5 Books I adore, and that offered my new perspectives

Reading books isn’t something I started at an early age. I began this journey quite late, in my first year of university. I always liked the idea, but I never found a book that started this passion until then. Not being an avid reader was a source of frustration for me in many ways. It made me feel insecure. I wasn’t writing or speaking correctly, and I was limited in general knowledge.

Luckily for me, the Universe got in my way an extraordinary human being who was to become one of my best friends in college. At the beginning of our friendship, she offered me a book (I don’t remember the name). I was so fascinated by what was written in that book that I read it breathlessly.

Fifteen years have passed since then, and now I’m proud to say that I have read a little library until now. It is not much but is an ongoing process. I could spend days in a row reading books and still not quenching my thirst for knowledge. Reading is something I got to love and appreciate along the way while discovering myself and shaping my beliefs.

I had moments when I felt how the perspective I was weaving a particular situation changed in a second. It was like my mind suddenly discovered a new window that I was not even aware of until then.

To experience such moments is magical and mind-blowing at the same time. I feel blessed to have lived such moments. I will always be grateful to my friend Alexandra, that gave me the key to this incredible kingdom.

 

About the books

I like to know and understand everything. So I don’t have a favourite gender. I read books about neuroscience, self-discovery, history, poetry, novels, SF, business, psychology, fairy tales. You name it. Every book I read is now part of me. They shaped the way I see life, understand myself, relate to others or comprehend the Universe.

Below, I will share five self-development books from different fields: well-being, business, psychology, coaching, and neuroplasticity. That gave me new perspectives through which I’m now looking at my mind, soul, and relationships. In another post, I will address other books from different areas that also strongly influenced me. Until then, check out these five inspiring books. If you like a particular book, I inserted a direct link from where you can purchase every book.

legal disclaimer

 

 

Heal your wounds and find your true self
by Lise Bourbeau

Heal your wounds and find your true self is a little book that has the power of a giant. I believe my journey to compassion for every human being, including myself, really started with this book. Even if we look different, we can see that we are all suffering in our way. If we know how to look through different lenses and from different perspectives, we can connect to those around us and be more understanding and gentle with one another.

We are all pieces of history, lives of happiness, suffering and wounds engraved in little cells. Every one of us has in the DNA parts of her or his mother and father, which have their parents with their own sets of experiences and emotions engraved in their DNA. We are now the result of our ancestors, our parents and our own experiences and feelings. The things that we blame and condemn ourselves are part of this journey. We want to start seeing it from this perspective and start treating ourselves with compassion and love.

We often make the mistake of seeing only the outcome, I’m insecure, I am afraid, I am fat, and we don’t go down the spiral and see what lies behind all of this. Where has this process started? How it evolved, and if we need to live with all this blame and guilt. The truth is that we can act differently and heal ourselves from all these wounds. I believe courage also comes from the knowledge we are open enough to receive it. 

 

Book heal your wounds and find your true

 

Think and grow rich
by Napoleon Hill

This book was mind-blowing for me. For the first time in my life, I found out that many of the people who created gigantic businesses were applying notions like meditation, energies, visualisation, the law of attraction, etc. This made me understand that life is not divided into physical and spiritual, business and art, mind and soul. These aspects that seem so opposed are blending into each other, creating a single complex shape.

I recommend Think and grow rich to everyone who wants to look into some very popular and rich people’s minds. They shared with Napoleon Hill their mistakes, values and achievements. It is a wonderful book that can inspire and motivate us to start experiencing different approaches to the trials we go through each day.

Book Think and grow rich

 

Nonviolent Communication
by Marshall B. Rosenberg

I spoke about this book many times, and I still feel the need to recommend it. I can’t stress enough how important this book is for our well being. Through speaking, we communicate on this planet through words that have different backgrounds, both energetically and historically. Some have thousands of years of evolution, while others are new. Some have even different meanings and understandings. Depending on the energy and the intentions behind them, words can hurt us deeply or lift us instantly. Understanding simple mechanisms like this can bring tremendous transformations in the way we communicate with others and ourselves.

Marshall B. Rosenberg explains in Nonviolent Communication why we don’t get along with each other and how to communicate to be heard and understood. We can’t be all experts in communication. But we definitely can understand why words hurt us so badly and how we can shift our feelings. In my perspective, this book should be read by every human being on this planet.

Book Nonviolent-Communications 

 

The Miracle Morning 
by HAL ELROD

I never was a morning person. All my life, I hated waking up in the morning. At one point, I also hated the morning people because, in my mind, they made me feel lazy. What I love the most at late night hours is the silence and the clarity of the mind. You know everything that happened throughout the day, and you know what your next steps should be. 

Still, a part of the work I do with myself is experiencing new things and things I’ve always rejected. Among the rejected ones is waking up early. This is the only book that I had read about this subject, and it was the perfect one. In September 2019, I started an experiment. I began waking up at 05:00 in the morning, every day. 

 

 

The experience was priceless. I learned so many things and discovered a new kind of silence and clarity. Utterly different from the one in the night but equally addictive. Now I’m in the process of balancing both of them, late-night hours and waking up early. Currently, I wake up around 07:00, but I miss 05:00 every single day. I managed to wake up at 05:00 for five months in a row. My target was one year. I failed, but I’m thinking to start all over again.

The Miracle Morning is a perfect book if you intend to make changes in your life. Also, it guides you through creating a system that you can apply to anything you wish to improve. After I began waking up in the morning, I started this blog a few months later. I made everything by myself, without knowing anything about building sites and while caring for a newborn baby. So I can say this book did its job pretty well. 

Book Miracle Morning

 

Scattered Minds
by Gabor Mate

Scattered Minds is among the last books I read. This book gave me so much clarity regarding aspects like childhood traumas, parenting, blame, shame, fear, our society today, ourselves in this society, and more. The book addresses the subject of ADHD. But I would not be too fast in detaching myself from the book if you think that – you are not in this boat. 

If you decide to try and read it, I would be happily surprised if you didn’t find yourself in it at least once. You may also say that what is in the past is in the past so why dig it up. If you have even one thing in your life that is not working, your answer is 100% in your childhood. If you are reading this article, I believe you already agree that everything is here and now. Your past is here through you, so you can’t ignore it. You want to understand it and own it so it won’t hold you.

In this book, you will find incredible resources that will give you new perspectives from which to view your childhood, past, present, traumas, or your parents. If you are already a parent, this book can be incredibly inspiring and resourceful. See also this interview with Gabor Mate in which he speaks about the subject in detail.

Book Scattered Minds

 

Final words

Books are paths, doors or stairs to our inner worlds. Books can be our guides and sources of inspiration. The book Autobiography of a Yogi so inspired Steve Jobs by Paramahansa Yogananda that he offered this book to all his friends. “It transformed many of my friends and me.” 

Walter Isaacson, the author of the book Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, writes, “Autobiography of a Yogi was the one book that Steve Jobs had downloaded on his iPad… the guide to meditation and spirituality that he had first read as a teenager… then re-read in India and had read once a year ever since.”

Another example of a well-known man who got his inspiration from books is Elon Musk. The science fiction series Foundation created by scientist and author Isaac Asimov had a tremendous impact on Elon Musk’s vision in creating SpaceX and Tesla.

Have you read any of the books presented above? If yes, what is your opinion? Also, do you have a book that inspired you? I would love to discover your story and find new inspiring books and authors. Share your thoughts below.

 

Love yourself,

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How can Mushrooms Save Our Planet

Mushrooms are saving our world. Yes, you read it correctly. This incredible fungus is working for our well-being while we are living our busy lives.

We all know what mushrooms are and how they look like, or we think we know because mushrooms are much more than you ever imagined. For example, did you know that fungi have their kingdom in the tree of life? Separated from plants and animals? Or that mycelium can be grown in different shapes and replace plastic? If not, don’t worry. We will dive into these topics below.

Mushroom structure

 

Ways Mycelium Fungus Helps the Planet and Us

Microbiologist Paul Stamets spoke about mycelium as being “Earth’s natural internet” at a TED talk in 2008. Mycelium is a tubular thread of cells that spreads through the underground and connects the roots of plants. 

The fungal networks boost their host plants’ immune systems. When a fungus colonies the roots of a plant, it triggers the production of defence-related chemicals. These make later immune system responses quicker and more efficient, a phenomenon called priming. 

mushroom

When connected to mycelium networks, plants can send signals to one another and help each other grow and thrive, making the plants more resistant to the disease.

 

 

Even though mycelium is connected to plants, it seems like we have more things in common with them than mushrooms have with plants. Paul Stamets says that they also discovered five mushroom strains that are highly active against a range of flu viruses.

did you know 1

Mushrooms get their nutrition from breaking non-living organic matter like dead plants, animals and even petroleum. Yes, petroleum. In Paul Stamets presentation, we can see how fungi are feasting on the oil from a piece of land. After a few weeks, the soil was cleansed, and mushrooms and plants begin to grow.

Besides these superpowers, we can use mushrooms to fight insects, smallpox, depression and even flu viruses. Also, Paul invented The Life Box, a type of cardboard box filled with fungi and hundreds of tree seeds that can grow easily. 

 

Replacing Plastic With Mushrooms 

Eben Bayer discovered a fungus-based packaging material that can help protect the environment. How? By replacing styrofoam used in packing stuff like refrigerators, plasma screens, speakers with packaging made of mushrooms. Basically, what they did was take the mycelium, mix it with hemp hurds, and grow for four days in different shapes.

did you know 2

If you are interested in seeing how their products look like, you can look at their online store Mushroom Packaging.

Since I saw his TED talk six years ago, one of my dreams was to create my products and pack them in this 100% home-compostable packaging made of mushrooms. I feel this dream is more near than I ever imagined.

 

Burial Suit 

Death is a word that makes most of us feeling chills on the back. I know this subject is never on our developing skills list. And I also know that death is part of life. The earlier we prepare for it, the better chances we have to experience a smooth transition.

In my searches for understanding the process of dying, I discovered this incredible burial mushroom suit. This costume can make your body decompose in an environment-friendly manner using fungus decomposition. Pretty nice now? 

Jae Rhim Lee is a visual artist and mushroom lover who invented a special burial suit seeded with pollution-gobbling mushrooms.

I aspire to promote acceptance of and personal engagement with death and decomposition.
As a result, we will have a cleaner, greener Earth, even after death.
Jae Rhim Lee

I imagined myself in this costume, and the picture was way prettier than the one with fire or worms. As you can imagine, I consider this option for my final act on this planet.

Now, being more serious, our bodies are our vehicle in this world. I think it is a form of respect for ourselves and the planet, caring for it until it will no longer exist. 

did you know 3

 

 

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, the fungi kingdom has much more to offer to us than we discovered so far. They are an incredibly powerful living been that dares to impress and surprise us always.

I’m a sincere believer in the power of the ecosystem. We can all help and learn from one another. Imagine how this planet would look like if we allow ourselves to learn from every living being and every colony on earth. It would also look like if we were applying the same rules that apply in natural ecosystems.

mushroom

I think we can find most of the solutions to our problems and diseases in nature. We only lack the people willing to search in that direction.

Bottom line, I think that we just began discovering the benefits of this incredible living being. The fungus is the oldest living mechanism on our planet, and I tend to imagine that they will live long after we are gone. Why not learn more from them?

Let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts about this subject.

 

mushrooms

 

Remember to love yourself.

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London Real, five inspiring interviews

I discovered London Real some years ago when I moved to Denmark and had some time to focus on myself and my development.

London Real started as a podcast in 2011 and developed into a series of filmed interviews, short movies, and a personal mentorship Academy.

 

We believe that spending time watching or listening to inspiring people opens your mind and stimulates new ideas. We also believe in the power of personal mentorship to transform the individual

 

Brian Rose, an ex-banker on Wall Street, is the founder and interviewer. The topics he addresses are diverse, from business to psychedelic, cryptocurrency, fitness, or health. Among the people he interviewed are Robert Kiyosaki, Dorian Yates, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Wim Hof, Mo Gawdat, and Dennis McKenna.

I think it is crucial to be curious, have an open mind, and continuously learn new things. Too often, we walk the same path and limiting ourselves instead of exploring new viewpoints.

In this post, I will share with you five visions from different fields – biology, medicine, spirituality, sports, and psychology that broadened my perspective and empowered me.

 

GABOR MATE – CHILDHOOD TRAUMA CREATES ADDICTION

Our childhood holds a significant part in our development. We form our roots and perception of the world in infancy. This period of our life holds the key to many of our adult problems. So if you struggle with anything, start looking at your childhood to discover the real cause and work with it.

Gabor Mate is a renowned speaker, physician, and bestselling author who specialised in trauma. In this video, he explains how the events from childhood are shaping our reactions to the situations we face as adults.

We all have traumatising childhoods, even if we had loving parents or not. It is a process of life. For this reason, we need to take into consideration reviewing our pasts and start healing the moments that impacted us. 

From my point of view, teaching kids how to deal with stressful events is vital. We can not be there for them all the time, but we definitely can teach them how to lift themselves when we are not close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojq-U13726E

 

BRUCE LIPTON –  BIOLOGY OF BELIEF

I suppose at one point in your life, you heard something about the influence of genes on health. Therefore, the statement that we have a high chance of developing the same medical problems as our parents.

However, recent studies have shown that this information might not bee so true. Bruce Lipton, an American biologist, explains in this interview his discovery in the field of Epigenetics. 

Our beliefs control our biology rather than DNA and inheritance

It seems that we are not the victims of our genes. In fact, we can work with them and transform our lives. We have the power to change our condition. It is a compelling claim, and I think it invites experimentation rather than blind belief. 

I started some years ago to change my perception and beliefs about things like health, relationships, money, life. After a while, I started seeing changes in the physical world that led me to a more balanced and joyful life.

It is a tough process to change beliefs and systems deeply implemented within ourselves. It’s like taking your tooth out slowly without anaesthetic. But once it is released, you feel easier and at peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCG1zj3mxOw

 

IDO PORTAL – MOVE OR DIE

I’ve always been an active person, and movement has been a part of my life since forever. But I never liked lifting weights at the gym. I think our bodies have the perfect weight to work with, and there is no need for extra weight. Also, a body with high mobility lets the energy flow. Therefore, it helps us be healthier. 

Ido has developed a new technique that combines different kinds of movements. The practice is intuitive for the body and involves the use of all your muscle. The vision and passion behind his story are impressive. I love his determination and power to express his point of view.

Look at this interview if you feel that you’ve lost your focus and need some empowering energy. Or you want to get familiar with a new kind of practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv3Y4JdgpUA&t=66s

 

SADHGURU  – THE POWER OF INNER ENGINEERING

What I like about Sadhguru is his unique way of explaining complicated subjects in a logical and down to earth manner. To clarify, he speaks about ego, food, lifestyle, or suffering from a different point of view. One that is rational has meaning, and that empowers.

If you use your mind as a memory bank, the past will repeat itself in cycles. If your mind becomes pure attention, you will know everything that is worth knowing

 

I believe we all need new ways of understanding how to address our spiritual life. It is a part of us that needs our full attention and dedication if we want to live a joyful and meaningful life. If you are sceptical, just give it a try and see what you can extract from this discussion. 

Fear, anger, resentment, and stress are poisons you create in your mind. If you take charge of your mind, you can create a chemistry of blissfulness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNh7yczflQE

DR ROSALIND WATTS – PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE: HOW DMT & LSD TREAT ADDICTION & ANXIETY

 

Psychedelic medicine is just starting to open her wings again. This field was denigrated for many years because of the lack of understanding. Fortunately, now is coming back, and we can begin to heal ourselves naturally and consciously. 

Dr. Rosalind Watts presents in this interview on London Real how this medicine works, how people react to it, and how long the results are lasting. 

Now you may think, why would I need this information? I don’t suffer from depression, and I don’t know anybody who is in this condition. However, ask yourself these questions:

Do I feel joy in my heart? Is my mind at peace? Do I struggle to survive? Do I feel complete and connected? Or rather tired, disconnected, and alone? 

For every one of these questions, you can find the real answer trough Psychedelic Medicine.

Psilocybin has the power, if you let them, to be your guide in the journey of self-healing and self-discovery. They carry with them the wisdom and the magic of our planet. In one session, mushrooms are displaying all of this information in front of you so you can heal yourself and reconnect with yourself and all around you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntLGVw0j-zI

 

Expanding my knowledge and challenging myself to shift my perspectives had a tremendous impact on my life. It freed me from some of the limitations I had, opened a new chapter in my life, and led me to this beautiful life I live now.

Be open-minded, start crossing the boundaries of your own beliefs and see what happens. I sincerely encourage you to do it.

If you found other interviews on London Real that you liked, share them with us in the comment box below. We will love to see what inspired you.

 

Hugs

semnatura