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I think I hit a record for the number of books I read in one year. While my goal was twelve, I’m proud of myself for getting in eight, especially with the crazy year that I had. In this post, I’m reflecting on each book, the lesson it taught me, and how it shaped me as a person.
UFO of GOD: The Extraordinary True Story of Chris Bledsoe
I still feel honored to have read this beautiful story that is Chris Bledsoe’s life. UFO of God found me as I was on the presipice of change. I had just unexpectedly bought a house and moved back to Texas after just two weeks of visiting due to a family energy. My foundation was rocked and I sat in a space of unknowingness. This book reminded me that there really is an unknown force calling the shots, and the universe really is stranger than we can even imagine. Read my full reflection here.
The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles
I love Marianne Williamson and I had the pleasure of reading A Return To Love for the first time five years ago. Books find their way into my life when I need them most. When I came across The Law of Divine Compensation at the bookstore, I heard the little voice of mysterious guidance telling me to buy it.
I have always struggled with my “career”, mostly because I’m not spending my days doing what I love. I didn’t grow up dreaming of sitting on Zoom calls for hours a day to discuss go-to-market strategy and executive alignment (I swear these things are made-up). I’ve often prayed for an opportunity to become self-employed and my efforts to do so have fallen short, not due to failure, but misalignment and poor timing. Reading this reminded me that we are always taken care of, if we are open to it. However, in order to receive, we must not beg.
Over the past few months I have witnessed my husband do the very thing I’ve been dreaming of— he quit his corporate job and replaced his income pursing his hobby full-time. He wasn’t searching, he was just following his bliss, and like clockwork God came through to compensate him for being unapologetically himself. This is the kind of magic that is discussed in this book. If you struggle with finances or feeling like you will never obtain what you desire, I recommend it.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
I have known about this book for a few years, and I had decided it was time to pickup my own copy last year. Being in and out of therapy for a few years, I have always felt like I’ve never gone deep enough into healing my trauma. I read this because I was curious to learn more about how our bodies hold onto our memories. While reading, I was reminded that therapy is not easy and sometimes it’s possible to dig a little too deep. I stopped reading a little over halfway through the book, because I was becoming paralyzed and mentally exhausted from my own neurosis. Let this be your warning if you decide to read a book about trauma to do it alongside a therapist or counselor.
Braiding Sweetgrass
I didn’t finish this one. This book is honestly beautifully written, but I just don’t think it was my style and I couldn’t stay engaged. It was very narrative, and I am mostly drawn to non-fiction and a more straighforward writing style. However, I don’t want to let my personal reflection diminish the wisdom and poetic essence of this book. I do believe it is important that we consider the lessons we can learn from nature, and that’s exactly what this book teaches.
Shaman, Healer, Sage: How to Heal Yourself and Others with the Energy Medicine of the Americas
This book had also been on my list for a long time and I was very excited to receive a copy of this as a gift last year. Shaman, Healer, Sage was written by Alberto Villoldo, a psychologist and medical anthropologist who studied Amazonian and Andean shamans and their healing practices. I have a particular interest in the work of scientists who study so-called alternative healing and metaphysical subjects. Many of my favorite books are written by people like this, and it always fascinates me to see skeptics become believers. In this book, Alberto outlines the various healing methods he witnessed among these groups and how to use them ourselves. Great read for anyone even remotely interested in shamanism.
This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More
I cheated on this one; it was an audio book. Every now and then, I need to consume some educational content around food and health in order to maintain my own healthy habits. This book was particularly interesting as it contained several statistics and studies to back up it’s claims. It’s one thing to be aware that food affects our moods and cognitive performance, but it’s another thing to know how and which foods cause specific mental disturbances. I was also pleased to know that my personal dietary preferences are among some of the best options for optimal health; shout-out to the Mediterranean diet.
The Gnostic Gospels
Somewhere along my journey in the past couple of years, I have unlocked a new layer of my spirituality which now includes gnostic Christianity. The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels is an essential piece of work in understanding what gnosticism is and how Christianity became what we know today. In my experience, I’ve never completely discounted the bible and the story of Jesus Christ, but the traditional church never resonated with me. After reading this book, it finally made sense. And I’ve never felt closer to Jesus and Mary Magdalene than I do now.
Womb Awakening: Initiatory Wisdom from the Creatrix of All Life Paperback
I cheated on this one too— another audio-book. This became the soundtrack to my afternoon walks in my neighborhood, and I now associate the trees and the nearby cemetery with the principles of womb-consciousness. As I reflect on this and begin to unravel the impact this book had on me, I realize that it has absolutely altered my perspective on what it means to be a woman and the power that we have in our ability to create.
Halfway through the book, I was inspired to create a womb goddess altar and dressed it with red candles, swans, shells, rose quartz, figures of various goddesses, and a photo of my own great-grandmother who passed down the sacred blood I carry within me. After months of feeling disconnected from my body and my feminine energy as I blindly buried myself in the masculine world of my corporate job, I had finally remembered how to be soft. This was by far the best way to end the year and start a new one.
This year, I moved from mind to body, effort to alignment, external authority to inner knowing, and from survival to creation. Most importantly, I finally stopped trying so hard to “heal” myself and learned what it means to be whole. Next up in my reading list is Untie the Strong Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Sacred Contracts by Caroline Myss, The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown, and whatever else God suddenly brings my way.
♡
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