3 Inspiring Reads to Get You Out Of a Mental Rut
We’ve all been there, I promise. Sometimes there is a life event that happens, or it can just simply sneak up on us if we aren’t careful or actively living our life. Low energy, feeling unmotivated, doubting our worth or just feeling low without a clue or rhyme of reason. It’s okay to feel that way, we're human, and things happen that are out of our control. But it’s our choice to stay there or not. We all sometimes can have our spark dwindle, and could use some reminders on what creates and sustains a happy and vibrant life. Here are my top 3 inspiring and motivational reads to help you come back to yourself and to be the active creator of living a life that you love.
Resilience- by Eric Greitens
Resilience is a uniquely formatted and inspiring read! The author, Eric Greitens uses a letter style format to re-spark his former Navy Seal comrade and friend, Zach, who is having a hard time finding peace and purpose in life, post war. This book not only reminds us of how we need purpose in life, but that we have to create purpose in life. This is something that we can all tend to forget, especially when going through hard times. It teaches us how to build resilience and explains why resilience is one of the best virtues to have. It also reminds us that no matter who we are, we as human beings, will suffer. We will all go through hardships, we will all experience pain; this is guaranteed. While that may sound grim and depressing, he shares wisdom both from ancient and modern thinkers, as well as his own personal life experiences, on how to accept and grow in strength and purpose from this fate. This book reiterates that strength and resilience is something that is created and acquired. That we all can build a purpose regardless of what phase in life we are in. It also emphasizes one thing that I believe wholeheartedly, and that is that we have to create purpose and happiness. One of the main and recurring themes in his letters on how to create a sense of purpose is: Acts of service to others. This is a slightly longer read and requires a smidge of brain power. :)
Some of my favorite quotes from Resilience- hard-won wisdom for living a better life
“Don’t expect a time in your life when you’ll be free from change, free from struggle, free from worry. To be resilient, you must understand that your objective is not to come to rest, because there is no rest. Your objective is to use what hits you to change your trajectory in a positive direction.”
“What happens to us, becomes a part of us.”
“There is no bouncing back. There is only moving through.”
“Even at their most powerless, some found that they have a power that events could not steal from them.”
“You are not responsible for everything that happens to you. You are responsible for how you react to everything that happens to you.”
“Focus not on reducing your fear, but on building your courage.”
“If you want to live a purposeful life, you will have to create your purpose.”
“Slowly you create your passionate purpose through consistent, excellent work.”
“Your purpose will not be found; it will be forged."
“Seek out good conversation. It’s only by engaging with others that we break out of the prison of our own prejudices, our own bad habits, our own fears. That’s what we’re trying to do together here.”
“In our security and comfort, we slip quietly into the false expectation that life will afford us complete happiness. We believe that we will move only from pleasure to pleasure, from joy to joy. When tragedy strikes or hardship hits, too many of us feel ambushed by pain, betrayed by the present, despairing of the future.’’
“Readiness means confronting the reality that life’s course is not completely under your control. Readiness is a form of humility, spurred by recognition of how little we can know or control.”
“It is only through practice that we attain excellence in any endeavor. And perhaps the greatest skill we can learn is the skill of practice itself.”
“The Buddha taught that the first step to wisdom comes when we realize that living means suffering.”
“For all of us, the path to wisdom runs through the dark wood of pain. And we can never begin to master pain unless we look it in the face-unless we begin to understand it.”
“You often don’t have a choice when it comes to feeling pain. You often do have a choice about whether you suffer, because suffering is created by your perception of, and relationship to, pain.”
“There is a difference between recognizing that pain is real and believing that pain must always be devastating.”
“We build courage through the practice of facing fear.”
“You will be - as we all are - hesitant, anxious, fearful, and sometimes terrified as you make changes in your life. It is natural to have uneven courage. We all have pain we’ve mastered and pain we’ve run from. We also have a choice to make: stop running and build a new kind of courage.”
“Sometimes - more than we’d like - we’re powerless over pain. But we always have the power to put pain in perspective of whatever good fortune we’re still blessed to have, or the perspective of our purpose. When we do that, we start to find ways to bear pain and strength.”
“To forgive is to give up all hope for a better past.”
“Friends help us flourish. They lighten our burdens, enlighten our thinking, enrich our lives. When we lose sight of our commitments, they remind us of them. When we falter, they help us stand. And we grow in resilience when we do the same for them, because the need to be strong for others often reveals untapped reserves of strength in ourselves.”
2. YOU are a badass - Jen Sincero
Alright guys, this is totally switching gears, but absolutely amazing in its own right! This book is a little more modern with a spunk. If you are offended by a few cuss words, then you may want to skip this book. But if you aren't, and are just out for good motivational content, then this entertaining self-help book may be for you! It gives a good intro into how we are all affected and shaped (subconsciously) by our upbringing, experiences, and thought patterns that we have subconsciously bought into. Before you go on blaming your parents (or yourself) for your problems though, she helps you see how you don’t have to let that dictate and affect your life forever. We all have a choice (or excuses) as to how we end up living our life and if we really want to buy into what mental sabotage we’ve been used to creating (once again, subconsciously) our whole life. She gives you tools on how to reclaim your power and how to consciously create the life you’ve dreamed of. An occurring theme in this book is how to tune into your higher self and consciously choose the life you dream of; as well as the importance of giving yourself permission to have it. I love how she gives you insight on not only how you got yourself into the rut you’re in, but how to consciously get out of it and create a life you love. She offers tools on how to live on purpose and realize that everything you want is not only already here right now, but available to you. All you have to do is create that higher frequency within yourself and take action to have it.
Some of my favorite quotes from- YOU are a badass
“It's not your fault that you’re fcked up, it’s your fault if you stay fcked up.”
“Our subconscious mind contains the blueprint for our lives. It’s running the show based on the unfiltered information it gathered when we were kids, otherwise known as our “beliefs.”
“In order to truly raise your vibration, you’ve got to believe that everything you want is available to you. And the best way to keep this belief strong is by staying connected to source energy.”
“Being present gets you out of your head and connects you to source energy, which raises your frequency, which attracts things of like frequency to you. And all of those high-frequency things and experiences are already here, just waiting for you to join the party.”
“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain
“Growth isn't for weenies, but it’s nowhere near as painful as living the life you’re living right now.”
“We spend our lives drifting between glimpses of our own, infinite glory and the fear that not only are we totally incapable/unworthy/lazy/horrible, but that it’s only a matter of time before someone blows the whistle on us.”
“You are the only you there will ever be. Do not deny the world its one and only chance to bask in your brilliance.”
“When we’re happy and all in love with ourselves, we can’t be bothered with the bullshit (our own or other people’s).”
“It’s about being proactive, about creating a life you love instead of meekly living the one you think you’re stuck with. Give yourself the gift of a joyous life while you’re still among the living.”
“Our thoughts become our words, our words become our beliefs, our beliefs become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our realities.”
“Say nice things about your body, dress it up, and take it out.”
“It’s none of your business what other people are doing. All that matters is that you're enjoying yourself and pleased with what you’re creating.”
“Do not waste your precious time giving one single crap about what anybody else thinks of you.”
“What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.”
“Because if you base your self-worth on what everyone else thinks of you, you hand all of your power over to other people and become dependent on a source outside of yourself for validation.”
“Living a life on purpose is available to everyone.”
“When we trust that we live in an abundant universe and allow ourselves to give freely, we raise our frequency, strengthen our faith, and feel awesome, thereby putting ourselves in flow and the position to receive abundant amounts in return.”
“Stopping and noticing throughout the day all the things that you can be grateful for is a great way to keep your frequency high at all times.”
“Realize that you’ve gotten into habits with these things and switch them around. Behave the way a person who isn’t depressed behaves. Dress how they dress, hang out with the kinds of people they hang out with, speak the way they speak, do the things they do.”
“It’s about respecting yourself, instead of catering to your insecure need to be liked.”
“And by declining to participate in others people’s drama, (i.e refusing to rip people to shreds, to complain about how unfair life is, etc.) you not only raise your own frequency, but you offer the drama queens the chance to rise up too.”
“Never apologize for who you are. It lets the whole world down.”
“It’s all about contributing to the world by making life easier, happier, safer, healthier, better, tastier, more beautiful, more fun, more interesting, more thoughtful, more loving- whatever you do, bring something good to the party.”
“An epiphany is a visceral understanding of something you already know.”
3. You can heal your life - Louise Hay
This book is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, so naturally I had to throw this OG in here! I have read this book several times in the last decade and every time I just feel so relaxed, grateful, and inspired. Every chapter begins with a beautiful affirmation that starts with “In the infinity of life where I am, all is perfect, whole and complete.” Louise Hay is the godmother of self-help and affirmations. It’s a very uplifting and empowering book. The theme throughout is self-love. Louise gives exercises and affirmations to help you shift the way you talk, think, and view yourself. She also explains how we are born with a certain amount of things and thought patterns already engraved in us, passed down through generations. She gives an in-depth version of how our experiences and thoughts shape us. The last quarter of this book is a chart of ailments and probable mental beliefs that coincide with them.
Some of my favorite quotes from- You can heal your life
“What we think about ourselves becomes the truth for us.”
“Every thought we think is creating our future.”
“If I want to believe that life is lonely and that nobody loves me, then that is what I will find in my world.”
“We learn our belief systems as very little children, and then we move through life creating experiences to match our beliefs.”
“The only thing we are ever dealing with is a thought, and a thought can be changed.”
“If we are all responsible for everything in our lives, then there is no one to blame.”
“The innermost belief for everyone I have worked with is always, I'm not good enough.”
“The very person you find it hardest to forgive is the one you need to let go of the most. Forgiveness means giving up, letting go. It has nothing to do with condoning behavior.”
“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving yourself and see what happens.”
“We are doing the best we can with the understanding, awareness and knowledge we have. As we gain more understanding, awareness and knowledge, then we will do things differently.”
“I see my patterns, and I choose to make changes.” (Affirmation)
“We must change our way of thinking, change our way of speaking, change our way of expressing ourselves. Only then will the outer changes occur.”
“I forgive you for not being the way I wanted you to be. I forgive you and I set you free.” (Affirmation to set us free by forgiving)