Written by @PresidentELLA
People often refer to books as a method of escaping reality… But we forget how critical they are to navigating reality. I swear by books. I think they can cure everything. For that reason, as my life takes the natural twists and turns we all go through, I was desperate for something that would elp relieve my stress and found myself at Barnes & Noble for some really great, really short reads..
Buddhism Day-By-Day by Daisaku Ikeda is a great slow read. It’s one page of inspiration per day which, I assume, you are supposed to take the day to reflect upon. I try to read this in the morning to start off my day on a positive note. Now, I’m not Buddhist But I like what I’ve seen in movies — forgive my righteous ignorance. I wish I could him and meditate and be unaffected by the natural world. Hopefully, I’ll be closer to that a year from now.
“Be Happy: 170 Ways to Transform your Day” gives you straight-forward directions on making your day better/easier from author Patrick Lindsay, followed by an inspirational quote to reinforce it. I read this spread by spread; 2 pages a day. This is a good evening reminder, so I flip it open when I get in from work cuz… There be those days…
“Keep Calm and Carry On” is my bed side book. The book 20 lessons on how to manage stress and anxiety, written by Mark Reinecke. Each chapter is about 3 pages long, so I read this before I go to sleep. The book is only about 4 1/2 inches x 2 inches, so the pages are small. Still each chapter is miraculously long enough to give you a clear explanation of the issue, followed by questionnaires and recommendations.
I I haven’t finished any of these books, but already I feel lighter. I’ve been weighed heavy about questions in my career, my dreams, my relationships and my future in general… And these have really helped to wake me up on the right side of the bed. This new book regiment has worked so well that, this morning, I was hugging my dog while my car got towed. Go figure.
& go get your read on 😘
EllaThought 