To Read - Spring 2020 + Winter 2020 Update

Winter 2020 Update If you haven't read my Winter 2020 To Read list, go check it out . 10 books in 3 months. I have no doubt I am CAPABLE of this but it was a bit more than reality. We were chugging along nice and smooth with me reading a bit here and a bit there and then bam! COVID-19 shut down the world and I thought I would read more. Turns out, I actually just watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune a lot. And am really good at procrastinating. So, April 1 came and went and I was a bit discouraged when I checked in with myself on the progress of my book list. 0/10 complete. 7/10 started but none complete. But I did buy 5 new books 4 of which I have finished so that counts for something right? (I have officially run out of bookshelf space in my room BTW.) Okay so here is the breakdown: Almost Completed .ugb-0061411 li{--icon-size:20px;margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-0061411 li::before{height:20px !important;width:20px !important;background-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')}.ugb-0061411 li ul{margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-0061411.ugb-icon-list ul{columns:2} How Not To Die Afraid of All the Things Vibe Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot Mere Christianity Started but Nowhere Near Completed .ugb-7e756d5 li{--icon-size:20px;margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-7e756d5 li::before{height:20px !important;width:20px !important;background-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')}.ugb-7e756d5 li ul{margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-7e756d5.ugb-icon-list ul{columns:2} The Honor Key Whole The Body Electric Covers Have Barely Been Opened .ugb-fca1356 li{--icon-size:20px;margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-fca1356 li::before{height:20px !important;width:20px !important;background-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')}.ugb-fca1356 li ul{margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-fca1356.ugb-icon-list ul{columns:2} Girl, Stop Apologizing Everything is Figureoutable I Really Like Books and Have Bought Too Many Recently (Awareness is the first step to fixing a problem right? But is it a problem I don't really think this is a problem?) .ugb-5b55236 li{--icon-size:20px;margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-5b55236 li::before{height:20px !important;width:20px !important;background-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')}.ugb-5b55236 li ul{margin-bottom:16px !important}.ugb-5b55236.ugb-icon-list ul{columns:2} Ready or Not Here We Come Redeemer For Keeps Ante Up! Atomic Habits Spring 2020 Reading List So, having not finished my list from the Winter, I am going to reevaluate and try not to bite off more than I can chew this time. This time, my list is going to be prioritized. To Finish First  .ugb-2622d94 .ugb-image-box__item1 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/How-Not-to-Die.jpg)}.ugb-2622d94 .ugb-image-box__item2 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sex-Jesus-and-the-Conversations-the-Church-Forgot.jpg)}.ugb-2622d94 .ugb-image-box__item:hover .ugb-image-box__overlay-hover{opacity:0.4 !important}.ugb-2622d94 .ugb-image-box__subtitle{font-size:20px !important} How Not To Die Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot Mo Isom  .ugb-38b857c .ugb-image-box__item1 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Mere-Christianity.png)}.ugb-38b857c .ugb-image-box__item2 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Afraid-of-All-the-Things-e1578779786276.png)}.ugb-38b857c .ugb-image-box__item:hover .ugb-image-box__overlay-hover{opacity:0.4 !important}.ugb-38b857c .ugb-image-box__subtitle{font-size:20px !important} Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis Afraid of All the Things Scarlet Hiltibidal  .ugb-a29e2ef .ugb-image-box__item1 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vibe.jpg)}.ugb-a29e2ef .ugb-image-box__item2 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/The-Honor-Key.jpg)}.ugb-a29e2ef .ugb-image-box__item:hover .ugb-image-box__overlay-hover{opacity:0.4 !important}.ugb-a29e2ef .ugb-image-box__subtitle{font-size:20px !important} Vibe Robyn Openshaw The Honor Key Russel Evans To Start - AKA Spring 2020 Reading List  .ugb-949e38f .ugb-image-box__item1 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Redeemer.jpg)}.ugb-949e38f .ugb-image-box__item2 .ugb-image-box__image{background-image:url(https://lovinglifewithlyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Atomic-Habits.jpg)}.ugb-949e38f .ugb-image-box__item:hover .ugb-image-box__overlay-hover{opacity:0.4 !important}.ugb-949e38f .ugb-image-box__subtitle{font-size:20px !important} Redeemer Paul Jones Atomic Habits James Clear With these priorities in place, finishing what I have already started, hopefully I will actually succeed in reading through my stack of books I currently own before buying any more. My reading wish list is ever growing but, my list of finished books is as well. And anyway, reading a plethora expands the mind, right? Well, I am off to do some work, watch a bit of The Hobbit, and read some books!

The Day I Thought I Saw the Mafia

I was sitting at the red light the other day and peaked in my rearview mirror. Behind me were two guys in a gold truck - you know those squatty, kinda ugly ones? Yeah, one of those. The driver was bald with an Eastern European facial structure and a look like he was in the Russian mafia. His buddy in the passenger seat was also bald (Completely off topic, have you ever noticed bald guys tend to have lots of bald friends?), Hispanic, and his expression just screamed Mexican mafia. Now, I know this is profiling but then I started dreaming up this story in my head... It was either a Tuesday or a Thursday - both days seemed a bit pointless to her - and Sophie was driving across town. The sun was shining, temperature was absolutely perfect, and spring was most definitely in the air. The light ahead turned red and the car eased to a stop. Humming along to some new song on the radio, Sophie glanced around. The best part about living in a city known for being 'weird' is all the strange people who are very proud about being so strange . The thought dashed through her head, not for the first time since moving here. Oh! That puppy is SO cute! Ummm...that is an interesting dance move. Odd...those bald guys behind me seem an bit off - I mean, that is the normal around here but they are...Oh, the light is green again. Speeding through the now green light just to be stuck at the next one, Sophie peaked through her rearview mirror again. Huh, those guys could be in the Mafia. Oh, just imagine, the driver is from the Russian Mafia and the passenger from the Mexican Mafia and they are here to meet with the leader of the Mafia in central Texas. HA! That would be so funny. And that vehicle - an ugly, squatty gold truck? I thought the Mafia only drove black SUVs that look sketchy. Whatever, there's no Mafia in Texas. With one last glance at the men behind her, the light turned green, Sophie went straight, and the men got on the interstate. Inside the gold truck, now speeding down the interstate, Sophie was more right than she would ever know. Ivan was a delegate from the Russian Mafia and Ralph was a delegate from the Mexican Mafia and they were in town to meet with the heads of organized crime in Texas. The two had met several years back, became friends over a couple bottles of vodka and tequila, and kept in touch. "How many Ivans do you know?" Ralph posed the question to Ivan. "That is the most Russian name ever." "Da," spit Ivan. "I know. Mother was furious that she got pregnant with me so she named me Ivan so she could call me 'Ivan the Terrible.' She says, I have never stopped living up to my name. Anyway, what room do you have to talk 'Raphael'?" "Madre was an artist. It was Raphael or Michelangelo but Abuela said 'Do not name that boy after an angel. He will follow in his father's footsteps and become a fallen angel.' So Raphael it was." Silence followed for a few moments until Ralph pulled a rosary out and draped it over the rearview mirror. "What do you think you are doing?" Ivan's face went stone hard, his calm voice cut like the knives strapped to his calf. "Get that off my mirror. Do not alter my car while I am driving. I will kill you with my bare hands if you make me wreck." "Calm down. The angels are watching over us and this is just a reminder to pray. We won't wreck." Ralph's face was blank but the glint in his eye as he turned toward the window revealed he knew the buttons he was pushing. "I. Am. Calm," Ivan gritted under his teeth before barking, "Get the GPS going!" "You have 18 more miles till we turn off the interstate amigo. Then it is dirt roads until we get to the barn." "This piece of junk you rented had better get us there. This is the last time someone else picks the rental car. What was wrong with a black SUV? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Sturdy, reliable, inconspicuous..." "Inconspicuous? You sure are throwing around big words, Ivan." "I was helping my niece study for a test before we left," the glare shooting across the car would have frozen Ralph in place if Ivan had decided to bring the new tech along for the trip. "And stop interrupting me. Don't make me kill you. I will." "Sure you will buddy." "Buddy? Buddy? WHO ARE YOU CALLING BUDDY? ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR? DO NOT TEST ME BOY!" Ralph's laugh and Ivan's grunts echoed through the car as they flew down the interstate, their gold truck getting many double takes as they left the city and headed toward the hill country. I hope you enjoyed my musings. Let me know what you thought below. Chat with y'all soon!

American Royals: A Review

I bought this book when I was in Kentucky in the fall. I love reading on planes but I hate buying e-books. Actually, for the most part, I hate spending money on digital items – the idea that they would just disappear because something happened to a server somewhere really bothers me so I buy hard copies of everything. Anyways, I read the inside flap of this book (hardcover for the win!) and knew I was buying it. I devoured the book and had it finished by the time I landed in Austin. And I can’t stop recommending it to people. Since it is President’s Day tomorrow, I decided it was a fitting time to share the book here too! What would have happened if George Washington had decided to be king instead of president? This is the idea the book is based on. To set the stage and give you a quick history lesson, the prologue gives you a recap of the history books – well, how the history books would read if monarchy reigned in America rather than presidents and Congress. Then, set in modern day, the book focuses on the three children of the ruling monarch in America, Princess Beatrice – the heir, Princess Samantha – the wild spare, and Prince Jefferson – Samantha’s younger twin who, because of relatively new laws, will be the first firstborn male to not inherit the throne in history. The twins are constantly in the public eye – traveling, parting, having fun on social media while Beatrice is more reserved, always doing the right thing as is befitting of the first Queen Regnant of America. The queen and king have decided it is time for Beatrice to be married and this is where the story begins. Of the suitors presented to her, only one even remotely strikes her fancy and unfortunately, he also strikes the fancy of her younger sister. I would love to tell you that either a love triangle ensues or somehow it works out really quick but Beatrice and Samantha don’t have the closest relationship so it doesn’t get discussed. Jefferson has recently broken up with his longtime girlfriend who is trying to win him back but his twin’s best friend has a secret crush on him and that does become a bit of a love triangle (if the triangle is just two girls after the same guy). Beyond the romantic aspect, we get a glimpse into what the life of royalty is like - meetings and ceremonies, volunteering and trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations of the Crown - or trying to ignore the rules all together. And, above all, Beatrice's motto throughout, the motto of the Crown is, In service to Go d and country , a motto that truly means putting aside personal wants and desires because "the Crown must always win." This story is written at a Young Adult level but has an incredibly interesting concept that pulled me in from start to finish – a finish that had me tearing up a bit to be honest. Even though this is technically written for people a bit younger than me, I really enjoyed it. The story flowed well and focused on each character enough that you connected with them but not so much that you were overwhelmed with one story line. The mixing of four or five story lines all happening concurrently felt like real like and honestly, I would watch the heck out of this if it were a movie or TV show. The end of the book made me immediately go to the author’s website to find out about the next book - currently scheduled for Fall 2020 and you better believe I have pre-ordered it! Overall, I think this was a well written, creative book that did exactly what it was supposed to – got me hooked on a story I can’t wait to keep reading. Go check this book out from your local library, grab it off the shelf of Barnes & Noble or Walmart, or get it shipped to your house via Amazon . Or, if you live near me, give me a holler to borrow it 😊. Let me know what you think once you read it! P.S. There is a miniseries on the History Channel this weekend called Washington: He could have been king. He chose to be president . Fitting tagline to parallel this book where the inverse becomes reality.

To Read - Winter 2020

I love reading. Like LOVE reading. I wanted to be a librarian when I was little because I loved books and sorting books and shelving books so much. The library in Beauty and the Beast is #goals and you can be guaranteed that my future house will have a ton of bookshelves if not a library. I think we had an overstuffed bookshelf in every room of the house but the bathroom growing up so I come by this naturally. I digress. I love reading and I love learning, the problem is I am a touch ADD and dyslexic. This results in 1) me reading crazy fast, basically fast skim reading, because when I focus on each individual word, I start moving words around and getting really confused, but I have incredible reading comprehension and recollection and 2) I start like 15 books at a time and then take 12 ages to finish them because I want to read them all at the same time and that is literally impossible because 2 pieces of matter cannot exist in the same space at the same time #scienceyo! (I need to figure out how to make gifs so you can see me doing this attempt to be super cool while saying #scienceyo! in a weirdly deep voice). So, all that to say, I have taken stock of all (most? some? I'm living in one bedroom at my grandparent's house so who knows how many half read books I have in storage right now) of the books around me that I have started or been given or purchased with the intent to read within the past 3 months and plan to work through them, one at a time, over the next 3 months. I figure that I should probably read these books at some point and what better time than the present AND once I finish my books, I am justified in getting more (though TBH, I just bought another one today from Amazon because it went on sale and I have been looking at it for a few weeks. I *might* have a book problem). Below at the books I have rounded up to work on reading by the end of March. Some of them are really dense - I'm looking at you The Body Electric - so I am giving myself grace on those to read one maybe two chapters and then go on to something else because dear goodness, my brain will be mush if I read that much dense material in one sitting. I might do reviews on the books as I finish them but I need to preface that with the caveat that I love books which means I have a hard time saying a book is awful so you would get a more neutral review. I will think on it. Without any further ado (there have been a lot today), here are the books on my list for Winter 2020: .ugb-f9b0315 .ugb-img{width:329px;height:auto !important} How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM I received this book for Christmas last year, 2018, and have been slowly working my way through it. This is one of those really dense books with lots of good information piled into a mere 300ish pages. Dr. Gregor takes the top 15 reasons Americans die (at the time of him writing the book in 2015) and breaks down what the illness/disease/problem is and then, based on scientific studies (all references listed in the back of the book) explains what foods science has proven whether in vitro (in a lab) or in practice to support, halt, and sometimes even reverse diseases. All in all, this has been very interesting and informative to read and I look forward to finishing the book. .ugb-90198c7 .ugb-img{width:335px;height:auto !important} Whole by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Howard Johnson, PhD In this book, Dr. Campbell explains the science behind the evidence he proposed in his first book The China Study, the ways our current scientific paradigm ignores the fascinating complexity of the human body, and why, if we have such overwhelming evidence that everything we think we know about nutrition is wrong, our eating habits haven’t changed. This book is significantly smaller than How Not to Die so I think it will be a faster read, but it also seems to be denser. Dr. Campbell also has a bias toward a whole food, plant-based diet but he grew up on a dairy farm so he does a good job explaining why he changed his diet so drastically. This book is significantly smaller than How Not to Die so I think it will be a faster read, but it also seems to be denser. Dr. Campbell also has a bias toward a whole food, plant-based diet but he grew up on a dairy farm so he does a good job explaining why he changed his diet so drastically. .ugb-fc26e4d .ugb-img{width:330px;height:auto !important} Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forloe While most self-help books offer quick fixes, Everything is Figureoutable will retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks. In the words of Cheryl Strayed, it's "a must-read for anyone who wants to face their fears, fulfill their dreams, and find a better way forward." If you're having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn't you. It's that you haven't yet installed the one belief that changes everything. Marie's mom once told her, "Nothing in life is that complicated. You can do whatever you set your mind to if you roll up your sleeves. Everything is figureoutable." Whether you want to leave a dead end job, break an addiction, learn to dance, heal a relationship, or grow a business, Everything is Figureoutable will show you how. This book was given to me for my birthday in September and I just haven't gotten around to reading it. My aunt who got it for me really likes Marie Forloe and she really enjoyed the book. I like reading self-help books because I like to see other people's views on how to tackle life, so I am looking forward to reading this book. Also, I have recently begun to look into the science of training your brain to work for you not against you and this seems to fit in that category as well. .ugb-202194d .ugb-img{width:346px;height:auto !important} The Body Electric by Robert O. Becker, M.D., and Gary Selden The Body Electric tells the fascinating story of our bioelectric selves. Robert O. Becker, a pioneer in the filed of regeneration and its relationship to electrical currents in living things, challenges the established mechanistic understanding of the body. He found clues to the healing process in the long-discarded theory that electricity is vital to life. But as exciting as Becker's discoveries are, pointing to the day when human limbs, spinal cords, and organs may be regenerated after they have been damaged, equally fascinating is the story of Becker's struggle to do such original work. The Body Electric explores new pathways in our understanding of evolution, acupuncture, psychic phenomena, and healing. I am so excited to read this book. I was first introduced to the world of using frequencies to heal the body about 3 years ago and I still think it is the coolest thing ever. Because I like science to prove the things that I have been taught about but that seem like mumbo-jumbo, I am excited for this book. This book is also super dense so it might take me longer than just this quarter to finish. .ugb-d5c38d7 .ugb-img{width:331px;height:auto !important} Vibe by Robyn Openshaw Vibe explores the foods, natural substances, and lifestyle practices that can raise our vibrations. Robyn Openshaw reveals evidence that shows how drinking green juice, using certain essential oils, and engaging in yoga and meditation raises the frequency of the human brain and other organs. Living in a “high vibe” state can make us resilient to illness, fatigue, burnout, and depression. Readers will learn all about the low vibration emotions (fear, anger, inertia) and the high vibration emotions (love, peace, gratitude) and how to achieve higher vibrations in everyday living. This book, similar to The Body Electric , discusses frequencies and how they interact with the human body. Where The Body Electric approaches this topic from a very science-based view on bioelectricity, Vibe has a more conversational approach. I began reading this book in Summer 2019 but with my move and packing and unpacking, the book got a bit lost along the way. I look forward to being able to continue reading through this book and being able to compare the conclusions made here to the conclusions made in The Body Electric . Afraid of All the Things by Scarlet Hiltibidal What does the gospel say about your fears? What does it say about the irrational ones, like sinkholes in the Target parking lot? How does it speak to the rational ones, like pet scan predictions? And does the gospel have a word for the fears you feel you'll have for life, like the possibility of losing the one you love most? Above is the beginning to the description of this book. I bought it from the sale at the Lifeway store in Tuscaloosa less than 2 weeks after I graduated college with no job and a plan to move to Nashville, TN based on a gut feeling that I thought was maybe the Holy Spirit and to figure it out once I got there. I was terrified of everything and while I knew that the Bible says do not fear and do not be afraid, the practicality of that was nowhere near me. I started this book and it was fantastic. I'm really not sure why I didn't finish it so it will be one of the first books I pick up to finish up this quarter. .ugb-3869cd4 .ugb-img{width:329px;height:auto !important} The Honor Key by Russel Evans Honor affects every part of your life - your family, your job, your finances, and your church life. In fact, it affects everything. God has a great deal more for us than the narrow slice of life so many of us experience - more abilities, blessings, and inheritance. He wants us to experience heaven on earth - to live life and to live it abundantly. He wants you to operate in your gifts and abilities, but honor is the key that releases these things in your life. Honor is the foundation of the kingdom of God, and it unlocks the possibilities of heaven. This book was written by the head pastor of the church I attend, PlanetShakers. While it is not required for someone in a volunteer position in the church, it is highly recommended. I started this book while I was taking our DNA Course, which explains the culture of the Church and the Kingdom of God as is stated throughout the Bible. The course was fantastic and the book was great too. Somehow, it got lost in a pile of things in my bedroom and never got finished so that will be remedied soon. .ugb-18518d7 .ugb-img{width:326px;height:auto !important} Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough. In Girl, Stop Apologizing , Rachel Hollis sounds a wake-up call. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people—whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee—instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams, Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself My former roommate and I read Rachel Hollis's first self-help book, Girl, Wash Your Face on one of our many road trips. I picked up Girl, Stop Apologizing from Target before Christmas because it was on sale but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Honestly, it is actually just sitting as décor right now. Soon it will be a read piece of décor. .ugb-c90ffa6 .ugb-img{width:324px;height:auto !important} Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot by Mo Isom Sex. In a world overwhelmingly obsessed with it, why is the church so silent about it? While our secular culture twists, perverts, cheapens, and idolizes sex, there are gaping holes in the church's guidance of young people. The result is generations of sexually illiterate people drowning in the repercussions of overwhelming sin struggles. Enough is enough, says Mo Isom. With raw vulnerability and a bold spirit, she shares her own sexual testimony, opening up the conversation about misguided rule-following, virginity, temptation, porn, promiscuity, false sex-pectations, sex in marriage, and more and calling readers back to God's original design for sex--a way to worship and glorify him. My best friend is at the University of Kentucky for grad school right now and the student ministry on campus video called Mo Isom in for a talk several weeks ago. My friend talked about how powerful Mo's testimony was and how much she appreciated the candid talk about sex, one of the most talked about topics in society but least talked about topics in the Church. So, after that glowing recommendation, I decided to purchase and read the book. .ugb-1f8175a .ugb-img{width:193px;height:auto !important} Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis In the classic Mere Christianity , C.S. Lewis, the most important writer of the 20th century, explores the common ground upon which all of those of Christian faith stand together. Bringing together Lewis’ legendary broadcast talks during World War Two from his three previous books The Case for Christianity , Christian Behavior , and Beyond Personality , Mere Christianity provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear this powerful apologetic for the Christian faith. C. S. Lewis is arguably one of the greatest writers and defenders of the Christian faith of the 20th century. I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia and have now progressed to his more advanced writings. Mere Christianity was recommended to me by my student pastor while I was in college but I didn't get around to purchasing it until I was at Goodwill a few weeks ago and picked it up for $1.50. I know this book will be dense but I love reading defenses for my faith and diving deeper into what the Bible means beyond just the words on a page. If you would like to get any of these books, here is the link to find them on Amazon . If you get any of the books, be sure to comment below and tell me what you are reading! I love to read along side friends, it makes it even more fun! Also, let me know if you would like me to review the books as I finish them. I know sometimes it is nice to read someone else's take on a book before you commit to buying it. Talk to y'all soon!

Wow the brain is so cool

I'm a wee bit type-A. And by a wee bit, I mean my first 3 years of college were planned down to the minute every Sunday or Monday when I sat down to look at my week. If my planner didn't have a month view and then a week view that was vertical with every day right next to the other so I could block out the same time every day for sleeping and eating, I wouldn't even consider buying the planner. Looking back, I can tell you that need for control down to the minute was due to my intense anxiety about the future and anything that was uncertain. Seriously, I was almost physically ill the whole week I was finalizing my decision to not go to grad school - but that is a story for another time. While I am at work, most of my day is spent starting at a computer screen with only the noise of typing and clicking in the background so I have started listening to podcasts while I work. I started with sermons, basically binge-listening (is that a thing? I definitely did it regardless) to several pastors for a few weeks straight, then for a change of pace I switched to motivational speakers who just talked about their life experiences - I love people's life stories. One of these podcasts, called The Refined Collective Podcast - go give it a listen, had a guest on who is a neuroscientist focusing on how to train the brain to be successful. And she does it with a faith background which I love and think is awesome! So for the past week and a half, I have been binge-listening (I am going to make this term a thing y'all) to Dr. Shannon Irvine of the Epic Success Podcast . Dr. Shannon speaks a lot about training your brain to do what you want it to do and about rewiring the neural pathways in your brain. It is really cool. But, what I think is even cooler than that, which is hard to beat because um...the brain rock, is when she reminds us that this isn't new information - the Bible has been saying for years that as a believer of Christ you are called to take our thoughts captive, to the constant renewing of your mind and to think upon what is true, good, and lovely. To retrain your neural pathways, you have to take your thoughts out of the subconscious and into the conscious part of your mind, continuously correct the negative stories, the lies you are telling yourself, and to instead consciously think about the things that are good and true for at least 60-67 days to fully rewrite those neural pathways. That perfect alignment with what was written hundreds of years ago is amazing. It gave me a lot of comfort to know that 1) the thoughts I have right now that shape my current reality (80-90% of your daily decisions are made by your subconscious trying to keep you safe based on prior experience) can be completely different with a bit of work in 2 months and 2) that I don't have to be who I am today for the rest of my life. I can make decisions every single day that compound into transforming who I am into someone even better. Dr. Shannon has mentioned regularly that the brain doesn't know the difference between the past and the future. If you envision the future with enough clarity, often enough, the brain begins to think the situation has already occured. I don't know about you, but I tend to replay events and conversations over and over and over in my head. That doesn't change anything. So I have begun trying to envision what I want my life to look like and have begun to make that the event my mind dwells on. Obviously, this doesn't mean that what I imagine my future to be is 100% accurate, but it does mean that I have a clear goal my brain both conscious and subconscious can work toward. So that is my current plan of attack - make my brain work for me. I am type-A. But I not an obsessive workaholic control freak who plans her day to the minute. I am a recovering control freak, a recovering workaholic, who is working to change her mindset and what defines her one thought at a time. If it only took 2 months to change how you are setting yourself up for the rest of your life, what would you change? Leave your answers below! I can't wait to see how you are going to transform your brain to transform your life!

Lyss – Page 3 – Loving Life with Lyss

Books

To Read – Spring 2020 + Winter 2020 Update

April 22, 2020

10 books in 3 months. I have no doubt I am CAPABLE of this but it was a bit more than reality. We were chugging along nice and smooth with me reading a bit here and a bit there and then...

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Lyss
Writing

The Day I Thought I Saw the Mafia

April 1, 2020

I was sitting at the red light the other day and peaked in my rearview mirror. Behind me were two guys in a gold truck - you know those squatty, kinda ugly ones? Yeah, one of those. The driver was bald with an Eastern European facial structure and a look like he was in the Russian mafia. His buddy in…

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Lyss
Book Reviews, Books

American Royals: A Review

February 16, 2020

I bought this book when I was in Kentucky in the fall. I love reading on planes but I hate buying e-books. Actually, for the most part, I hate spending money on digital items – the idea that they would just disappear because something happened to a server somewhere really bothers me so I buy hard copies of everything. Anyways,…

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Lyss
Books

To Read – Winter 2020

January 11, 2020

I love reading. Like LOVE reading. I wanted to be a librarian when I was little because I loved books and sorting books and shelving books so much. The library in Beauty and the Beast is #goals and you can be guaranteed that my future house will have a ton of bookshelves if not a library. I think we had…

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Lyss
Uncategorized

Wow the brain is so cool

December 13, 2019

I’m a wee bit type-A. And by a wee bit, I mean my first 3 years of college were planned down to the minute every Sunday or Monday when I sat down to look at my week. If my planner didn’t have a month view and then a week view that was vertical with every day right next to the…

Read More

Lyss