books to nourish your mind, body, and spiritAccording to the Oxford dictionary, to nourish something means to provide with food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition. Some of my earliest and most meaningful childhood memories have something to do with books. There was the day in kindergarten when I was asked to stand before my peers and read aloud for the first time. As a shy and introverted kid, I was petrified with fear and my reading skills were not that well developed for my age. I remember returning home from school in tears. To my mom’s credit, she took notice and immediately comforted me and asked me to share what was so upsetting. Upon hearing of my embarrassment and shame at stuttering as I tried to read out loud while my peers laughed at me, she encouraged me to practice reading out loud. She assured me that if I practiced, someday I would be able to read so quickly that others wouldn’t be able to keep up with what I was saying. I took her words to heart and we got a library card from the public library down the street so I would have access to books appropriate for my reading level. By the second grade, a note hand written by my teacher in my report card declared, “Jessica is reading up a storm.” My childhood came with a fair share of challenges and when home life was stressful and chaotic, I self-soothed with books. They exposed me to experiences I didn’t have access to and fueled my imagination as I dreamed of a brighter future. As I became more interested in health and well-being as a competitive athlete in high school, I began to select books on physical training and nutrition. I also developed a love of memoir and autobiographies, with a preference for strong role models and inspiring heroes who overcame challenges that eclipsed the everyday drama in my life. In this way, reading did not only nourish my mind, but also my body and soul. What I love even more than reading books is sharing my favorite reading with others. For years, I’ve kept a list of the books I’ve read so I can keep track of titles and when I read each one. It’s been a dream of mine to launch a blog to further develop the discipline of pointing people to the books nourishing me. |
Recent Book ReviewsThe Soul Solution by Vanessa LoderA practical guide for those on the journey to a more satisfied soul I first learned about Vanessa Loder’s book as a member of the same author’s group and was immediately intrigued by her book’s title and its focus on helping women in leadership live more satisfying, fulfilling lives. I can relate to her personal story of finding herself living a life that looked perfectly successful on paper but that felt hollow and unfulfilling. Her ideal reader is women in … Read more...The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life by Lisa Miller, PhDSeminal book brings hard core science to spirituality and its role for well-being As I was writing my book on workplace spirituality, numerous peers and mentors recommended I drop everything and read Dr. Lisa Miller’s book. After the third mention of it in as many weeks, I ordered the book and found it so compelling that I finished it in a week. I read it in time to incorporate Miller’s thinking into my book and her work is a frequent mention in my presentations … Read more...The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas AbramsHow do we foster joy in our everyday lives? Joy is a topic that I’ve been curious about for many years, especially how to cultivate a joyful life amidst suffering and hardship. I picked up this book after a friend recommended it to me as we were reflecting on how to address root causes of mental health concerns. Though the book was published in 2016, it was especially poignant as I read it in the middle of year 3 of a global pandemic alongside … Read more... |
