The Space Between

                 The space between our ears is radically effected by what we take via our auditory and optical nerves. I can't say that I do a great job at managing what my brain is exposed to, but I do my best.

My first love, outside of music, is reading.  In high school I would ask my English teachers for book suggestions outside of our required reading.  It was at that time I found myself stumbling down the rabbit hole of reading great literary works and I have never looked back. I remember reading books like: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, The Cather in the Rye by J.D Salinger and The Blue Eye by Toni Morrison. Unfortunately this combination lead my young mind to a very dark place, which took some time to recover from. The book I loved the most from this era of my life was One Hundred Years of  Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The book encapsulates everything I love: history, Latin America, love, and poetic writing.




Although I can't say I have read any great literary works this past year. I did read a couple of self improvement books that I would recommend.  Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat- Zinn.

I love that this book is a quick, easy read that reiterates the importance and value of living in the present moment. The book explores the inordinate amount of stress we bring upon ourselves by over analyzing what has yet to come or what has come to pass. I also love how he offers beneficial examples throughout the book for how to live a more peaceful life.









The other book I really enjoyed was Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown.  I was inspired to read this book after watching her TED Talk (see below).  Although I have always embraced my imperfections, I really enjoyed reading and gaining a better understanding of those that do struggle with being comfortable in their own skin.

This year, inspired partly by my husband's recent reading quest, I have reignited my own love of read.  I started the year with Seeing, a great book by the noble prize winner Jose Saramargo. 

In an effort to continue my reading streak I have created a list of what I hope to read in 2014. It's a mix
of great literary works, books on self improvement, historical lit., and spiritual growth. Below is my list:

• Present Perfect by Gregory Boyd “Don’t try to feel his presence. In fact, don’t try to do anything at all. Simply be mindful of the fact that you are, in this present moment, submerged in the ocean of God’s perfect love… Stop reading for a second and just breathe in God’s presence as you take your next couple breaths. Then, as you continue to read, see how often you can remind yourself of that fact.” Greg Boyd is one of my favorite Christian authors.  I have never had a strong prayer life but the services below have inspired me to recommit myself to a active prayer life. God needs Prayer , Honest to God and Imagining Prayer. This final service is what lead me to want to read "Perfect Present". If you're wondering how I find time to listen to all these podcast. The majority of my listening occurs will I am exercising on the biking.

• A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines by Janna Levin
• The Practicing Mind; Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life by Thomas M. Sterner
• The Book of Sand and Shakespeare's Memory by Jorge Luis Borges
• Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America's fight over World War II, 1939- 1941 by Lynne Olson
• Resilience: Why Thing's Bounce Back by Andrew Zolli
• The Language of Mathematics: Making the Invisible Visible by Keith Devlin   
• Mr. Worry By Rodger Hargreaves (A Christmas gift form my husband. Fun, quick, & thought provoking.)
• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (Inspired by my husband who has repeated referenced this book in various conversations.)

Wishing you all the best in the New Year!

Onwards and Upwards, T