Literary Escapes – Page 5 – Creative Meanderings

_Awaken the Giant Within_ by Anthony Robbins

Jul 022016

_Awaken the Giant Within_ by Anthony Robbins

I read this some time ago and am not sure how I did not write about it earlier, but in any case, it was a book recommended by a friend, especially when I started on the coaching path.

Tony Robbins has been a big name inspirational coach for a while. M and I even found a common bond in liking what TR says. In fact, M has gone on a retreat and walked on fire with TR. 🙂 While I am not quite that gung-ho about things, I did enjoy the read. Robbins gives some tips and tricks for overcoming negative behavioral patterns, ways to take control of finances and relationships – all using the power within ourselves and becoming aware of how we limit ourselves. By awakening our inner giants and allowing them to guide our lives, we can have even more fulfilling and happier lives.

All of this is connected to meditation, subconscious minds, positive affirmations and the like. It is good for me to be reminded about this book in a currently stressful time. I can take control from within! 😛

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Day 7: What memory are you grateful for?

Memories are a mixed bag for me. Some aspects of life I would like to not remember. Some aspects of life I wish I had more memories for which to recall them. Some day I may not have any memories at all. 😛 If I sort through my limited memories as a child, I would say I am most grateful for the one when I was playing in the snow, having a carefree day, laughing and not thinking about anything. It is perhaps the last time I ever felt completely relaxed. It is perhaps the reason why I hesitate to ever let loose again as it was the day when my life was to be taken down a miserable path for the next 3 years. However, before knowing that, I can recall my laughing, smiling and the joy of playing. So, I am grateful to have this memory. 🙂

~T 😀

_The 21-day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally_ by Diane Sanfilippo

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Jul 012016

_The 21-day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally_ by Diane Sanfilippo

At the end of September (yes it has been a while) a friend asked if I wanted to join her in doing a 21-day sugar detox. I had been thinking about it for a while – since going Paleo – but had never really pushed myself into it. This was a good chance to do so. She recommended this book to use for recipes, etc.

It is a good book to start with as it explains what sugar does to the body and provides a lot of recipes to use throughout the 21-days including different levels depending on your purpose and metabolism or exercise patterns. Although it was nearly impossible to cut out alcohol, I did try to stick to less sugary ones such as tequila (yay!) as much as possible. Some days I had to cheat as it is hard to change a diet when your partner is a bit resistant to it. 😛

Still, I learned quite a bit from this and the book. There is also a Facebook page and website to help those who want a community in the struggle to remove one of the most harmful and addictive substances there is out there – and it is part of our daily lives!!!!

So, I recommend everyone try to remove as much sugar from your diet – that means breads/carbs as well – and see how your body can change. 😀

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Day 6: What in nature are you grateful for?

Hm…this is a difficult one…. When I was a younger adult, I used to take a lot of walks in the parks (in Japan mostly) and tried to be more in touch with nature. As a child, I was mostly allergic to everything outside on the farm, so I developed a bit of a love-hate relationship to nature. Since moving to the desert, I hardly consider nature at all and, in fact, when I return to ‘natural’ places, I end up feeling sick again like when I was a child. Thus, it is difficult to consider this. For some reason, when I think about nature, I think woods, trees, flowers and the like. I generally do not conjure up the sea and beach. However, if I acknowledge the sea as nature (of course it is!), then I am most grateful for the ocean and beaches. I am not allergic to either of them! 😛

The ocean and sea has always made me feel small in the amazing power and awesomeness of the water. While I have always held a fear of drowning and do not like to consider the life that exists below, I still feel inspired by the ocean. The waves crashing onto the sand provides me with awe and peace at the same time. I truly feel the strength and beauty of the earth and its creator when I stand at the edge of the water or float in its powerful rolling waves. So, yes, I am grateful for the ocean/sea.

~T 😀

_Portal of the Wind_ by Shizuko Natsuki

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Jun 292016

_Portal of the Wind_ by Shizuko Natsuki

Last March when I was in Lake Havasu City visiting my parents, my dad and I took a trip to the public library. It is something that my dad likes to do with me and they are a dying institution in most cities. The library itself was fairly desolate of actual books, instead there were a lot of computer stations and some reading areas.

However, there was an area where people could purchase books for cheap like $1 or $3 max. So, we perused this area even though I generally read most of my books on an electronic device. Still, when I am by the pool or lying in bed there are many times when I prefer to have a paper book in my hand.

In my perusing, I came across this book. I have never heard of the author before and it was a surprise to see a Japanese author in a little Arizona town. Therefore, I had to get it and give it a try as it has also been some time since I have read an obscure Japanese novel.

This book started off as very interesting with a revenger murder and mysterious death with the weaving of some parallel stories which did not seem that connected until the latter half of the story. In the end, it was a bit of future, dystopic style of a story that I had not expected. It was also a bit of commentary on society and reminded me a great deal of my Japanese days. Therefore, overall, it was definitely interesting and glad that I came across it. I cannot say for sure if I liked it, but it is definitely very typical of a Japanese novel, which I have completely determined if I like or not. 😛

In the end, I would say if you like Japanese style fiction, like Ishiguro, Murakami, etc., it is worth a read. 🙂

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Day 4: What food are you most grateful for?

Ahhhhh food!!! It is probably not okay to simply say ALL food, is it? Hm…so, if I must choose one single food, I am most grateful for cheese. Now, I know that cheese probably has very little health benefit and in fact, may actually harm the body in many ways due to its dairy qualities. However, of all food, cheese is my go-to snack food whenever possible. There is just something about the way it can melt in your mouth, the tang and zing it gives to the tastebuds, the smoothness on a piece of bread or a cracker and the gentle pleasing sensation it provides me. Perhaps it is a bit like a drug and in that sense I probably should give it up…. That is not likely to happen! 😛 I have cut back and eat it only now and then anymore. Compared to my daily half a block of Tillamook Cheese, I think I am going to be alright!

~T 😀

_The Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius_ by Marcus Aurelius

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Jun 252016

_The Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius_ by Marcus Aurelius

Over three years ago I referred to my having read _Meditations_ by Marcus Aurelius many years back. When I came across this book a few years ago, I thought I would give it a read since I enjoyed his first philosophies so much. However, it really took me more than a year to complete this one.

I am not sure why it took me so long as his Stoic philosophies were not much different and his wisdoms are still wise. Probably, it is a reflection on my state of mind more than anything else. When I read Meditations, I needed to anchor myself into a way of thinking to stay sane. Now that I have found the art of meditation and yoga, I am less absorbent of these wise words. I should not be so, but I think perhaps this is why it took me so long to complete it.

When I did sit down to push through the last few chapters, I wondered why I had not been reading it…. So, yes, state of mind is important to consider when taking on classical philosophies. He was indeed an amazing man and he might go on my list of people I would like to meet someday in the after life. 🙂

~T 😀

_The Girl on the Train_ by Paula Hawkins

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Jun 242016

_The Girl on the Train_ by Paula Hawkins

This was listed as one of the books to read before the movie came out, so I decided to give it a go despite its popularity and my tendencies to avoid ‘trends’. I know, I am ridiculous about ‘trends’ as there really is no harm and if something is actually good, what is the big deal…? ANYWAY, this was a GREAT book.

Although I kept thinking of _Gone Girl_ when I reading it and it has a very British feel to it, I still enjoyed it. As the story progressed, I was thinking, oh I know who it is or maybe it is this person…by the end I was both surprised and relieved. It also took me quite a few chapters to get to the point where I did not want to put the book down until I finished. However, once I got there, I was thoroughly engaged.

So, for a good summer read or just pass the time with a good thriller book, this will do. Now, I am looking forward to the movie since they did such a good job with GG as well. 😀

~T 😀

_Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth_ by Reza Aslan

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Jun 192016

zealot

_Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth_ by Reza Aslan

The author of this book appeared on The Daily Show about a year ago. As a student of religion and spirituality I was really interested in reading this despite its seemingly ‘academic’ nature for a pleasure book. 😛 (When has that stopped me before, right?)

Aslan writes about Jesus’ life, not as the Messiah, but as a man during the period in which he lived. Jesus is presented as a zealot who was then held up as the son of God by his followers.

This is really an interesting text considering the historical context, the Gospels which are accounts of Jesus’ followers, and the man himself according to others’ accounts. From a non-Christianity perspective, it is very informative and interesting to consider Jesus as a man rather than as the son of God. It is curious then to consider at what point and why it was then put into the New Testament that one must believe that Jesus is the Son of God in order to call oneself a Christian. Could it just be like any other religion adding on rules to join the “club”?

I think that this has continued to convince me that one particular religion cannot be THE religion and that we must focus on spirituality and foster love and compassion for others as fellow human beings. <3

Definitely a good read if you are into these kinds of things.

~T 😀

_My Story_ by Elizabeth Smart

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Jun 182016

_My Story_ by Elizabeth Smart

Although I do not really pay attention to the news and never really have, I do remember big stories, especially those around kidnappings or killings of children. I still follow the JonBenet Ramsey story even today.

So, when I saw this book, I only faintly recalled what it might have been about. However, as I read Elizabeth Smart’s account of her kidnapping, life during this time and eventual rescue, I was moved. What an amazing story and how incredibly sad and scared she must have felt. Yet, her outlook is positive and calm – or at least as portrayed in this book. She doesn’t condemn her captors nor even seem to send negative feelings towards them, which is admirable.

This is a story worth reading even if you do not know anything about it. We hear these kinds of events happening and maybe see them on the news, but rarely do we hear a grounded retelling of the story from the victims themselves. I was impressed and in a way it inspired me to reconsider more seriously telling my own story – though it has never been ‘newsworthy’.

In any case, I recommend it and hope that Elizabeth Smart continues to live a peaceful, loving life quietly.

~T 😀

_The Four Agreements_ by Don Miguel Ruiz

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Jun 172016

4agreements

_The Four Agreements_ by Don Miguel Ruiz

A while back a friend of mine gave me this book as she was required to read it for a leadership course she was taking.

Don Miguel Ruiz offers a great deal of wisdom in this book that is summed up by the image below:

agreements

Each one is explained in detail in the book, but living by these four agreements definitely puts a change on the lens in which you see other people, respond to them and live life in general. I believe there is a reason that number 1 is the first to work on as it seems to be the hardest for me. While I do generally try hard to be impeccable with what I say, I do find it easy to fall into gossip or to let loose a negative thought towards someone (especially driving on the roads in AD!). However, mastering this really allows for love and compassion to be present.

The other three are less challenging for me as coaching training has helped me with them previously. I am not saying that they come easily – just not as difficult as being careful with my words. 😛

Writing again definitely helps me to recenter and refocus on the words that I use and the effect they have.

So, as you go forward today, consider these four agreements, maybe even pick up this book and start to change your own lens of the world around you.

~T 😀

_NYPD Red 2_ by James Patterson

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Jun 162016

nypd2

_NYPD Red 2_ by James Patterson

I am not sure if I have written about the first NYPD Red book in the series, but I have now read the second one in the series. 😛

This new series is entertaining enough, though not meant to be overly enthralling I am sure. It was a good way to pass the time and I got through the pages quickly. So, that is really all one can ask for in a ‘holiday’ reading book, right?

Do I recommend it? Sure, why not? Patterson writes well in this one and so I will likely look forward to reading number 3. 😀

~T 😀

_The Psychology of Everyday Things_ by Donald Norman

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Jun 142016

psychology

_The Psychology of Everyday Things_ by Donald Norman

Over a year ago, a colleague recommended this book when we were having a philosophical talk about the world. It took me quite a while to get through the book, to be honest as it was written in 1988 by an obvious academic. Despite the very old looking pages and black ‘n’ white photos in the text, it was actually a very interesting read.

The purpose of the book is to understand how the design of everyday things in our lives can cause unnecessary confusion or waste of time due to poor design. Norman argues that in many cases the designers do not consider the end user. Or if they do, the design may be changed due to a companies decision to save money leading to an important loss for the user.

Some examples he provides are door handles. Ever been caught pushing instead of pulling despite the sign right in front of you that says to Pull? Or what about looking at a device with an instruction manual and not knowing how to make heads or tails of it?

Many of his examples resonated with me despite the old “age” of the technology cited as I remember thinking “How do I use this thing?” before.

As a bit of a ‘geeky’ person, it was a really good book. As someone who is left-handed, it also gives some satisfaction to know that I do have something to complain about! 😛

~T 😀

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