The words that shaped me

I've always grown up around books. Dusty. Old. New. First editions. Shelves of them. Piles. Library lends. Dogeared. Re-read. Half-finished. Out of print. Banned. Gifted. Borrowed from friends.

It's no secret, I love books.

And each book you read shapes you. It leaves a little dent in your mind that says, 'I was here, remember me.'

The words I've read have changed me, for better or worse, opened up a little part of me I never knew existed. Taught me how to be, and how not to be. The differences between people.

So I thought I'd share with you the books that up until this point have left a mark on me. Obviously this will change over the years, but here, now, these are the books I have loved and let move me:

The one that taught me how to love: I Heard God Laughing - Hafiz 

The one that changed my mind about my mind: The Happiness Trap - Russ Harris

The one that made me feel a little less alone: Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

The one that reminded me that limitation is all in the mind: Born to Run - Christopher McDougall

The one that helped me appreciate my sister: Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

The one that bit me with the travel bug: Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Which books have left a little mark on you?

Little chinks of light

The more I travel from place to place, looking for ways to heal this hurt, the more I realize I will carry this feeling around for a while. My brain will find reasons to be sad. I'm depressive. That's what my brain does. When it's dark I need to look for the little chinks of light.

Calm - Michael Acton Smith

I've been using the 'Calm' structure to help be more reflective about my days & more appreciative of all the good in my life. It goes something like this: 

What made you feel calm today? 

Listening to Dan Auerbach on the train this morning.

What are you grateful for today? 

Friends. I'm blessed to have people in my life who care about me even when I'm a bit rubbish at making plans and keeping them, or simply keeping in touch. 

Three highlights of today: 

1. This cup of earl grey tea.

2. Having breakfast with one of my most favourite people. 

3. Spending an evening with the best kind of people. Laughter, Martini & home cooked food. I'm a lucky girl.

What helps you feel calm?