Evaluating your life now. Turn it into a day. Sounds ominous and pretty heavy for a Tuesday, but it’s a kick start on those New Year’s Resolutions. It’s nothing to worry about really; it’s just a day to take the opportunity to reflect one’s life. Simple. We are constantly on the go and accomplishing so many things, that we rarely take the time to breathe and to see if we are leading the life that we wish to have. A good way to start is to look at areas in your life to evaluate: Finances, School and Job Performance, Clothes, relationships, and other areas that you want to look at.
Yet, for me, evaluating my life can sometimes bring me down. Especially if I feel I didn’t accomplish all that I wanted to do; so I seek inspiration from none other than books. Books that help in giving me a different perspective on life and the understanding that life isn’t perfect, but that getting up and trying is the greatest thing we can do for ourselves. It’s a challenge that I love to do every day. So here are some of the books that I have read that really helped me jump start evaluate my life:
Brunette Ambition and You First: Journal Your Way to Your Best Life by Lea Michele
I absolutely LOVE Lea Michele. Ever since I first watched that pilot of Glee, I have been a fan of hers and when I heard she was releasing a book I jumped at the chance to read it. Brunette Ambition is at its best an auto biography, but it offers helpful advice on how to balance a busy schedule and maintain a healthy lifestyle in your life. Michele continues with a journal that walks the reader through exercises and advice for readers like me to reach my overall goals in life; a perfect read for Evaluate Your Life Day.
Positive: A Memoir by Paige Rawl
There are days when you read or in this case listen to a book that will change your life; in this case that would be Paige Rawls’ story. Paige has HIV. She has to take medication every day for the rest of her life, as well as, deal with the negative misconceptions and stigmatism from people who are blissfully ignorant about the virus. Rawl’s resilience in the face of bullying and the turbulent years of middle school will resonate with young adults who seek to be accepted and understood. Her story can help in evaluating what is really important in life and who are your true friends.
I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb
If you haven’t heard about Malala, you will now. Malala’s story is that of a remarkable one. On October 9, 2012, Malala a 15 year advocate for girls’ education was targeted and shot a close range while on a bus ride home from school. Few expected her to live, but she miraculously recovered and has proven to be a prominent and permanent symbol for girls’ education. Her memoir details her journey and those involved in the fight for girls education in Pakistan. Her book gives the reader a different perspective of the varying hurdles people face. When your evaluate your life, look at the different ways that it can affect your life for good and the bad; looking at it for what it is can help in moving forward and reaching your new goal in life.