LIFE-CHANGING Reads: For the Young & Motivated

Happy Valentine’s Day, guys!

I thought it was fitting to talk about some of my recent & ALL-TIME favorite, badass-bitch books today. Because I’m eternally single ( & very content with that at the moment ), I have a LOT of ME-time.

Self-improvement is my #1 focus right now, which can come off a little selfish sometimes. Whatever, this IS my selfish time. I’m okay with that. I’m taking full advantage of all of the me-time I have.

Usually, ME time consists of cleaning my apartment, lighting my candles/turning on my diffuser, listening to music & reading/blogging/researching. I live for ME time.

So, books.

I get distracted pretty easily if what I’m reading isn’t interesting/entertaining to me or applicable to my life. I would imagine that y’all are the same. Once I get caught up in a book, though, I’ll often read it front-to-back without stopping ( & then re-read it ).

Extremist 4 Lyfe.

Nonfiction & autobiographies = my JAM. Anything that can help me get ahead career-wise or that can give me a new perspective on the world is a big YES PLEASE. If it can inspire me to get up off my ass or make taking over the world seem completely attainable, I will read it on repeat. Am I right?

Also, when I was in high school, I fell head-over-heels in LOVE with modern American literature. Literature sounds boring as fuck, but modern american lit isn’t exactly the same as Shakespeare, people. This genre of literature is full of completely explicit/innapprop behavior ( to say the least ), dark realness, sarcasm/irony, & curse word after curse word.

I love it. It’s so disturbingly real & I just cannot get enough.

Okay, so here are a few of my favorites reads right now ( featuring a few of my all-time favorites ):

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell theorizes about the incredible success stories of big business men, athletes, tech-stars, etc. He explains how a mega-talented human ( like Bill Gates, for example ) becomes a ‘prodigy’ through a series of well-timed, lucky situations & happenstance along with the hard-work and dedication that we usually attribute to these kinds of people. It’s really interesting to view big-time success in such a realistic way.

“Outliers are those who have been given opportunities– and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.” – Malcom Gladwell

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

My grandma gave me this book not too long ago, because she said it was a MUST for women  in the business world. When I was at the Create + Cultivate conference a few weeks ago, the badass women behind WhoWhatWear said the SAME THING. They swore up & down that this book is complete gold. It’s all about the challenges that women face getting ahead from the perspective of a biz-badass. Sheryl Sandberg has had an extremely successful career journey thus far. She is the COO of Facebook, and is worth over $500 million, so…. I’m taking her advice to heart.

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” – Sheryl Sandberg

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

Um, if you haven’t read the FOUNDER of NASTY GAL’s book, I don’t even know that we can be friends. Seriously, this book is inspiring on a whole different level. Sophia Amoruso takes us from her shoplifting/hitch-hiking days to becoming Founder/CEO of one of the largest online retailers in women’s contemporary fashion. It’s an absolutely incredible story that highlights the whole ‘start from where you are & work with what you have’ mentality. It makes overwhelming goals ( like mine ) seem a lot more attainable.

“True success lies in knowing your weaknesses and playing on your strengths.” – Sophia Amoruso

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

This is one of those modern American lit books that you probably read ( or were supposed to read… LOL ) in high school. If you didn’t read it then, READ IT. If you DID read it then, READ IT AGAIN! There is so much meaning behind these kinds of works. Slaughterhouse-Five was the very first book that truly changed my perspective on the world. Vonnegut is always pretty intense/dark and he challenges everything from religion, to love, to the idea of education. Real shit.

“But she did look back, and I love her for that because it was so human.” – Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Another Vonnegut novel, Cat’s Cradle is about the end-of-the-world, basically. I read Cat’s Cradle in high school, and it was one of those books that I couldn’t put down. It’s just so beyond interesting to me to read novels that are BEAUTIFULLY written & that mean something different to every reader. & Kurt Vonnegut is forever amazing.

“She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing.” – Kurt Vonnegut

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk is another writer that I just fucking love. He has a similar vibe to Vonnegut, writing about things that challenge human comfort & the like. It’s intense. Invisible Monsters is centered around a model who’s face is mutilated. Yeah, real shit. Palahniuk talks fear, beauty, & pain in a way that really makes sense to me, and I think its a really important point of view for everyone to consider. TBH: the ‘NO FEAR’ tattoo that I got on my wrist was inspired by Invisible Monsters. Read it… really.

This may just be my favorite book of all time.

“I need to rebel against myself. It’s the opposite of following your bliss. I need to do what I most fear.” – Chuck Palahniuk

“Don’t do what you want. Do what you don’t want. Do what you’re trained not to want. Do the things that scare you the most.” – Chuck Palahniuk

Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden

So, this is how I live my life. I question EVERYTHING that I believe, and I try to poke holes in my conclusions about the world. I spend, like, 90% of my time doing this. It’s exhausting. Paul Arden provides a unique view on human belief/patterns of belief in this short, almost coffee-table-esque book. It’s a quick read, and it’s full of little snippets of brilliance.

“If you always make the right decision, the safe decision, the one most people make, you will be the same as everyone else.” – Paul Arden

These are my most recent favorites, so I’ll share more as I read more.

Do y’all have any suggestions for me?? Lemme know!

I hope everyone had a killer Valentine’s Day! I hung out with Drogo, sipped rosé, and had a little date with one of my best girlfriends. I’ve never ‘celebrated’ Valentine’s Day with a guy…. but I still love it. Weird?

Like I’ve said a million times before, GALentine’s day is more chill/kind of my favorite thing ever. Boys make everything so much more complicated ( except Drogo… he is way cooler than a human boy, LOL ).

TTYL. x

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