Books to Inspire a New You in 2018
by Laura Lambert
I’m a sucker for self-help — just not of the Chicken Soup for the Soul variety, and definitely not in the weight loss section of the bookstore. It’s more about leveraging the wisdom of others to — perhaps … one hopes … — better navigate the sometimes rocky terrain of my own life.
The new year is an obvious time to go deep on these personal growth projects. Here are 10 titles for whatever “new you” you want to be in 2018, inspired by some common resolutions (with nary a diet book in sight).
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I resolve to … face my fears.
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My Friend Fear
Buy from:“Doesn’t every ache serve as a reminder to learn and grow?”
Bits and pieces of this lovingly illustrated book resonate so deeply — and will turn your understanding of fear on its head. Here, Patel shares 13 essays on the topic of fear, transforming it from the unnamed, dark, and shapeless thing that holds us back in life to a true means for understanding ourselves just a bit better — and moving forward.
(On Sale: 1/2/18)Buy from:
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I resolve to … spread happiness.
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Make Someone Happy
Buy from:It’s become far too easy to dole out smile emojis — and far harder to bring an actual smile to another human’s face. With some quick, actionable steps, Emily Coxhead helps us all with the latter. So go ahead, pay for that stranger’s cup of coffee — it’s a quick, easy way to increase the happiness quotient in these turbulent times.
(On Sale: 2/6/18)Buy from:
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I resolve to … meditate more (or at all).
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Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
Buy from:You’d think, with all the purported benefits of meditation — lower blood pressure, less depression and anxiety, better sleep, slowed memory loss — that we’d all be sitting silently twice a day with our mantras. But we’re not — and author Dan Harris set off on a cross-country tour with meditation instructor Jeff Warren to find out why.
Harris — a known quantity from his previous book, app, and podcast, 10% Happier — has a light, self-deprecating tone that makes meditation accessible to people whose “minds have a mind of their own,” as one reviewer put it. If the notion of sitting still makes your mind race, Dan Harris is the unlikely meditation guru you didn’t know you needed.
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I resolve to … be more creative.
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Things Are What You Make of Them
Buy from:For anyone who has stared too long at the blank page/screen/canvas, there is hope — and it comes in the pages of Things Are What You Make of Them. The creative life is rife with self-doubt, stagnation, and rejection on the one hand, and fulfillment, flow, and breakthroughs on the other — and this book is meant to help artists and makers of all kinds navigate the inevitable see-saw. There are 12 color-coded sections, with deceptively simple “how-to” titles and hand-lettered illustrations that ring all-too-true.
For those who love Kurtz’s little nudges of encouragement, the 2018 Unsolicited Advice planner and the 1 Page at a Time daily creative journal make for nice companions.
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I resolve to … write more.
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Light the Dark
Buy from:Another take on inspiring the creative life, this time with wit and wisdom from 46 inspiring, diverse authors — Elizabeth Gilbert to Karl Ove Knausgaard and many, many places in between. It’s a good reminder of why writers like writers — and a gentle kick to get to it.
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I resolve to … be a better communicator.
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Tell Me More: Stories About The 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say
Buy from:I often struggle with how I can better downshift from surface-level chit-chat to meaningful connection. Author Kelly Corrigan — aptly called “the poet laureate of the ordinary” — has distilled her experience of deepening the conversation into 12 deceptively simple phrases, from “yes” and “no” to “it’s like this” and “I was wrong.” Those who like their self-help wrapped in memoir will particularly enjoy this title, which earns praise from the likes of Glennon Doyle and Lena Dunham.
(On Sale: 1/9/18)Buy from:
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I resolve to … get healthy — for real.
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The Healing Self: A Revolutionary New Plan to Supercharge Your Immunity and Stay Well for Life
Buy from:So, yes, there’s a jar of kefir grains doing their thing in my cupboard, right next to the ACV — and fresh kefir in my fridge, near the probiotics and kombucha. But in the grand scheme of improving my health, that’s child’s play. In The Healing Self, Deepak Chopra and Rudolph Tanzi take the notion of true health to the next level — it’s about tackling the two-headed beast that is chronic stress and inflammation, before they lead to debilitating diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Through a mix of diet, exercise, rest, and positive relations, the two men teach us how to tap into the body’s own incredible healing system.
(On Sale: 1/30/18)Buy from:
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I resolve to … find love.
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Love Rules: How to Find a Real Relationship in a Digital World
Buy from:I haven’t dated since the ‘90s, so this title isn’t for me, per se. But I’ve been on the receiving end over countless cocktails of the endless heartache that is Tinder, Bumble, and swiping this way and that. Modern dating is a pretty wretched thing — and here, Joanna Coles, editrix-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, offers 15 rules to guide you through. Amidst all the food metaphors — junk food and junk love, slow food to slow love — is a nice IRL answer to the havoc of digital dating.
(On Sale: 4/10/18)Buy from:
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I resolve to … get hygge with it.
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The Hygge Life
Buy from:Key word: cozy. The Danish practice of hygge is about crackling fires, wool blankets, mugs of tea, soft lighting, and plenty of pillows — and the lifestyle and food that go with it. This book is your guide. And despite the 80-degree December days in Los Angeles, even I can embrace the overall sense of comfort, inviting rooms, and lack of pretension.
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I resolve to … find balance.
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Live Lagom
Buy from:Where there is balance, there is moderation. And where there is moderation, there is the Swedish philosophy of lagom — which translates to “just the right amount.” It’s a worthy answer to our culture of excess (and also its opposite). Yes, it’s another notch on the bedpost of “how the Scandinavians do it better,” but I’m happy to adopt new, more moderate habits in the realm of health, happiness, what to eat, and what to wear.
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What are your resolutions for 2018? Share with us in the comments below.