Hello Friends!
I think it’s safe to say I am someone who is on a constant journey of self-discovery. 😉 This isn’t news to anyone who knows me or who has been following this newsletter for awhile I’m sure! I naturally seek learning new things, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and expanding my knowledge.
ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR SELF-DISCOVERY...
So I absolutely loved Miranda Hart’s new book, I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You. Hart is a British comedian and this book is an autobiography of her navigating the past ten years through an up-to-then undiagnosed chronic illness. While I thankfully couldn’t relate to the illness part, the rest of the book felt like I could have written it myself! Miranda and I have been on very similar journeys of self-discovery it would seem!! [Interesting fact: Miranda is just one day younger than I am! Maybe we’re almost the same person?! 😉] She refers to her “Ists” – psychologists, sociologists, neurologists etc. – as having helped her navigate this self-discovery and so many of her Ists are the same as mine! She quotes Brené Brown and the power of knowing your core values; Simon Sinek and the power of finding your why; Susan David and the power of being able to name your emotions; and many more.
It’s a wonderful book (and a great audiobook, narrated by the author herself) and would make a fabulous “starter kit” for ideas for anyone looking to delve into getting to know themselves better! And for a sneak preview of what the book contains, Elizabeth Day did a fabulous interview with Miranda Hart on her podcast, How to Fail. Well worth the listen!
MENTAL MINDSWEEP…
There are very few newsletters that I read regularly. In fact, only three*:
- Caroline Criado Perez’s Invisible Women
- James Clear’s 3-2-1
- Cory Allen’s Clarity with Cory
*I do hope, dear Reader, that you would also include a fourth newsletter on your list, namely this one! ❤️
I loved Cory Allen’s recent newsletter on “Mental Minimalism”, which I think is very much about discovering/identifying what is important to you, and separating that wheat from the chaff. I found this idea to be particularly resonant for me:
“Each morning, do a “mind sweep” by writing down everything floating in your head. No structure, no rules—just empty it all out on paper. Think of this like dusting your kitchen table, wiping your countertops, or brushing off your front porch. It’s a way to invite the freshness of today by clearing out what yesterday left behind.”
This is a habit I really want to start!
RE-THINKING…
Adam Grant interviewing Malcolm Gladwell on his podcast Re:Thinking is one of life’s real joys. The two men have such a rich databank of experience, research, and interesting subjects that it is just a joy to listen! The subject of this particular podcast episode was Gladwell rewriting his first book, The Tipping Point, and his rationale for doing so: that he realized he made quite a few mistakes in his logic and thinking. So he re-thought the premise, and re-wrote the book!
The interview touches on so many aspects of self-discovery: figuring out your identity in high school (and the positive impact of punks and goths!); how impactful an apology is on your memory of an event; how having lists decreases decision fatigue [Gladwell only drinks 5 liquids: water, milk, tea, espresso & red wine for example]. Very thought-provoking!
(And if you don’t want to listen, you can watch the interview here or read the transcript.)
FUTURE ME…
One of my favourite tools for self-reflection is to touch base with myself – from the future! 😊 There is a cool website, www.futureme.org, where you can write yourself an email and have it sent to you in the future. This is such a great way to keep yourself accountable! And to remember the things that are important to you. I’ve used it a lot, both with clients, and with myself! I even wrote myself a letter last January to remind myself how much I want to enjoy the Christmas season this year! (You can read that letter here).
WHAT I’M READING…
After lamenting that I hadn’t read anything really engaging recently, the trend was halted by The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. I was instantly hooked. The story sucked me in right from the start, and I was completely intrigued by our unnamed narrator’s tale. She is an agent of the British government, who are bringing “expats” from the past into the present. The Ministry has discovered a time portal that allows them to go into the past and hand-pick a few people – no one truly famous, but about whom there is enough documentation that the government can prepare for their arrival in the present. It’s unclear what the purpose of these extractions from the past is, but each of the refugees gets a “bridge” – a companion/confidante/handler from the present to help them navigate their new life.
Our narrator is partnered with Commander Graham Gore, who has been extracted from 1847. It’s a wonderfully rich story of how we shape our future, how our decisions change the course of our lives, and how we interact with others. I found it absolutely brilliant. Warm, interesting, thought-provoking, engaging. I’d like to read it again, knowing how things turn out!
[A personal appeal from me: despite the links, please do support your local book store or library if you can!]
YOUR READING RECOMMENDATIONS…
Huge thanks to everyone who responded to my last newsletter with suggestions!! I loved hearing from so many of you – and I was thrilled to see how many great books there are out there waiting to be read!! ❤️
Here were your recommendations for great reads of 2024:
1. The Hare with the Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal
2. Precipice by Robert Harris
3. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
4. Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent
5. The German Midwife by Mandy Robotham
6. Nein ist meine Superkraft (Nonfiction) von Annette Lies
7. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt
8. Funny Story by Emily Henry
9. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
10. anything by Carly Fortune
11. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (non-fiction)
12. The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
I’m planning on diving into all of these recommendations in the coming months and am curious how many of these will land in future newsletters as recommendations! Speaking for myself, I’m handing this list directly to Santa!!! 😂
Happy Reading!!!
This time of year always stimulates reflection and self-discovery in me. I thought I would share some of my recent discoveries with you. What tools do you use to further your own reflections? I’d love to expand my skill and tool set! Please do share if you have particular favourites.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs,