Hello! Three days of blogging in a row - who am I?!
House keeping:
I like to follow inspired action. While ideally I'd love to be consistent with posting daily or several times a week, I cannot promise the same volume in the future. That being said: there are so many things I want to work on and bring to the table for you. And I can't wait to really sit down and brain storm! So, keep your eyes peeled, and don't forget to follow our instagram page: instagram.com/keilynariana_therapy . I know "reels" or tik toks are the thing now, but I *likely* (never say never) won't be doing those because I have little interest... or maybe I'm just not cool enough. So, if you want me to pop up in your feed, be sure to like, comment on the posts and stories, tag me in the templates you use, share the posts to your stories (which would help me out because I don't want to advertise), and I believe you can even add me to your notification list if you're into that type of thing. Basically - the more you view my page, the more it will appear in your feed, and other pages like it. Algorithms are fun, eh?
ANYWAY, now that we're done with a little house keeping, let's get to the juice of today's topic: my favorite personal development books.
(yes, that's little me and my gramma in the picture)
There are TONS out there - a ton. And if you are a client or a friend of mine, you likely have seen my book shelf and heard me talk about the plethora of books I have read (I like to be well-researched and well-introspected). I may have even let you borrow a book or two (currently, a few of my favorites are missing, but hey... I forgive you). It can be overwhelming to know which books to read and my best advice is... go with what feels most fun and good! Don't overthink it, okay? ...OKAY?!
Before I get into the lists of my top recommended books, I want to say a few more things: sometimes it can be easy to fall down the rabbit hole of personal development. There is nothing wrong with that. Just don't get caught up in the trap of thinking where and who you are is never good enough, you always need to be continuously working on "bettering yourself," and you aren't doing enough.
In fact, in one of the books I read, what stuck out to me most was a chapter on healing. She stated that if we get more of what we focus on (some call it law of attraction, and in less woo-woo words - life flows where your attention goes), and if we are always focused on healing... then we will always find something to heal. But what about the premise that we are good enough? Worthy enough? At what point do you give yourself permission to just... be? What about enjoying your life now? Isn't that the point anyway?! That was a game changer for me!
Another note: when you read these books please know... their book is not the end all be all and you don't have to believe and live by every single word they say.
Finally: Please be careful... some books become extremely... extreme. There is one book on my bookshelf I read because I wanted to learn about the subconscious mind, which is fascinating to me. It was not backed by science, it was completely extreme, and didn't really address what the book claimed to address. It was more of a "relentlessly positive think your way to happiness" vibe which hopefully you know by now, there is such a thing as toxic positivity. That belief system can lead you down a scary road of self-blame (i.e.; "if I am sick, scared, anxious, mad... it is my fault and I must not be thinking positively;") or even bypassing and disrespecting your friends emotions and struggles for the sake of positive thinking. I thumbed through the pages, horrified that individuals who were looking for guidance read this book.... and it is a popular book by a well known author. So, when reading books, use your gut. If you pick it up and you're so not into it or it is causing extreme anxiety, put it down.
Self therapy tip: You may find a lot of useful information in these types of books and you may find a few things to be corny, kitschy, or not your style. That is okay, when you come across something that creates resistance, simply notice the resistance and observe it. Toy around with it, question it. Where does it come from? Are you resistant because you know it may be helpful but you are unsure you can do it? Or are you resistant because it just doesn't vibe with you? Don't add to your list of "shoulds." If it doesn't hit or work for you, discard it or store it for later when you feel ready to revisit it. If you enjoyed other parts of it, continue reading and simply move on from that section. This is YOUR journey. The path to feeling good, confident, and enjoying a healthy and happy life gets to be fun.Okay, are you ready for it? Here is a comprehensive list of some highly recommended books and some of my absolute favorite. There is only one book on this list I haven't read.. and it is only because I have been highly researched and trained on the topic, and reading the book would be reviewing what I already know and have been trained on by the author himself. At the bottom of this blog I uploaded a picture of my bookshelf. Feel free to zoom in and see what all books I have on there (some belong to my boyfriend and his children as well). But be careful... you may learn a lot about me by the books I have or in other words... you are going to see a bit of my woo-woo side come out.
My top favorite books:
Attitudes of Gratitude by M.J. Ryan (a simple, humble book that changed my life and brought magic back to daily life)
The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU by Mike Dooley (AND sign up for his Notes from the Universe for daily emails from the universe straight to you. Click here.)
wild spirit, soft heart by Butterflies Rising (a poetry book about growth, love, connection, and the universe)
Mental Health Books:
Spontaneous Happiness by Andrew Weil, M.D. (highly recommend for a thouroughly researched book on mental health, in particular depression)
Hardcore Self-Help: F**k Anxiety by Robert Duff, Phd (quick and easy)
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (leading book on trauma recovery)
Favorite Personal Development Books :
You are a Badass by Jen Sincero (one of the most popular books that gained a lot of momentum when it came out)
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (a classic)
I Hope I Screw This Up by Kyle Cease (entertaining)
The Alchemist by by Paulo Coelho (another classic)
Attitudes of Gratitude by M.J. Ryan (on my top 3 favorites list)
Favorite Spiritual Books:
Light is the Bew Black by Rebecca Campbell (super easy read, the author is more woo-woo than I will ever be, but the content is fantastic)
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (often recommended and talked about with my clients)
E-Squared by Pam Grout (and any other books she writes. She is funny, fun, and talks about science in spirituality)
The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell You by Mike Dooley (on my top three favorites list)
From Deep Space with Love by Mike Dooley (this one may be out of the realm for many people, and too woo-woo. But I found it fascinating and is one of my top ten, so I had to put it here)
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
Favorite Poetry Books
wild spirit, soft heart by Butterflies Rising (a poetry book about growth, love, connection, and the universe)
Be Wild Be Free by Amber Fossey (super cute, lots of curse words, and light hearted)
Chameleon Aura by Billy Chapata
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (adorable book for adults and children, light hearted)
And there you have it folks! Don't forget: this gets to be a FUN process! I know when I order a bunch of books (like I recently did) I get so excited that I begin reading a few at a time. Some for my career development and some for my personal interests. Feel free to zoom in on my very messy book shelf and see what else I have in there. The only one I will caution you on is: The Power of the Subconscious Mind. I discussed earlier why. I need to just throw. it. out.
Curious, what books will you be reading? Leave a comment below - I'd love to read them. :)
I apologize about the cat box - there is no pretty place in our current home to hide it away.
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