Being kind with ourselves

Happy (belated) World Book Day - March 7th in the UK & Ireland gave us the first chance of the year to celebrate the magic of books, with the global date of April 23rd still coming up!

Growing up, the books of Astrid Lindgren, Paul Maar’s “Das Sams” books series, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen’s collection of stories and folktales as well as the early books of Heike and Wolfgang Holbein opened new and imaginary worlds for me. They helped to shape my ideas and perspectives on life, human interaction, the natural world, and the power of storytelling. Language and stories shape our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us. They help us to develop our individual identity, throughout life, how we view wider society and our relation to it.

It may come as no surprise to some, that my favorite fairy tale is still to this day the story of the little ugly duckling, maybe because it resonated most with my frequent feelings of “not fitting in” and the whole range of emotions one could experience growing up. Rethinking and retelling myself some of these stories certainly lightened my twice daily walks to/from elementary school, followed later by the twice daily school bus ride to K?nigstein and back (and no, I don’t like being in confined spaces).

So now, without further ado – here comes today’s selection of books on aspects of life, and the human experience:

“IKIGAI” – about finding and redefining purpose in life, how to understand and related to others and their choices, and on following our individual passions.

“Make Your Bed” – how small things can amount to little feelings of victory and achievement throughout the day; the importance of the people we travel with through our different stages of life, and if you’ve ever wondered what a human shaped sugar cookie is doing on a windy beach…

“The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down” – on mindfulness, relationships, love, spirituality, and the importance of rest.

“Fragile Power” – why money and material possessions are never enough to fill emotional, relational, spiritual, and other voids which are an important and inevitable part of our human experience.

“Why Love Matters” – on the importance and influence of loving relationships and interaction in early life, and how they contribute to shaping our emotional and physical health in later years.

“Gesund durch Meditation” – I much prefer the German title of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s introduction to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction to the English “Full Catastrophe Living”. On healing, coping with life’s challenges, pain, loss, external stressors, and how small moments of quietness and self-centering can help us in everyday life, and contribute to continuously reshaping our brains.

“The Art of Loving” – Erich Fromm’s classic on our search and need for love as individuals and society, how to develop and practice it for a more balanced, happier, and more fulfilled life.

“Die Neurobiologie des Glücks” – written for practitioners in the medical professions, it contains insights into our body-brain connection and reciprocal interaction; how healing, motivation, rewards, and states of flow can help us all take better care of ourselves and each other.

“The Confidence Code” – the importance of early challenges, practicing sports and how our approach to dealing with societal norms can help girls grow into women who have built up resilience, confidence, self-acceptance, and healthier relationships with self-doubt.

“The Body keeps the Score” – on understanding how our bodies and minds are connected, how experiences throughout life influence our physiology, sub- and often unconscious behaviors, and how various forms of therapy can help us in our healing and life’s happiness journey.

Next up: possibly a selection of books on the power of context, timing, and perspectives, including the wider animal world.