4 Podcasts
The Lively Show. I adore Jess Lively and her show. It gets me thinking about so many different, fascinating topics, while also staying entertaining and enjoyable to listen to. The episode with Gretchen Rubin revolutionized my personal habits. Of note: Her topics have shifted recently from general self-improvement to finding happiness through alignment, flow, and the law of attraction. Still love her and what I learn from her newer way of thinking.
The Unmistakable Creative. This is the podcast I listen to almost as much as the Lively Show. I love that it’s a deep dive into meaningful stuff, but the host, Srini Rao, draws out enough of his guest’s personal stories to keep me engaged the whole time. Plus, they have more than 500 episodes archived, so you’ll never run out of material. 🙂 This episode on the crossroads of should and must is a must-hear for any purposeful woman.
On Being. When you’re in the mood to go deep, this is the podcast for you. “On Being opens up the animating questions at the center of human life: What does it mean to be human, and how do we want to live?” It’s beautiful and stimulating—the kind of show that often has me scrambling for a pen so I can jot down some notes. I suggest starting with the episode on play or the art of listening.
Happier. For something more light and conversational but somehow still concise and practical, I can’t say enough about Gretchen Rubin’s podcast with her sister Elizabeth Craft. They tackle happiness stumbling blocks and share actionable happiness tips from both them and their listeners. Honestly, I think every episode is well worth a listen, so I’d say just start with number one!
4 Books
The Power of Vulnerability
Better Than Before—What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits–to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life. This was the most impactful book I read last year in terms of my daily behaviors. In it Gretchen Rubin describes four personality types related to habit formation. At the core of her framework is who you feel accountable to: yourself, others, others and yourself, or neither. Read this for more self-understanding and to help you develop habits that can serve you lifelong.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More
4 TED Talks
Lessons from the Mental Hospital. The amazing writer of Momastery talks about the bravery it takes to live with our whole hearts in this big, messy world. “Life is beautiful and life is brutal…I used to numb my feelings and hide, and now I feel my feelings and I share.” (725,000 views)
How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. How we hold our bodies shapes the message we send ourselves, not just the people around us. “Don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it.” (21 million views)
Why Thinking You’re Ugly is Bad for You. A must-see for all women, especially mothers of daughters. What low body confidence is doing to girls and women—and what we can do to change it. (750,000 views)
Why a Good Book is a Secret Door. The space between truth and lies = art. This touching and witty talk will have you scheming ways to infuse your child’s life (and your own!) with a little more mystery and wonder. (730,000 views)
4 Blogs
Abundant Mama. I recommit to peaceful, playful living—and treating myself with more kindness—EVERY time I visit this blog. Start with this post and tell me you’re not hooked.
Simple As That. If you want to live simply but creatively, if you want to value experiences over things, if you have big dreams about seeing the world, this blog is for you. I suggest starting with this powerful post: Do More Things Make You Forget to Check Your Phone.
Modern Mrs. Darcy. A “lifestyle blog for nerds,” this is the place for book lovers and friendly introverts. Anne’s writing is concise and digestible, while still stirring up a lot of conversation with her readers. She’s awesome to follow on Facebook because she points out kindle deals, and her annual summer reading guide doubles my reading list every year. 🙂
The Mom Edit. Let’s end on something light, shall we? This is the only style blog that I follow faithfully. I’ve stuck around partly because Shana focuses on style for moms (nursing friendly, pooch hiding, etc.), partly because she inspires me to add more unexpected elements to my outfits, but mostly, because she is just flat-out funny. She’s the queen of witty paretheticals. Start with her about page, but really, you can’t go wrong with Shana.
I hope you enjoyed the list and found something new to love! Just a reminder that this list is for newsletter subscribers. I don’t have it super securely locked down (this isn’t exactly the pentagon…), so if you happen to want to pin or share it, please do so from the original post that introduces it. Thanks, ladies!!
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