Every few months or so, I write about the books that have had the most impact on me, lately. I write about them, because I love it when I discover word-gold, and the inner understanding that transforms my life through those words.
 
Every book I have ever read, has been recommended to me in some form. I very rarely take the time to explore bookshelves or the Kindle store, to find my next read. I want those recommendations to have a ripple effect out into the world, so you too, can experience your own inner understanding and ‘aha’ moments.
 
I like to read in bed mostly, or outside in the sun on the balcony, especially when I’m having a quiet, reflective day and pondering the meaning of life and the world. I use Kindle to read, because lugging the amount of books that I read around with me, is totally insane.
 
Behold, my list of the 5 latest books that have made me feel empowered, alive and vibrant. Please, enjoy them as much as I have.
 
 

 
The Art of Asking
If anyone can making asking for what you need and want, feel badass, it’s Amanda Palmer. It’s been such a long time since I have enjoyed reading a book this much, and learning, at the same time. Asking is something that we have been socially conditioned to believe is wrong, and yet, when someone asks us for help, we feel so remarkably good, and thrilled to be able to do something for someone else. Why is that? And how can giving and receiving work  Amanda explores this concept as she takes us on a punk-rock flavoured rollercoaster ride through her creative and artistic ventures. My favourite quote from the book is “When you love people, they give you everything.”
This read is perfect for every artist, creative, entrepreneur and woman, who has ever had a hard time asking for what he or she needs. I don’t do star ratings on here, but if I did, The Art of Asking would get a 10 out of 5 stars. In fact, Amanda’s ferocious belief in the generosity human beings, lead the inspiration to my Pay What You Want price for my monthly The Free-Spirited Collective membership. Get your copy from Amazon.
 
 

 
The Crossroads of Must and Should
My second favourite book in this writeup is this one by Elle Luna. The entire time I was reading it, I wanted to share quotes from her words on Instagram, and only managed to hold back out of trepidation that I would end up overwhelming everyone with enthusiasm. Elle writes about learning the difference between must: “Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest most authentic self.” And should; how most of us unconsciously imprison ourselves in the confinements of what our society and culture expects of us and tell us to do.
This book is about a gentle rebellion, and figuring out what your ‘must’ is, and then doing that, exclusively. “We each have a potential that was given to us at birth, but whether or not we cultivate it is entirely up to us. In its purest sense, Must is why we are here to begin with, and choosing it is the journey of our lives.” Get your copy from Amazon.
 
 

 
Big Magic
Every creative ever must read this book about creativity by Elizabeth Gilbert. Simply because it makes the creative process that much more understandable. I felt quite elated that many of the concepts and ideas she shares were already a part of my own personal understanding of my creative process. It’s always so nice to be assured from someone who has been commended for their outstanding work in a field that you admire. I particularly appreciated her powerful prose on making the creative process not have to have meaning, significance or to be ‘useful’, but to do it, for the sake of doing it, and trusting the process as it guides you forward. Plus, her writing style is impeccable and I adore reading Liz’s words, on almost any topic. Get your copy from Amazon.
 
 

 
Radical Self-Love
Gala Darling was my inspiration to start blogging. After shunning the internet for years, I suddenly saw it with new eyes: an uncensored platform on which to take pieces of my soul and spin them into words, for all to see. When I first discovered her, she had a voice unlike anyone else, and she was speaking my language, which at the time felt like a fucking miracle.
Her book is an adaptation of an eBook she used to sell on her website, and while I really enjoyed reading it, I did feel a little disappointed that there was no new, juicy, unexpected insights included. What was once brand new and perceptive in her writing, is now a refined recapitulate of what is now already deeply ingrained in me after spending years doing my own soul-searching. Get your copy from Amazon.
 
 

 
Clear Your Shit
I spent the first third of this book emphatically nodding my head. So much of what he writes, I have thought in my own mind. It was a wonderful feeling of confirmation that, yes, I am on the right track with how I intuitively view things and the way we can actively reshape our entire lives by clearing the past, and belief systems that hold us back from being limitless. Dane Tomas captures the essence of what it means to modify yourself down to a cellular level, in order to create the kind of life experience you know is meant for you.
Once he gets into the ‘how to’ steps however, he looses me a little. This book is excellent if you process things predominantly through your intellect. And I recommend it highly to anyone that is new to doing their inner transformational work, and don’t have $1,000’s of dollars to spend on coaches, mentors and psychologists to help them on their way. However I personally, from experimenting on myself, find that the best way to ‘clear my shit’ is to work through it on an emotional and physical level, using my own processes that I have adapted.
Overall its awesome insight into how you can totally transform your life, by doing your inner work, and I am quite proud to say that Dane is one of my manifesting experts in my course Manifest More, as well as a speaker in the July edition on The Free-Spirited Collective. Get your copy from Amazon.
 
 
Photography by Jessica Shirley.