Writing and reading save my life on a daily basis, and I can’t help but share some of my favorites with you. These writers, bloggers, researchers, and creatives all write from the heart and discover things I simply refuse to live without. I recommend them because these folks are honest in their works, act with integrity, and call me to a higher way of living.
My Favorite Books
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Take This Bread by Sara Miles
Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans
The Gifts of Imperfection by Dr. Brene Brown
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Bittersweet by Shauna Nietquist
Carry on Warrior by Glennon Melton
Breathing Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
My Favorite Blogs
Dr. Brene Brown has changed millions of lives with her groundbreaking work on vulnerability and shame resilience. Her work will challenge and inspire you. Read The Gifts of Imperfection first as that’s a great introduction to Brown’s work and then dive into the rest.
Dr. Kristin Neff’s seminal work on the benefits of a self-compassion practice will help ease worries and cultivate kindness towards yourself. Dr. Neff is a clinical psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, and her guided meditations on self-compassion are pure gold. I highly recommend utilizing her meditations before bed if you struggle with insomnia.
Richard Rohr is a Catholic priest and mystic who works in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Center for Action and Contemplation. His writings center on experiencing the love of God in the midst of life and working towards radical action to alleviate suffering, especially to the socially marginalized. Admired by religious and non-religious folks, Rohr’s work is shaping spiritual thought and action to create a more just and loving world. Visit his website for free meditations and more.
Center for Action and Contemplation
Sarah hails from Western Canada and her writing is poetic, timely, and progressive. A practicing charismatic Christian, Sarah is downright liberal in views, celebrating the LGBTQ community in the church, working for social justice in the world, and she somehow manages to raise kids in all this.
Jenny Lawson struggles with severe depression and anxiety, has avoidant personality disorder, and is laugh-out-loud funny. I recommend her to all my counseling clients who need a good reminder that having depression isn’t the end of the world and increases one’s ability to see the strange and funny parts of life.
Glennon Melton is a recovering alcoholic/drug addict/bulimic who serves the world through her writing, filled with wit and pathos, and her non-profit agency Together Rising. A wonderful woman, Glennon speaks on living with mental illness and the need for social justice in our world.
Mental Health Resources
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
(Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash)