TRUSTING

I recently finished a book called Books for Living by Will Schwalbe in which he assigned each chapter a different action or phrase and then made book recommendations that corresponded with it.

That got me thinking about what books I would recommend for those phrases and I've decided to write about my selections here. 

Next up...

Trusting

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I've tried to write this piece several times and in several different ways and every time it comes across even cheesier than the time before.

I guess it is impossible, or so it would seem, to discuss the ability to trust oneself, to build trusting relationships, and how those dynamics are depicted through out the Harry Potter series, without coming across as a complete cornball.

Ultimately what I was trying to get at was that when it comes to the magic in the Harry Potter series, so much of the power is found within. You have to trust that you have had the ability inside you all along. The strength and command to conjure up fire, to unlock doors, to transform the world around you, to protect oneself with a majestic swan patronus (because that's what http://www.magiquiz.com/quiz/whats-your-patronus/ said I would have) all that power comes from trusting yourself. Believing in yourself.

But there is another lesson that Harry so often has to learn. That is to trust your friends.
Harry continually struggles with trusting that his friends care for him, are loyal to him, and support him no matter what (see the beginning of book 5 if you don't believe me. And even when he is on good terms with his friends, he has a hard time trusting them enough to delegate. He believes that only he can face Voldemort and their for tries to take on everything by himself.
What JK Rowling consistently teaches Harry is that he needs teamwork to overcome his biggest obstacle.

I'm probably one of the worst people to ever talk to anyone about the importance of trusting oneself. But I would trust my friends with my life. With everything I have. They are amazing, strong, intelligent people. I would be lost without them.

And through them I am learning to trust myself as well.

SEARCHING

I recently finished a book called Books for Living by Will Schwalbe in which he assigned each chapter a different action or phrase and then made book recommendations that corresponded with it.

Most of which I had never read before (out of the 26 I might have read 3??? maybe...).

Naturally it got me thinking about what books I would recommend for those phrases and I've decided to write about my selections here. So, next up...

SEARCHING

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

This will be one of my more obvious picks. 

Eat Pray Love was released in 2007 and adapted into a movie in 2010 which is when a lot of people took notice of it. 

It is the story of one woman's journey to find herself after a painful divorce and an overwhelming battle with depression. Upon reaching her breaking point she decides to take a year to go in search of her own happiness. She spends time eating in Italy, praying in India, and falling in love in Bali. 

There were times when I did find the ease of Gilbert's journey slightly grating. Not many of us have the ability to take a year off work and travel the world without having to worry about having a job or friendships or MONEY when we returned home. I even remember there was a scene while in Italy that Gilbert writes about spending more on lingerie then what one person would spend on a round trip ticket to New York City! I think I had to put the book down for a minute after reading that part.

But the moments that spoke to me, were the ones in which Gilbert was honest and vulnerable in speaking about her depression. The pain that she suffered, and the loss of identity she felt, were both very real struggles that I believe we can all relate too on some level.

Throughout Eat Pray Love Gilbert is searching for self acceptance, spiritual intimacy, and the confidence and strength to learn to love again. Now, I'm a firm believer that it would be detrimental for most of us to completely check out of our lives and travel abroad in order to find ourselves. But I also believe that the journey, evolution, and eventual lessons learned would be similar in the end.

At least I hope they are.

SLOWING DOWN

I recently finished a book called Books for Living by Will Schwalbe in which he assigned each chapter a different action or phrase and then made book recommendations that corresponded with it.

Most of which I had never read before (out of the 26 I might have read 3??? maybe...).

Naturally it got me thinking about what books I would recommend for those phrases and I've decided to write about my selections here. So, first up...

Slowing Down

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good audio book (even not so good audio books). The older I get the harder it has become for me to stay put long enough to read. I get restless and feel like there are just other things I need to get done...now! I have always been a fan of audio books but I have found that I seem to be relying on them more and more these days.

They are great in the car, at home while cooking or cleaning, or at work when I'm auditing or filing. A perfect way to multi-task and be entertained at the same time. Also with most devices you can alter the speed of the narration. Speed it up if the pauses between sentences is too much for you or you are facing a book club deadline! Slow it down when the reader is using a thick accent and you aren't really sure what they are talking about.

Every now and then a book will come along that is the flawless blend of imagery and characters, and with a reader who stops you in your tracks and you just want to listen to them read you anything for the rest of your life.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and read by Jim Dale is such a book. Two worlds colliding with magic and romance, brings competing illusionists to face each other. Morgenstern reveals the artistry of such a world with each chapter. Taking you, the reader, into every scene. Allowing you to amerce yourself in the beauty she paints around you. Dale provides a voice that lures the listener in, feeling safe and comforted while being lost in such a place.

If you have the chance for Jim Dale to read you anything, anything at all, EVER, do it! But when it comes to the Night Circus, slow it down! Don't rush it. Breath it in. Live in that world a little while longer. Take your time! The rest of the world can wait.