10 Self Help Books to Get You Out of a Funk
“Feeling stuck is a FEELING, not a fact. When we feel stuck, our first instinct is to look outside of ourselves for someone or something to blame. Your life is your responsibility. You can’t always change what’s outside of you, but you certainly can change your perception of it. And when you change the way you look at things, the things themselves change.”
2021…the year that was supposed to change everything! Were we expecting a miracle?…I’m not sure!
I am, for the most part a positive person. I believe in The Law of Attraction and that we create our own lives by the thoughts we think. I believe that we all have a light within us (Source, God) that we can access at any time. I also believe that sometimes this is easier said than done. Many of you may be tired of hearing me talk about meditation. I firmly believe I would be in the nut house without my meditation practice. Every morning I connect in the best way that I am able, to the Stillness. I try to pray and then listen…and practice gratitude, even on the days when I don’t want to. Sometimes, I beat myself up because I have soooo much to be grateful for and I struggle with being grateful. I know I have a life that so many people would love to have, so what is the problem lately?
The truth is, 2020 was a year and just because the next day is 2021, doesn’t really change anything. I have been in a serious funk for the past week. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s feeling a lack of inspiration, I really have no idea. The events of yesterday and being stuck to the television all day long certainly did not help.
Having said all of this, I am still hopeful that great change is coming and that we as humans are evolving into more spiritual, connected beings.
Covid will end, our country will begin to heal and ultimately, love will win. In the meantime, I am seriously trying to get back on track. I’m recommending 10 books that are perfect reading for getting motivated when life has you feeling a little stuck! Some I’ve read and some are ordered…
Rising Strong, The Reckoning.The Rumble. The Revolution by Brené. Brown.
Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall. Regardless of magnitude or circumstance, the rising strong process is the same: We reckon with our emotions and get curious about what we’re feeling; we rumble with our stories until we get to a place of truth; and we live this process, every day, until it becomes a practice and creates nothing short of a revolution in our lives. Rising strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness. It’s the process, Brown writes, that teaches us the most about who we are.
Creativity, Inc. - Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, by Ed Catmull
Ed Catmull, President and Co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios and Disney Animation, brings you centerstage to the world of creativity in business and provides the tools necessary to help guide you and those around you to reach their full potential. Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their company and its employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. This is a terrific self-help book about how to build a successful, empowering creative culture—but it is also, as Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a book to read and reread. Eckhart Tolle has a way of teaching like no other. He is profound while at the same time an excellent teacher because he simplifies what seems like a very complicated subject.
It's no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light.
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Being a Badass just sounds like a good way to be…you’re taking charge, getting things done, confident and unstoppable.
In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bitesized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you've never made before.
By the end of You Are a Badass, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.
Girl, Wash Your Face - Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis
Rachel is real and talks about real issues. More than that, she reveals the specific practical strategies that helped her move past them. In the process, she encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be. Because you really can live with passion and hustle – and give yourself grace without giving up.
Super Attractor - Methods for Manifesting A Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams by Gabrielle Bernstein
If you’ve been following me for long, you know that I’m a huge fan of Gabrielle Bernstein. I’ve been to New York twice to her Spirit Junkie Workshop and to Kripalu Yoga Center for a more intense training with her. Looking back I can see that I am a different person from the girl who attended those trainings. Gabby inspired me and taught me, but I did the work. I keep this book on my nightstand.
This book is a journey of remembering where your true power lies. You'll learn how to co-create the life you want. You'll accept that life can flow, that attracting is fun, and that you don't have to work so hard to get what you want. Most important, you'll feel good. And when you feel good, you'll give off a presence of joy that can elevate everyone around you. After reading this book, you will know how to fulfill your function: to be a force of love in the world.
Based on the powerful mind-body strategy Dr. Habib Sadegh developed to help himself recover from cancer more than twenty years ago, The Clarity Cleanse will enable you to help your mind clear and your body heal. A regular Goop contributor in health and spirituality, Dr. Sadeghi shows you how to turn obstacles into healing and energizing opportunities. Following the twelve steps in this book will help you to achieve a sense of peace and control, raise your self-esteem, and assert yourself in new ways to achieve positive and lasting change. Then, finally, you will be able to express your true, authentic self.
The Stuck Book by Chris McAlister
We've all felt unsure of what to do next. .Experts, articles offering advice, and well-meaning loved ones amplify the anxiety. What they are saying you need to do feels like worn-out-hand-me-down clothes that don't fit.Conventional wisdom won't help you. Their answers aren't your answers. You're in a different season. You need customized wisdom.There is a skill that will help you achieve clarity about your next step. You have to figure out where you are.The stuck book is a short book you can pick up when you have a question and get an answer for what needs to be done. Seize the day? Wait and ponder? Whether it's your job or a relationship there are 4 simple answers for your 1,000,000 questions.
Walking Home by Sonia Chocquette
Walking Home isn’t necessarily a self help book…it’s a memoir of one woman’s journey walking the Camino de Santiago, an 820-kilometer trek over the Pyrenees and across northern Spain. I read this book several years ago when I was going through a particularly hard time and I found it uplifting and inspirational. There are so many lessons in this book that can be applied to any situation. It’s definitely worth reading, even if you’re not in a funk!
The Tiny Habits That Change Everything by B. J. Fogg
I purchased this book last year and haven’t read it yet. I think I’ll get started today!
Change can be easy—once it starts, it grows. Let B.J. Fogg show you exactly how.