, read and say “Yes! thank you friend!”
Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne Jackson. Hold onto your hats! This was a super cool, playful read even though it centers around communicating with our loved ones who have passed. Opening our hearts and minds to the idea that we can, in fact, receive signs from the other side can feel a bit vulnerable AND it can also add an element of wonder to something that feels so unknown. Building a communication system through signs and symbols is like learning a new language but once you start learning you’re ready for something beautiful. Whether you’re in your waking world or dream state, these tiny gifts from afar will wow you.
Chakras by Tori Hartman If you’re wanting to familiarize yourself with the basic Chakras system and your spiritual anatomy then this is a great place to start! It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned deep healing needs to begin in our spiritual/energetic body. I never knew or understood that our physical healing (think everyday ailments…shoulders, hips, back, gut health, respiratory issues, skin discomfort etc..) relied so much on our ability to heal our energetic centers first. This introductory book was a LIFE CHANGER. Not only was it super informative and easy to read, but it also gave real life examples of where focused attention on a particular Chakras could lead to deeper healing.
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay When I first started learning about the inner child and how the stories from our past can stay with us, I read this book. This was HUGE! I learned to investigate the energy of my body as well as the parts of my past that I was still holding on to. Healing the trauma’s of our past can support mind, body and spirit health and it’s when we don’t look closely at these parts of us, can it manifest physically. Take a look… this is a good read!
Dreaming on Both Sides of the Brain by Doris Cohen, Ph.D. We all dream! And the dreamer is ALWAYS dreaming about the dreamer. I ADORE this book by Doris Cohen. If you are at all interested in familiarizing yourself with your dream world or using your dreams as a way to heal, then I highly recommend this book. Not to mention… it’s a very easy read! *I referenced her work in my “Dream Doodle” section.
Hope For The Flowers by Trina Paulus I WISH someone had shared this book with me when I was young-er;). I feel like this book should be on every child’s nightstand. In a nutshell, it celebrates authenticity and discovering that success is not found outside of yourself but something we find inward. A second powerful message is “just because everyone else is doing it… it doesn’t mean you have to too.”~ Sound familiar?