What’s on my bookshelf as a self-development obsessive
If you were to take a peak into the notes on my phone, amongst the dinner recipes I’m yet to try and endless to-do lists, you’d find an ever-growing accumulation of quotes hailing from the fingertips of some very wonderful people.
Between them, they’ve inspired me, validated me, consoled and comforted me. But they’ve also held a mirror up and forced me to look inwardly, which might be the most important step I’ve ever taken.
Here are some of my favourites.
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think - Brianna Wiest
Great for: Giving you a fresh perspective on life - basically, doing exactly what it says on the tin!
“Happy people are not people who ‘feel good’ all the time; they are people who are able to be guided by their negative emotions rather than paralysed by them.”
The Discomfort Zone - Farrah Storr
Great for: Reminding you that growth begins where your comfort zone ends, therefore feeling uncomfortable is often an essential part of progressing.
“Fearlessness often comes from being beaten around a little bit. It comes from having tasted struggle and failure. It comes from having been grazed by life’s sharp edges, rather than shackled by success.”
How To Fail - Elizabeth Day
Great for: Understanding that failure is not something to be feared, but to be embraced.
“I have evolved more as a result of things going wrong than when everything seemed to be going right. Out of crisis has come clarity, and sometimes even catharsis.”
Healing Is The New High - Vex King
Great for: Encouraging you along your healing journey by letting go of the past and embracing the future.
“Setting boundaries isn’t a way to get rid of people, but a way to keep them in your life without destroying your inner peace.”
Year of Yes - Shonda Rhimes
Great for: Getting you unstuck from your usual patterns, and pushing you to stride bravely into new opportunities.
“Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be.”