Happy August, y’all! It’s Erin here to share with you my Top 5 Realigning Books. Realignment is not just about getting a massage or going to the chiropractor.
As a part of our model, The 4 R’s of Burnout Recovery, realignment means setting time aside for yourself. When you take this time, we encourage you to do things that help remind you who you are as a person, and how you fit into the universe at large. Realignment means recognizing that you are not the most important person. It means you know that the world will continue to spin without you. It means that you deserve to stop and just be.
With all that said, what are my Top 5 Realigning Books? These are the books that help keep me grounded and remind me who I am. For me, these are some comfort reads, as well as books that challenge me. Most of them are associated with strong memories too.
Snow Angels by Stewart O’Nan
I bought this book in Tuscon, AZ while visiting my aunt on vacation. Aside from children’s books and vintage books, it’s definitely the oldest book on my shelves. I’ve read it a handful of times over the last 10 years but it’s a simple story, told well, and it’s stuck with me.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I was not in advanced reading and literature classes until college, so I didn’t read a lot of the classics. But back then, every single high school student had to read “Of Mice and Men” and I hated it. It was probably 5 or 6 years later when I picked up “East of Eden” on sale at Barnes and Noble and decided to give Mr. Steinbeck another go.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This is one of those books that was a major perspective shift for me. Short and beautiful, I was literally a different person after I read this book.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
As an Elder Millennial, I grew up through the so-called “War on Terror.” There was not a lot of humanizing, or history lessons going on at the start of the War in Afghanistan. This was another major perspective shift for me and remains a favorite to this day.
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
I was given this book during a particular bout of depression in my early twenties. It changed my thinking about myself and my relationships with others, and remains within reach still. Based on Toltec wisdom, it’s a different approach to some typical cognitive behavioral work, which is why I resonate with it so much.
That’s my Top 5 Realigning Books. I’d love to hear what yours are or what you’re reading lately that’s helped remind you who you are or change your perspective on your role in the universe.
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