One of my New Year’s resolutions was to make this year, a year of self-reflection. I’m not exactly sure what I meant when I made this resolution, but I knew I wanted to end the year feeling more at peace with myself.
Having entered adulthood a bit young and shy of the right tools, my quest for answers was pressing. I searched for people who could fill me in on important life facts that should’ve been bequeathed to me. As a teen, I crossed paths with someone who I thought seemed to have a great grasp on life and asked what they would wish for if they could wish for anything in the world. Their reply was “to be at peace with myself.” After hearing those words, right in that moment, did I realize such a thing was even possible. These words of wisdom echoed in my mind through a windy road of rough terrain and lingered around when that road eventually became a smoother path.
So here I am, many years later, thinking about those words again. Perhaps it’s part of a mid-life crisis or maybe it’s the wrinkles I’ve recently noticed around my eyes. I’m not sure but here it is many years later tapping me on the shoulder to say hey.
A quick google search defines self-reflection as meditation or serious thought about one’s character, actions, and motives. As the gears turn in my head to ponder where my peace is at, my thoughts easily drift to contemplate more trivial things: Have I had enough coffee for the day? Does my aloe plant need more water? Was that a ding on my phone?
So… to direct my thoughts in the right direction and stay focused on the topic, I decided I would read a few books – ones that were recommended to me for this sort of mental exercise. Here’s the list I came up with. Stay tuned for enlightenment.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Flourish by Martin Seligman
Change Your Thinking by Sarah Edelman
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse