Inspiration Library
Books
A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book
by Don Miguel Ruiz
This was the first self-development book I ever read. It helped me see how much I was letting other people’s opinions of me dictate my actions and how much I was trying to control the people around me. This helped me see how much damage I was causing to the people around me with my words. The Four Agreements: be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, always do your best.
Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
This book helped me see the connection between my words, my beliefs, and what was coming to fruition in my life. I started to focus on what I DO want instead of what I don’t want.
A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul
by Danielle LaPorte
I was chasing the external. This book helped me see that the external dreams, desires, and things I was chasing had something in common- at one point or another, they surfaced a feeling within me. I couldn’t name them at the time, but this book helped me figure out how I wanted to feel, and from there, come up with ideas of how I could feel those ways in every part of my life, regardless of what the external looked like.
Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
by Brené Brown
This book helped me recognize all the ways that my perfectionism was bleeding into my life and how I could release it to show up fully as myself. When we numb the “bad” in our life, we also numb the potential to experience all the “good” to its fullest.
by Sri Swami Satchidananda
This book helped me see how I was being pushed and pulled around by all the circumstances in my life, and how I let them affect me. This book, along with the physical practice of yoga, taught me about equanimity- remaining centered and true to myself, regardless of what happens. This book also taught me about all the mental chatter that goes on, its causes and how to quiet them down. I learned to become an observer- seeing what happens in the mind and around me, and not reacting. This book is all theory, we then have to put it into practice. I kept in mind that life is 1% theory and 99% practice.
A Memoir
by Glennon Doyle
This book moved me so deeply. Glennon Doyle is a recovering bulimic and alcoholic and this book is about the crisis that her family faces when she finds out about her husbands infidelity. We all have an inner strength and resilience and her story inspires me to keep on loving despite everything I’ve been through- ESPECIALLY because of everything I’ve been through.
Love Your Body, Eat Without Fear, Nourish Your Spirit, Discover True Balance!
by Kathryn Budig
I still live by the term Aim True. The journaling practices in this book were some of the first self-reflection tools I had encountered and helped me dream up my ideal life. Similar to the core desired feelings from the desire map, when you have a central guiding point, you can always make your way back to living with purpose.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
by Mari Kondo
I followed this book and it helped me get rid of so much clutter! Around the same time, I examined my shopping addiction and recognized my triggers for why I shopped.
How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It
by Patricia Love and Steven Stosney
This book taught me about the primal and instinctual fear response in women- fear of being abandoned or alone, and the and primal and instinctual shame response in men- fear of perceived failure such as the failure to protect us and make us happy. There’s a vicious cycle that happens- women’s natural anxiety can cause men to feel like they’re failing and go into shame, which when not addressed, can cause them to pull away, which then sparks even more anxiety and fear in women, as we are feeling abandoned, and the cycle continues. This book gives practical tips on how to address this. Also, note that the terms “women” and “men” are used generally. Not all women or men have the same responses.
A Woman's Guide To Men, Sex, And Love's Deepest Bliss
by David Deida
This book is written in a series of letters from a man to a woman. It taught me about intimacy and love in a way that I had not experienced. It taught me about staying open even when my man seems to be closing and how that can change a relationships dynamic for both partners to feel safe to open up to each other.
by Rhonda Byrne
This is essentially a 28-day gratitude practice. This book showed me how there were sooo many things in my life to be grateful, especially the ones that I took for granted because I had never thought to think twice about them. As we practice gratitude, we can increase our joy and appreciation for life, and shift our energy to manifest even more into our lives.
How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
by Simon Sinek
This book taught me about finding the “why” of my life and business. We are often operating from a place of “what” and “how.” Why- the purpose. How- the process. What- the result.Apple is often used as an example.
People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
"If Apple were like most other companies, a marketing message from them would move from the outside in of The Golden Circle. It would start with some statement of what the company does or makes, followed by how they think they are different or better than the competition, followed by some call to action. With that, the company would expect some behavior in return, in this case a purchase. A marketing message from Apple, if they were like everyone else, might sound like this: 'We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. Wanna buy one?'
Let’s look at that Apple example again and rewrite the example in the order Apple actually communicates. This time, the example starts with why: 'Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use, and user-friendly. And we happen to make great computers. Wanna buy one?'"
Simon Sinek also has a great TED talk to get you thinking about how to start with WHY.
How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself
by Melody Beattie
I found myself completely enmeshed in other people’s problems, often taking them on as my own. This book helped me recognize all the ways in which my thoughts and actions were unhealthy and how to move out of codependency. It’s something I still work on.
What is codependency?
Dupont and McGovern (1991) argue that codependent individuals “share the responsibility for the unhealthy behavior, primarily by focusing their lives on the sick or the bad behavior and by making their own self-esteem and well-being contingent on the behavior of the unhealthy family member.”
Does your sense of purpose involve making extreme sacrifices to satisfy your partner's needs?
Is it difficult to say no when your partner makes demands on your time and energy?
Do you cover your partner’s problems with drugs, alcohol, or the law?
Do you constantly worry about others’ opinions of you?
Do you feel trapped in your relationship?
Do you keep quiet to avoid arguments?
A Journey Through the Stages of Recovery from Psychological Abuse
by Shannon Thomas LCSW
About: "Within every community, toxic people can be found hiding in families, couples, companies, and places of worship. The cryptic nature of psychological abuse involves repetitious mind games played by one individual or a group of people.Psychological abuse leaves no bruises. There are no broken bones. There are no holes in the walls. The bruises, brokenness, and holes are held tightly within the target of the abuse.Healing from Hidden Abuse walks the reader through each of the six recovery stages researched and developed by the author. The stages are: Despair, Education, Awakening, Boundaries, Restoration and Maintenance. A guided Personal Reflections journal is included in the back of the book to help the reader go deeper in their application of the six stages of recovery."
An Empath's Guide to Evading Relationships That Drain You and Restoring Your Health and Power
by Northrup M.D., Christiane
A book for empaths and highly sensitive individuals. This book helped me recognize the people in my life that have sucked out all of my energy and life force and how to build up stronger boundaries and protect myself.
Other
Yoga, Meditation, Pilates, Workouts Videos from Master Teachers
Meditation app
Meditation App
Original Artwork by Brianna Meli
Blog, online New Moon circles and retreats
Twin Flames, Soul Mates, and Soul Contracts Redefined
If you’re caught in a relationship loop breaking up and getting back together again and again…
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things
To get inspired about living a minimalist lifestyle
(Netflix Documentary)
The Art of Mindfulness by Relax Like a Boss
Learn all about what Mindfulness is and how to practice it.