four books that changed my life during my solo travels📚
neuroplasticity nomad recs
Think of how many times you've had a dream that's lit your spirit, only to immediately squash it with excuses of all the ways it could never happen. Maybe those voices are from you, or maybe they're from people who "have your best interest at heart." But...what if you were onto something? Instead of thinking "what if it goes wrong", have you thought "what if it goes right?" In fact…what if it goes better than you could ever imagine?
Last year, my dear voice coach Gary Ramsey from The Neighborhood Playhouse passed away, and thinking about him reminded me that he was the first person to introduce me to neuroplasticity! This ignited my new reading journey about this fascinating subject. Professional athletes, therapists, actors, etc. all use the power of visualization and rewiring their brain to get rid of thought patterns that no longer serve them, and build new ones that propel them into a better life. If you've never heard of neuroplasticity before, here's a 2 minute youtube video that explains it a bit better:
As humans, we naturally believe negative thoughts more than positive thoughts, because in the past, this has helped us survive. For example: fear helped us not get eaten by a lion, and gossip helped us not get banished by the tribe. This means that as we get older, it's much easier to get stuck in negative thought patterns because they feel "safer" since our brains have gotten comfortable thinking/feeling that way. Therefore, if we want to feel good, we have to try SO much harder EACH and EVERY day to build NEW pathways in our brain so that thinking positively becomes thing that feels comfortable!
November, the coming winter, or recent political events may have some of you feeling unsettled, so I thought it might be the perfect time to share the following books that cumulatively brought me out of a deep dark hole:
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself (and/or) You Are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza
The Art of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Letting Go by Dr. David R.Hawkins
Common themes these books explore:
the power of neuroscience in rewiring our brains
identifying which old habits (and physical items!) no longer serve you
releasing attachment to your old self in order to make room for your new self
what it means to really love and respect yourself and others
having the courage to be disliked
allowing yourself to feel excitement for the endless possibilities you have in your future (no matter your age)!
Handle With Care:
As with any personal development work, these books will probably bring up a lot of uncomfortable emotions or memories. When it became a little too heavy for me, I would journal or read/listen to Brianna Wiest's books. They feel like the most warm hug❤️. Her instagram account (@briannawiest) is also a great place for a bite-sized breath of air!
Some of Dr. Dispenza's books feel a bit "woo woo"-y (lol) and full of scientific jargon at times, so I found listening to them in audiobook format was a lot easier for me to digest! I would not skip over these though, there are tons of gems to be found, even if you are a skeptic like I was when reading them!
Bonus:
Another instagram account FULL of neuroplasticity and visualization tools for athletes (but applicable to everyone) is: @maya.mental.fitness
While my younger years of solo travelling were focused on packing in as much external adventure as possible, this last chapter has had a more "internal adventure" vibe. This involved eliminating all distractions so that I could listen to what was really going on in my head and body, while turning to my favourite mentors (aka books!) for the guidance I needed at the time. I SO hope this post has found you at the right time, and that you can use them to find peace and hopefulness like I did🌿✨.