Top 3 Recommended Resources

Along my journey to better understand myself, I’ve come across some resources that hold a special place in my heart. I’ve found that time and time again, I pull information from the knowledge I acquired in these 3 Recommended Resources: Untamed, by Glennon Doyle, The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz, and the 21 Day Abundance Meditation Challenge, by Deepak Chopra. Of course, there are many more resources out there, but here are a few that made a significant impact in my life.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

If you are in a place where you are living a normal life and secretly miserable, I recommend reading the book Untamed, by Glennon Doyle. I’ve read this book a few times, but the first time was in 2020. My soul sister, Victoria, insisted that I read it and I didn’t believe her (she’s the type to recommend cheesy romance novels). But one day, while a few of us gathered secretly in the backyard of a friend’s house, she read the prologue: Cheetah Run. And after that reading, I knew that she was right. 

The structure of Untamed matches the theme of the title. It doesn’t follow a “normal” sequence. The book is a series of stories in which the author, Glennon Doyle, describes her taming, untaming, and the keys to living a true and beautiful life. Even though Glennon is a remarried, queer, white woman, mother of 3 in her 40s, I found many of her messages relatable. I believe this is because in her book, she outlines a familiar experience that many modern humans have: that of slowly abandoning ourselves for the “shoulds” of our lives.

If you’re looking for a read that is simple and extraordinarily mind blowing, consider finding a copy of this book. Depending on where you are in life, it might piss you off, make you cry, or give you the exact perspective you’ve been searching for. For me, Untamed was a key. It gave me the language to describe my current experience and the confidence to forge forward into a life that I love. 

Bonus: We Can Do Hard Things Podcast

If you’re not into reading right now, check out Glennon’s podcast called, “We Can Do Hard Things.” On it, Glennon, her wife, Abby, and sister, Amanda, interview guests to dissect and discuss all the challenges life has to throw at us from fun to sex to anxiety to letting go of emotionally unavailable parents, this podcast dives deep.

Spotify Link.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

I can’t remember when The Four Agreements came to me, but it feels like its lessons have always been part of my truth. The first time I remember reading it might have been at my cabina in Costa Rica. I borrowed it from a colleague and the day after I finished it, the neighbor’s puppy stole it off my porch and destroyed it. This is a book that I like to read once a year if I can get my hands on it. Luckily, it’s a very popular read among travelers and generally, it appears in my physical world at least once each year. 

The book is written by Don Miguel Ruiz and its purpose is to share the ancient wisdom of the Toltec tradition on how to live a meaningful life. He argues that in our world, we make conscious and unconscious agreements with ourselves and others that dictate our morals and behavior. Miguel Ruiz explains that the path to peace is a simple one if you adopt 4 simple agreements: (1) Be impeccable with your word, (2) don’t make any assumptions, (3) don’t take anything personally, (4) always do your best.

This is the type of book that has a large font and few words, but the messages might blow your mind. Most people could theoretically finish this book in a day, but I recommend pausing to digest each chapter. The Four Agreements is a life changer. 

Deepak Chopra’s 21 Days of Abundance Meditation Challenge

I first encountered Deepak Chopra’s 21 Days of Abundance Meditation Challenge while living in the United States. One of my sorority sisters invited me to do it and I was excited for it. I can’t remember if I succeeded (probably not) in finishing the challenge that time, but that’s okay, because it came back around while I was living in Nicaragua. After the third time, it became an annual part of my life. 

If you don’t know Deepak Chopra, he is an Indian-American author, most known to me for this meditation challenge and the book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A practical guide to the fulfillment of your dreams. I haven’t read the book yet, but he weaves elements from it into the meditation challenge. Each year, at the beginning of my cry season, I do this challenge to remember the power of my breath and my own ability to create a beautiful life for myself. 

The 10-15 minute audio clips are digestible and an easy thing for me to commit to. For most of the clip, Deepak discusses a concept around cultural conditioning, abundance, or our personal power. For the other 5-8 minutes, he invites a mantra and plays gentle music. The messages inspire and empower me. Even if I fall asleep or miss a day, I don’t judge myself because this tool has changed from a challenge to medicine. I appreciate the invitation because it gets me into my mediation. Afterwards, I often listen to my “Meditation Overflow” playlist which helps me extend my meditation practice.

Spotify link.

Youtube link.

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