The Books That Changed Me…
The secret is out… I am a bookworm
Books have become a significant part of my life. I never leave the house without one in my bag.
Lately, I have even noticed that I get a little anxious when I don’t have one with me…
My bookshelf consists of a wide variety of books. Everything from romantic novels to science fiction to memoirs. I cannot say that I prefer one over the other, I just love a good story. That said, these are four books that have shifted my way of thinking and find appreciation in the little things in life.
#1: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
If I told you that by doing just ONE thing the same way every single morning that your day would be different, would you believe me? I never fully understood why I loved the structure of playing a sport, especially in college. I thrived on the consistency and repetition of each day. You’re told when to be somewhere, what to do, what the consequences are when you don’t do what's expected of you, and how your decisions affect others.
I was 27 when I first read this book. After the first few pages, I quickly realized why it resonated with me so much. Hal tells his story of how out of control his life was at one point in time. Shit hit the fan, his life was a mess, and something needed to change ASAP. This was different than your normal self-help/development books. This was about recognizing where things were going wrong and putting a plan in motion to get yourself back on track. It was simple… do these six things every morning, and your life will be transformed. I’ll be honest, I laughed at this and thought to myself, ”there is no way this is going to help me get my life back on track.”
I followed Hal’s steps to a ”T” and without fail, successfully made it through the first 24 hours. I visualized myself getting up at 4:30 am. I spoke positive affirmations about getting up that early and the success that would follow. 4:30 am came, my alarm went off and I did not hit snooze. I pulled myself out of bed and started my first miracle morning. I did this for three months straight. This is what I learned:
I need structure and routine
By setting intentions, saying affirmations, and visualizing the day, put me in a positive mindset
I was more focused throughout the day
I felt less stressed and more accomplished every day
This one is a quick read and well worth it!
#2: 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
I have anxiety… I have made that pretty clear. Sometimes that anxiety doesn’t allow me to follow asleep when I need to. Sometimes I have a hard time getting out of bed. Sometimes I get really bad social anxiety. A vlogger I had been following recommended this book. I downloaded it in audiobook format and burned through it in a single day. Mel shared her personal stories and other’s stories about how this 5 Second Rule helped them.
By counting backward, 5-4-3-2-1, you essentially reset your brain. You stop thinking about whatever it is that is stressing you out or overwhelming you. When I downloaded this book, I was frequently having anxiety attacks. Mainly when I would be in large social gatherings. I was also having a very difficult time shutting my brain down at night. As soon as I would get anxious, experience an overwhelming thought, or have a difficult time going to sleep… I would just start counting backward from 5. I would do it over and over until I felt between or fell asleep. It was amazing how well it helped.
That was five years ago. I still find myself counting backward from 5 when I go to sleep. I rarely will have an anxiety attack now, but if I do this is my go-to way to chill out.
#3: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
This one goes back to my blog a few weeks ago, about setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves. There are so many books out there by authors who will tell you what they did to find success, get fit, or better their mental health. For many of them, it's based on personal experience. There is nothing wrong with that. However, the thing I admire most about Brene Is that she is combining her personal life experience with her educational background to bring her readers the best advice.
The guideposts in this book can help you through personal struggles, career challenges, relationship issues, and so much more. Accepting imperfection is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Setting realistic expectations. Quitting the self-sabotaging cycle.
This is certainly in my top 5 all-time favorite books. I have never read something that hit home so hard, as this did. I took something from every single chapter of this book. This is more than just a love story of an author and one of the greatest female soccer players of all time. This is about finding your voice, embracing your true self, setting boundaries, and standing up for yourself and the ones you love.
I have never been good at setting boundaries. I tend to be a people pleaser and put others’ needs before my own.
Glennon describes coming out to her parents and their initial reaction to coming” help” her. The hardest thing she ever had to do was set a hard boundary and stick to it. She and Abby made their island, and until her parents (and anyone else) were ready to come onto the island with open arms… they were not welcome. This was not meant to be hurtful, but their island was full of love and acceptance. Their family was happy and embracing the changes. Glennon wasn’t going to let anyone shift that energy. Setting boundaries and sticking to them is admirable. Super freaking hard, but incredibly admirable.
I made my island a few years ago. People have come and gone. The ones I hold close to my heart though, are on it. That makes me so damn happy!
Add these to your wishlist or buy them now. I promise you, you won't regret it! The right book truly can transform your life.
DISCOUNT BOOKS
I have been using Thriftbooks.com for some time now. I have bought ten books for less than $40! Some are new, most of them are used but in VERY GOOD condition. Because I am such a loyal book reader, I even managed to snag myself a free book with the reward points. If you sign up for ReadingRewards with this code: https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/code=13qtWhkuUEaHUw4P0X%252boXw%253d%253d you will get $30 to spend on your first purchase AND a free book credit 🤓 give it a try!
Let your sun shine ☀️
xoxo Kody
