Iced Mint Tea

I’ve only recently gotten back into the habit of reading, and it feels OH SO GOOD. But gone are the days of fiction – it’s hard to connect somehow. Instead, I indulge in self-help books (no surprise here). If you only have that little time, I highly recommend these two timeless titles which I devoured from cover to cover.

The Book of Joy

By Douglas Abrams, with Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu

It’s a heavy topic, the search for “joy” but Douglas Abrams managed to capture the dialogue between the two spiritual men in such a down-to-earth, light-hearted manner. While repetitive at times, it’s unanimous between the two that joy (different from happiness by the way) exists when you stop obsessing over yourself and start looking at the world with a wider lens.

More details on Amazon.com.

Big Magic

By Elizabeth Gilbert

I loved Elizabeth Gilbert’s easy, self-deprecating style in Eat Pray Love (who doesn’t)? So I was glad that the same voice was applied to her latest book Big Magic. The book is about creative living, and how everyone is deserving and capable of dabbling in pursuits such as writing, dance, music, figure-skating, whatever you can think of!

I ADORE how Gilbert refers to creativity as an external “spirit” that seeks a person to bring an idea to life. I also appreciate how she has her feet on the ground at all times. Don’t think of your art as a means of income – at least not at the start. The pressure will crush you. 100% agreed. Even if you do not think of yourself as creative person in the conventional sense, this book will probably surface some of your wild childhood aspirations. 🙂

Available on Amazon and other major bookstores.