The last day of 2023
I shared this post on LinkedIn on December 31, 2023:
I'm feeling pretty nonchalant about the end of 2023. It's just another day with the added benefit of more time with my husband ;)
I thought I would share the books most meaningful to me right now -- because you might have time to read right now.
1) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain: I saw Susan Cain speak at a WACUBO conference in 2016 and I finally realized I was an introvert. My friend Paola told me she knew a few years earlier ;) This book helped me figure out to schedule and set up my life to allow me enough time to recover and value one-on-one conversations.
2) Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein: I wish I could have read this 20 years ago. Reading this book gave me a new sense of purpose.
3) Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux: This is the only book about organizations which made me cry -- because I learned about organizations which created organizational cultures I always craved. I am grateful to Sarah Nehrling and Yamila Solari for recommending this.
4) Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans: Simon Bates recommended this book which takes a design thinking approach to planning your life. Recent discussions with my former boss/friend Fran Watters made me think how anyone thinking or fearing retirement could find new vigor by reading and working through the exercises in this book.
5) The Art of Possibility by Zander and Zander: This book is 20 years old but I read it in a short period of time and felt like it was perfect for me right now. The principles embedded have impacted my life in all good ways.
6) The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma and Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris: This is where I learned more about wellbeing and the physical effects of toxic stress on the body. I want to have coffee with this amazing woman.
7) My Grandma’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem: my friend Simon recommended I read this and the first couple of chapters spoke volumes about trauma and our primitive brain's danger assessments. I haven't finished this yet but I will. Resmaa recommends taking 10-12 months to work through any of his books.
8) John Buchan's work: I can't get enough of his fictional works that exceed 25 novels. I bought his entire anthology for less than $10 (which is quite disturbing as an aspiring author) but I am working my way through it all. His writing style is beautiful and I wish I was a sponge. As my friend Nicola MacCameron recommended, you need to hold your nose through certain parts which reflect the mindset of his time. While holding my nose, I'm learning more about how that mindset of came to be and how to change it.
9) The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge: I can't get enough of this book. Doidge highlights the plasticity of our brains and the ability for our brain to adapt. As I try to find my golf swing and learn pickleball, I'm paying attention to how this is coming to play: "Neurons that fire together, wire together."
Happy reading!
Photo by Tammy Brimner
