It's amazing what you'll find when you venture into an attic, right? Yesterday I delved into about ten boxes full of books that I've been storing in my grandmother's attic since I don't really have a good place to put them at the moment. You would not believe what I came out with! Here's the list of titles (and I only carried out the ones that resonated with my current path of self-discovery and actualization:
"The Seven Storey Mountain" by Thomas Merton
"Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
"Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman
"Where Have all the Leaders Gone?" by Lee Iacocca
"The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.
"The Shepherd" by Matthew Kelly
"Work It! (How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass, and Land a Job in Any Economy" by Allison Hemming
"Contemplative Prayer: a Guide for Today's Catholic" by James Borst, M.H.M.
"Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions" by John Kotter
"Nuestras Sombras" (title translated: Our Shadows) by María Teresa Budge
"The New Guide to Relaxation," no author listed, published by Parragon Publishing
"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne
"El Arma de Vida" (title translated: the Weapon of Life) by Jérôme Camilly and Jacques Normand
Then, there are the books that I already had in my apartment:
"What Color Is Your Parachute 2007" by Richard Nelson Bolles
"Reading Like a Writer" by Francine Prose
"How I Write" by Janet Evanovich with Ina Yalof
And then, there are the books that I had stashed at my mom's house:
"My Reality Check Bounced! The Twentysomething's Guide to Cashing In on Your Real-World Dreams" by Jason Ryan Dorsey
"100 Best Careers for Writers and Artists" by Shelly Field
"Get a Freelance Life" by Margit Feury Ragland
"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron
Finally, the books that I had in my purse are:
The purple font indicates the titles that I purchased just a couple of months ago when I decided (for the last time) to get serious about where I am meant to go in life. I got all the other books at different times, ranging from my childhood (the titles in Spanish) to last December ("The Artist's Way"). My reason for choosing most of these titles for this endeavor is obvious. A few books might not clearly present any guidance in the 'what will I do for the rest of my life' department, but I carefully selected them, each for its own special reason. For example, "El Arma de Vida" was given to my sister and me by our sensei when we were taking karate lessons and, although I never got around to reading it then, it was a special gift that sensei Pepe did not give to any other students. I somehow feel like there is something in that book that I should read. "Nuestras Sombras," on the other hand, was one of my favorite books when I was little. It had such a strong hold on me that when I was in college I looked for it online and ordered it again, even though I am now an adult and "should" be interested in more advanced pieces of literature. I picked it up now because I know it will tell me something about the 'me' that I've always been. Reading through it as an adult will allow me to consciously think about what made me love it so much when I was younger.
Looking at this list certainly reveals quite about me:
-I am interested in finding and pursuing the path in life that will fulfill me the most
-I enjoy reading and am interested in writing
-My Catholic faith provides a framework for my life and is part of every piece of my life.
-I am interested in achieving something good and fulfilling in life that will bring happiness and peace to my life, which can be translated to mean that I am not in it for the money, the fame, the power...
-I am conscious of my health and "size," but truly believe that weight is connected to more than just a treadmill and my refrigerator.
-I am an artist in some way.
-I want to have some adventure in my life.
-I approach things in a very personal and sometimes odd way (you might not notice this, but I do considering that I really don't speak much Italian at all, but I am trying to learn more by throwing myself straight into full books).
-I am interested in larger thoughts and philosophies.
-I can only delve into a subject by both attacking it directly and exploring everything that it is connected to.
Wow! I never thought of just looking at my bookshelf to learn about myself. Now I'm thinking I should take another trip into the attic to see what else I can find out about myself from the rest of my book collection.
In terms of planning, that is over thirty books (the ones listed above plus the books that my aunt recommended, which I still have to pick up) that I would like to look into during this journey I am on. I am beginning to think that this will be more like an odyssey than a weekend getaway, but that is fine with me. I am young, I enjoy my job, I am having fun with my life, and I am pretty healthy. I have a thousand things to be grateful for and a thousand things that make me happy. Embarking on this journey is making me happy. Remember what people say: happiness is the journey, not the destination. So, how will my journey take shape? I am still not exactly sure of that, but I feel like I am getting closer to figuring it out.
Are you happy where you are? Do you have time to invest in your journey or will you approach this like and Olympian running the 100 meter dash? The answer to that question will definitely help you decide how to shape your search. Now, what have you done to find out what your dream is or to pursue it if you already know what it is? If you are still stuck, maybe you, too, need to take a trip to your attic or bedroom or wherever you keep your books and find out a little about yourself. You don't have any books? Well, that right there tells you something about yourself. What do you have? What are your treasured possessions? Explore those and see what you find out about yourself. Pretend that you are looking at a stranger's things and trying to learn about that person from their things without ever having met them.
As always, please feel free to share your comments on your own experiences, books, or any thoughts that you have on the subject.
"The Seven Storey Mountain" by Thomas Merton
"Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
"Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman
"Where Have all the Leaders Gone?" by Lee Iacocca
"The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.
"The Shepherd" by Matthew Kelly
"Work It! (How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass, and Land a Job in Any Economy" by Allison Hemming
"Contemplative Prayer: a Guide for Today's Catholic" by James Borst, M.H.M.
"Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions" by John Kotter
"Nuestras Sombras" (title translated: Our Shadows) by María Teresa Budge
"The New Guide to Relaxation," no author listed, published by Parragon Publishing
"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne
"El Arma de Vida" (title translated: the Weapon of Life) by Jérôme Camilly and Jacques Normand
Then, there are the books that I already had in my apartment:
"What Color Is Your Parachute 2007" by Richard Nelson Bolles
"Reading Like a Writer" by Francine Prose
"How I Write" by Janet Evanovich with Ina Yalof
"The Go-Getter Girl's Guide: Get What You Want in Work and Life (and Look Great While You're at It)" by Debra Shigley
"Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type" by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron"10-10-10 (10 Minutes, 10 Months, 10 Years): a Fast and Powerful Way to Get Unstuck in Love, at Work, and at Home" by Suzy Welch
"Delaying the Real World: A Twentysomething's Guide to Seeking Adventure" by Colleen Kinder"On Becoming Fearless... in Love, Work, and Life" by Arianna Huffington
"The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size" by Julia CameronAnd then, there are the books that I had stashed at my mom's house:
"My Reality Check Bounced! The Twentysomething's Guide to Cashing In on Your Real-World Dreams" by Jason Ryan Dorsey
"100 Best Careers for Writers and Artists" by Shelly Field
"Get a Freelance Life" by Margit Feury Ragland
"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron
Finally, the books that I had in my purse are:
"The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin
"I Could do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was" by Barbara Sher with Barbara Smith
"Philosophy: a Beginner's Guide to the Ideas of 100 Great Thinkers" by Jeremy Harwood
"La Bambina In Fondo Al Mare" (translated title: The Girl at the Bottom of the Sea) by Silvana Gandolfi
The purple font indicates the titles that I purchased just a couple of months ago when I decided (for the last time) to get serious about where I am meant to go in life. I got all the other books at different times, ranging from my childhood (the titles in Spanish) to last December ("The Artist's Way"). My reason for choosing most of these titles for this endeavor is obvious. A few books might not clearly present any guidance in the 'what will I do for the rest of my life' department, but I carefully selected them, each for its own special reason. For example, "El Arma de Vida" was given to my sister and me by our sensei when we were taking karate lessons and, although I never got around to reading it then, it was a special gift that sensei Pepe did not give to any other students. I somehow feel like there is something in that book that I should read. "Nuestras Sombras," on the other hand, was one of my favorite books when I was little. It had such a strong hold on me that when I was in college I looked for it online and ordered it again, even though I am now an adult and "should" be interested in more advanced pieces of literature. I picked it up now because I know it will tell me something about the 'me' that I've always been. Reading through it as an adult will allow me to consciously think about what made me love it so much when I was younger.
Looking at this list certainly reveals quite about me:
-I am interested in finding and pursuing the path in life that will fulfill me the most
-I enjoy reading and am interested in writing
-My Catholic faith provides a framework for my life and is part of every piece of my life.
-I am interested in achieving something good and fulfilling in life that will bring happiness and peace to my life, which can be translated to mean that I am not in it for the money, the fame, the power...
-I am conscious of my health and "size," but truly believe that weight is connected to more than just a treadmill and my refrigerator.
-I am an artist in some way.
-I want to have some adventure in my life.
-I approach things in a very personal and sometimes odd way (you might not notice this, but I do considering that I really don't speak much Italian at all, but I am trying to learn more by throwing myself straight into full books).
-I am interested in larger thoughts and philosophies.
-I can only delve into a subject by both attacking it directly and exploring everything that it is connected to.
Wow! I never thought of just looking at my bookshelf to learn about myself. Now I'm thinking I should take another trip into the attic to see what else I can find out about myself from the rest of my book collection.
In terms of planning, that is over thirty books (the ones listed above plus the books that my aunt recommended, which I still have to pick up) that I would like to look into during this journey I am on. I am beginning to think that this will be more like an odyssey than a weekend getaway, but that is fine with me. I am young, I enjoy my job, I am having fun with my life, and I am pretty healthy. I have a thousand things to be grateful for and a thousand things that make me happy. Embarking on this journey is making me happy. Remember what people say: happiness is the journey, not the destination. So, how will my journey take shape? I am still not exactly sure of that, but I feel like I am getting closer to figuring it out.
Are you happy where you are? Do you have time to invest in your journey or will you approach this like and Olympian running the 100 meter dash? The answer to that question will definitely help you decide how to shape your search. Now, what have you done to find out what your dream is or to pursue it if you already know what it is? If you are still stuck, maybe you, too, need to take a trip to your attic or bedroom or wherever you keep your books and find out a little about yourself. You don't have any books? Well, that right there tells you something about yourself. What do you have? What are your treasured possessions? Explore those and see what you find out about yourself. Pretend that you are looking at a stranger's things and trying to learn about that person from their things without ever having met them.
As always, please feel free to share your comments on your own experiences, books, or any thoughts that you have on the subject.
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