Books
These are books that have had a profound impact on me – there are many more wherte these came from, but we have to start somewhere! Please note that I have inserted links, but they are just to Amazon. I do not benefit in any way by recommending them, other than the joy it brings me to share the love!
Glennon Doyle’s Untamed was a life changer for me and so many others. I came away from it wanting to share it with my daughters, and wishing that I could convince every woman everywhere to read it. She will make you reexamine your perspectives on who you are and how you got here, and you will leave the pages a different person than you were when you met them. The podcast is included below as well.
I can’t even say where you should begin with Brene Brown. I have read every one of her books, and am always waiting for another to be announced. She gives us space to be human, and to lead with vulnerability. She introduced for me the concept of “armouring up” – our protective mechanisms that are so often behind the shadow parts of us.
Dr Joe Dispenza is an authority on the brain and the mind, particularly with regards to neuroplasticity and our ability to alter our habits and thought patterns. He incorporates ongoing research, and teaches strategies for replacing harmful habits with helpful ones, working towards acceptance of the self.
Dr Emily was already a friend in my ears after years of listening to her regular appearances on the podcast, The Imperfects. She tacvles all of the things that I support people with, with thorough explanations about what is going on behind our behaviours, and how to free ourselves from them.
This is another powerful book about the importance we place on other people’s opinions, and the people we choose to sit at the table with. It focuses on letting go of trying to control other people and their perceptions of us, and getting on with reclaiming our own voices and energy.
Melody Beattie had a window straight to my soul – I felt like she was writing this for me! This was one of the first times that I began to understand my behaviours and let go of the shame and frustration at the person I was, focusing instead on who I was becoming. I learnt that there were text book reasons for how I showed up in life and relationships, and that my anxious attachments were just a result of the protections my brain had put in place. A game-changer!
Sarah Wilson first wrote about about her crippling anxiety in First, We Make the Beast Beautiful. In this book she focuses on connection, and about how the only way for us to move towards a better world is to find ways to understand one another, rather than blame and rage at everything and everyone who is wrong. It is gentle and wise, and leaves you feeling uplifted and inspired.
This will forever be one of my favourites. Every single day now, I look for something to be awestruck about. I am not the only one whose life has changed because of Julia Baird’s work – I have shared this with so many friends, gifting it especially when loved ones are going through dark times. Sometimes it is important to know how small and insignificant we are in the big picture, which is what happends when we view an amazing sunset ot a starry sky, or catch the phosphorescent sea life that inspired the author.
Podcasts
We Can Do Hard Things – Glennon Doyle, her partner Abby and sister Amanda, have become my closest friends and confidants, even though they can’t hear what I’m saying!!! They cover so many issues around social justice, but also regular human issues around family dynamics and learning to be a better person.
<a href="http://<!– wp:embed {"url":"https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things/id1564530722","type":"wp-embed","providerNameSlug":"apple-podcasts"} –> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-apple-podcasts wp-block-embed-apple-podcasts"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things/id1564530722 </div></figure> We Can Do Hard Things, the podcast
Hum of the Heart 