Six Poolside Picks

Today as we launch into week seven of our shelter-in-place situation,

I'm reflecting on how it'll feel to come out of our Covid-19 cocoons,

to show up again, to connect again, to trust again.

It has been a new challenge to press pause and build the capacity to do nothing but notice, rest, pray, eat, exercise, weed, watch and wonder, all the while keenly aware of all of the suffering in our world right now.

I've also been reading and writing and learning. A lot.

Here's a shot of my last six poolside picks.

Let's go from the bottom up, with the one I'll start today, Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett. I ordered it as I was listening to him on Brené Brown's podcast, Unlocking Us, a few weeks back. So good.

Here's a great review that also makes me eager to dive in;

I feel like it's going to perfectly punctuate what we

as school counselors get to encourage every day.

Barbara Bray's Define Your Why also complements our work

in helping people find their purpose and pursue their passion.

As Barbara was collecting quotes for her book, she reached out

to ask me about my purpose; you can find my answer on page 186-187. Listen to her podcast {here}; our empathy episode is #82. Her book is filled with so many of my favorite things: passion, purpose, empathy, gratitude, hope, strength and more.

On my last plane ride, I tackled and really connected with this one,

Solve Employee Problems Before They Start by Scott Warrick.

All about empathy, communication, emotional intelligence and trust, it's filled with real-life examples, questions, reflections, and food for thought, to teach proactive conflict resolution, not only at work, but in life.

This Gratitude With Attitude journal is perfect for such a time as this, since we might have extra time on our hands right now

and we know that gratitude has so many therapeutic benefits.

The Forward was written by Marianne Richmond, whose sweet stories I love; check out this sneak peek at what its pages offer.

I wonder what today's tiny victory will be;

what fun to not only to write the whole book,

but also to read once its pages are completely filled in.

This would be the perfect gift for your graduate, for sure.

It also reminds me that Teacher Appreciation Week is upon us;

here's how Calder Elementary in Dickinson is planning to virtually celebrate their superhero staff.

In my podcast with Barbara Bray, I touch on my recovery from my 2013 trauma of being hit by a drunk driver, so you can imagine my interest in this insightful newcomer from Ilene Smith.

A beautiful complement to The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk, one that I'm actually listening to on Audible, this roadmap coaches us through our anxieties and concerns using stories and assessments to help us know not only who we are and what we need, but also how our nervous system manages our pain to make sense of our trauma. The author's body-based work also brings us to calm and change by taking us beyond talk therapy to understand the powerful mind-body connection. Oh, and here's a fun deal: The Kindle version will be on sale for $.99 during the week of May 4th.

And speaking of trauma, this timely memoir by Mary Odgers

will take your breath away even as it breathes hope into you.

Mary's life has so much promise and it seems to has the world

in the palm of her hand. Until tragedy hits, that is. Through one loss after another, she's forced to bury six of the people who were her world. And though it might feel like the end of the world, Mary grieves her goodbyes with grit and grace and ultimately adapts to and embraces her loss as an opportunity to reinvent herself and start again. Check out this book if you want a firsthand look at resilience and strength.

What have you been reading that we shouldn't miss?