Do you have any recommendations for what I should be reading or listening to?
This question comes up toward the middle to end of a good coaching session and I love it. I don’t know if others of you feel this way too but it’s exciting to me to share any knowledge I have gleaned.
However, I also love your recommendations. We’re all growing, and if we’re emotionally healthy, we’re all trying to glean from life’s experiences and lessons along the way, to connect with God and others in impactful ways.
Just last week a couple told me about a funny Tim Hawkins marriage comedy bit that I’m looking forward to checking out for a relaxing moment!
For those seeking this kind of active brain stimulation as well, I’ve pulled together six recommendations for summer learning and shared a few examples of my own ventures.
1. Read The Bible App – It’s a great way to connect with God through His word and there is an audio version for those who don’t want to read. There are also fun and specific plans that cover almost any topic imaginable from fear to athletics. And lately it’s also shaping up as a place to connect with others growing in their faith as well. I enjoy reading the same plans and passages with my daughters and coaching clients, it’s special to connect on our spiritual growth here.
2. Read A Classic Book – Before you check out the newest best-sellers, how about checking out books that have soared on those lists for decades or centuries already? I will definitely be reading Mark Twain this summer. He’s one of my top favorite authors. Just a few pages at a time are simply delicious and I LOVE his wit. Behind him, if I get time, I will review the ancient literature scholars my dad always wanted me to read such as Virgil and Dante. That list of classic recommendations is in the hundreds so it will be a slow but steady go! He even made me a Facebook Live so I have a long way to go there and I’m gonna have to give myself grace to pummel through that at any decent rate!
3. Read A Professional Book – Keeping yourself fresh in a field you’re passionate about is another great way to stay current and inspired. On my Kindle app, I’m reading The Path Between Us by Susan Stabile, which is all about personality types. I’m really enjoying it as I work with my coaching clients and learn my own stumbling blocks better!
4. Do Some Writing or Art – For writing, I will be editing several projects I’ve completed over the past few years and working on a project with local psychologist and close friend Dr. Sharon Otis. Artistically, hopefully I will do some creative writing too but I don’t have specific plans for it yet, that just comes as it may. Recommendation: Just have fun here as you slowly bring a project together, piece by piece. There’s always room, plenty of grace for mistakes, and your contribution desired by someone, somewhere, so go for it!
5. Listen to Podcasts or Spice Up Your Music – While I’m vacuuming out endless child crumbs from my car, while I’m doing dishes or other monotonous events, I will be occasionally listening to my favorite weekly podcast, Typology with Ian Cron. Ian is a counselor and Episcopalian priest helping people to become the best of themselves. He’s a type 4 on the Enneagram which makes him a perfect podcast host to go to the depths with his weekly guests. Tip: If you’re pressed for time, I almost always skip the intro which is about 7-10 minutes of banter.
My favorite episode is #33 with one of my favorite bands Tenth Avenue North sharing their personality types and how they manage to get along on a TWELVE person tour bus 24/7 with a variety of personalities!! Sounds crazy but they are managing better as they learn one another’s motivating factors.
Musically, I am always looking for more as I burn out my music playlists quickly. Hamilton and Hollyn (and Greatest Showman and Moana with my kids) have inspired me this past year as newer musical pieces but since I wear out music very quickly, I always love to get these kinds of recommendations, esp!
6. Do Some Artistic Legacy Work – If I recommend anything geneology-related to you again, some of you will gag audibility (and understandably), but before you breeze past this one, I do recommend some sort of family project, such as making some home decor at the Maker’s Market type of place or artistry that you and your family can do together. I’ll be sifting through my parents’ myriad of love poems and other poems to make an anthology, I’ll probably be looking up Civil War relatives and reading their riveting (to me) accounts and find something frameworthy. My mom wrote a children’s story so right now I have my kids making fun illustrations just so we can have it around for fun!
When will you do all of this? I can’t directly answer that but I do know continuing your education is fun and valuable so I hope you make the time. I often skip TV for this kind of thing but I do enjoy TV breaks also!
I hope something I’ve shared will inspire you to have some fun and joyful musings of your own and you won’t feel it was too boring, even though we often spend more time indoors this time of year.
Be sure to share your own recommendations as well.
Love Living Intentionally With You,
Christa
