Happy New Year and welcome to the 2020s. As much as I like the holiday season, I love the promise of a new year and fresh beginnings even more. I don’t make resolutions, but I like to take the time to think about how I can make changes to better embrace the possibilities of the next 12 months.
In what has become a bit of a tradition here at Take 5, my first blog post of the year focuses on getting help with meeting our personal goals. Today I recommend five audiobooks that guide us on our journey to create a more fulfilling and calmer life in the year to come.
Once the holiday decorations have been put away and the last crumbs of indulgent meals have been cleaned up, you may be seeking some at-home quiet time to de-stress and regroup. Queue up Laura Weir’s COSY: The British Art of Comfort and get ready to learn about the fine art of making tea, relaxing in the perfect comfy clothes, and creating a personal space that will nurture body and soul. Narrator Michelle Ford’s British accent and easygoing delivery are a nice match for the author’s vision of how to set up an unpretentious comfort zone to fit almost any home and lifestyle.
Do you ever have that feeling that time is moving too quickly? How is it that we’re already at the start of a new year? Author/narrator Meik Wiking’s newest audiobook, THE ART OF MAKING MEMORIES: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments, offers tips not just for learning to recognize and savor special moments but also for developing the skills to generate such moments ourselves. He goes on provide advice on how to turn those experiences into lasting memories, which ultimately boost our happiness and strengthen our connections to the people and world around us.
I love to explore but had no idea there was a term to describe “mindful wandering.” Enter THE ART OF FLANEURING by Erika Owen, which explains the origins of the word flaneuring and how the practice of strolling can satisfy our desire to discover new things and build links to physical environment. This audiobook gives us tips on how to safely flaneur through city and country, whether via foot, bicycle, or car. Owen even has ideas for those of us who are housebound, making the joys of wandering available to everyone. As our reviewer says, narrator Andi Arndt’s enthusiasm is contagious.
As you return to work after a few days off, you may feel the tension of trying to balance work, life, and family returning as well. In BURNOUT: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by authors/narrators Emily Nagoski and Ameila Nagoksi, you’ll learn why so many women find themselves almost continually exhausted, frustrated, and on edge. But unlike other self-help audiobooks, this one details specific, doable actions that will stop stress in its tracks so we can nurture healthier, stronger, and more peaceful minds and bodies. Don’t forget to download the accompanying PDF when you start to listen to the Nagoski sisters.
If you find it difficult to balance your Christian perspective with fostering deep friendships, put ALL MY FRIENDS HAVE ISSUES: Building Remarkable Relationships with Imperfect People (Like Me), written and read by Amanda Anderson, on your audiobook wish list. Anderson, a motivational speaker, encourages listeners to rely on scriptures and prayer to create personal connections that are based on authenticity and accountability. She uses stories and solid advice to illustrate how to distinguish between potential friends who have all-to-human imperfections and those who may be more toxic to your Christian beliefs. This audiobook comes with a downloadable listeners’ guide.
Here’s wishing you a happy, healthy, and audiobook-filled 2020.
