MY CURRENT INSPIRATIONAL, THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND FUN READING LIST

I have always liked to read. I remember secretly loving school trips to the library, haha!  But as school workload increased throughout the years and as college came along and then grad school I had no extra time to devote to reading anything that was not school related. But, now that I have been out of school for over 2 years my book collection is consistently growing. There are SO many great books I cannot wait to get my hands on!

Earlier this year I told myself that I would aim to read one book a month. That didn’t happen. As much as I tried to stick to one book at a time I just couldn’t do it. The untouched books just sitting on my bookshelf were such a distraction that I had to dive into those too! So now, I am juggling three great reads:

This book has been around for quite a bit of time and it has been on my short list of books to read for several months. One of the main reasons I really wanted to get my hands on this book is because it is referenced SO frequently by many great speakers and entrepreneurs’ and I really wanted to know first had what it was all about.

This book has a very solid core message around society, education and our modern corporate world. It is a definite must read that will allow you to view our modern society from a new perspective and may or may not influence future decisions you may need to make.

The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

This book is very different from all of the other ones I have read in that it is partly written from a musical conductor’s point-of-view and experiences. The main takeaway from this book is certain practices that can be incorporated into our daily lives that will enhance the way we view events, people and society. I will admit that some of these practices will take time for them to feel like second nature to you BUT if we take small steps daily towards making them second nature I will drastically change your outlook. It is a must read!

I have a constant smile on my face when I read this book. Jen does a great, great job at turning what would be and are serious topics into these funny stories and experiences that just get the point across so well.  This book is most definitely in my list of top books to re-read – aside from being inspirational it does it in such a fun was that I totally lose track of time while I am reading this.

Now your turn – what is on your current reading list for the next couple of months? 

24 QUOTES TO MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE YOU TO STAY TRUE TO YOUR GOALS

I love quotes and really who doesn’t?!  But I really love inspiring and motivating quotes that are able to quickly inject positivity and put a smile on your face. Whenever I come across a quote or saying on Instagram or Pinterest I take a screenshot and save it to a photo album on my phone and if I am ever feeling a little down or un-motivated I whip out the album of screenshots and come out feeling totally refreshed and recharged – I know, I know, this can seem a little woo woo but it works for me so I embrace it! A couple of weeks ago I shared my go to podcasts to motivation and inspiration - My Top Five Podcasts for Motivation, Inspiration and Knowledge.  So without further ado here are my favorite quotes :).

One

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence” – Vince Lombardi

Two

“Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it” – Charles Swindoll

Three

“Even if you are on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there” – Will Rogers

Four

“The difference between a successful person and others is not lack of knowledge but rather a lack of will” – Vince Lombardi

Five

“Speak less than you know; have more than you show” – William Shakespeare

Six

“Success is going from failure without losing your enthusiasm” – Winston Churchill

Seven

“Do what you can, where you are, with what you have” – Teddy Roosevelt

Eight

“Strive not to be a success, but rather be of value”  - Albert Einstein

Nine

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” – Zig Ziglar

Ten

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out” – Robert Collier

Eleven

“Opportunities don’t just happen. You create them.” – Chris Grosser

Twelve

“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.” – Ray Goforth

Thirteen

“Keep on going and chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.” – Charles F. Kettering

Fourteen

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn

Fifteen

“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” – John Maxwell

Sixteen

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have” – Maya Angelou

Seventeen

“Obsessed if just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated”  - Russell Warren

Eighteen

“Action is the fundational key to all success”  - Pablo Picasso

Nineteen

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do” – John Wooden

Twenty

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey

Twenty-One

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

Twenty-two

“The mind is everything. What you think you become” – Buddha

Twenty-three

“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Dr. Robert Schuller

Twenty–four

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

Do you have any favorite go to quotes to give you some quick inspiration? If so, what are they?

MY TOP FIVE PODCASTS FOR MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION AND KNOWLEDGE

On my morning commute to work which usually take me anywhere between 25-35 minutes I usually listen to a podcast. I have a total of 40 podcasts in my library which I catch up on from time to time but have definitely come across five podcasts that I listen to with the most frequency out of all of them. I did not jump onto the Podcast band wagon until about a year ago and I was in complete awe of all of the information and knowledge that is available in the podcast universe! The very first podcast I ever came across was After the Jump with Grace Bonney from Design Sponge and I am not embarrassed to admit that I lived and breathed that podcast for a solid month until I listened to EVERY SINGLE episode. I really hope a new season is in the works!  

Naturally, after I had listened to every single After the Jump episode I wanted to explore more and find other podcasts that were filled with inspiration, knowledge and motivation – I have given many podcasts a try and many are solid and have great information but the five I have listed below have been the ones I consistently listen to and always look forward to new episodes.  

So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

I cannot stress how valuable So Money has been in terms of getting me to become more aware of my finances. Thanks to the valuable information I have taken away from the So Money podcast I doubled my 401k contributions and almost tripled the amount I was putting away for savings. Farnoosh releases one episode a day (talk about dedication!).

She Did It Her Way

I absolutely love listening to interviews but I mostly love listening to inspirational and real interviews with females who share their struggles and their successes while building a business and balancing their health and personal lives. This podcast was created by three brilliant ladies and airs once a week, every Monday.

Elise Gets Crafty

Elise does an AH-MAH-ZING job at bringing a variety of guests that touch upon topics that never disappoint like motivation, creativity, entrepreneurship and inspiration. This podcast is in its third season so if you have not had the pleasure of coming across this podcast you are in for a treat! New episodes are weekly, on Wednesdays.  

Mavenly + Co

This podcast aside from creating informational and engaging content always delivers awesome episodes that range from entrepreneurship to friendship to health to organization. I also love the fact that they allow their interns to conduct interviews – having an experience like that for students getting ready to graduate is a phenomenal experience. Great job Mavenly team!

Millennial

AHH learning how to navigate our 20’s – this podcast gives you a true inside look at what life is like after graduating college, the journey in finding a job and the unspoken truths of our fears and insecurities all while trying to find who we truly are. This is a podcast one must listen to and follow along with. Keep up the great work Megan and team! 

Links: 

So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

She Did It Her Way

Elise Gets Crafty

Mavenly + Co

Millennial

How do you make the best out of your commute? If you listen to podcasts which ones are your favorite?

Six practical ways to give your mood an instantaneous boost

Ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? I have. Sometimes there is nothing really “wrong” in your life but for some reason you may not feel as energized as the day before. I feel this way maybe a handful of times a year and there usually is not explanation for it. Overtime I have realized that this is totally normal and there is no need to worry because it is just temporary feeling. Whenever I feel this way, I do a few simple things in order to help lift up my spirits.

TAKE IN SOME VITAMIN D          

There is (scientifically backed) a direct correlation between the amount of Vitamin D in your body and how happy you feel. There are three main ways to feed your body the Vitamin D it needs – the food you eat, the supplements you take and the amount of exposure to the sun you take in. When I am in a not-so-great mood I grab a seat and take in the sun for no more than 30 minutes. And for those of you who are in the middle of winter right now (like me), no this does not only have to happen in the summer months – when it is cold outside I find a sunny spot by a window and simple feel the sun rays on your skin.

CALMING SCENTS

My all-time favorite thing to do is to light a candle (or two!). Good candle scents instantly boost my mood and having a candle lit truly relaxes me while also making my home smell divine, that is a win-win in my book! But, if in case you are not a candle person you can try incents – if you like muskier scents these may be a great option for you.

TAKE A WALK

Yes a good old walk will do the trick in getting you in a better mood. Something about getting the blood flowing in your body and breathing in some fresh air will re-energize your mind, body and soul from the inside out. Give it a try!

WATCH A MOVIE

Pop in your favorite movie! I have favorite movies in different genres but on not-so-good days I stick to my favorite comedies which are…Money Talks and The Devil Wears Prada. Now I know, these are not technically considered comedies but in my book they are J. My point here is to laugh whether it is a movie, a tv show or a book – whatever floats your boat.

HUG IT OUT

That’s right! Hug your mom, your dad, your sister, your brother, your dog… you get the gist. When I am not in a great mood I always hug my dog – Nina. She is cool with about 2 or three hugs, after that she needs her own space but something about hugging someone you love will always make you feel better. No question about it.

DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE

Do you like to draw, cook, sew, read books? Do anything you love to do and do it with passion, immerse yourself in whatever your favorite activity is and you will come out feeling refreshed and motivated.

How do you lift up your energy on your not-so-good days? What tips can you share with us?