12 Books to Read for a FabYOUlous 2018

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”

~Dr. Seuss~

If I had to pick only one thing (other than relationships with other people) that has made the biggest difference in the level of happiness, productivity, contentment and success in my life, that one thing would have to be BOOKS.

I LOVE reading. I love reading for pleasure (my favorite fictional book series is The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward–love me some sexy vampires!) but even more than that, I really love reading for personal development. I absolutely credit much of the transformation that has taken place in my life to the multitude of books that I have read. Reading has provided me with a wealth of information, inspiration and motivation. Plus–research shows that reading can actually make you sexy (it’s true–you can read more about it here). So, with so many incredible reasons to read, the question simply becomes, what to read–and I’m here to help you with that. In order to help you live your most FabYOUlous year yet, I’ve  compiled a list of twelve books that have all had a huge impact on my life. These books are all from the personal development genre but some are more geared toward spirituality while others are geared more toward business development or goal setting. One thing that they all have in common though, is that each one of these books has made a powerful and lasting impact on my life, and I’m sure that the same will be true for you.

Learn Something New in 2018

The True Power to Living a FabYOUlous Life is Found in the Ability to Learn

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

~Mahatma Ghandi~

When was the last time you intently studied a new, unfamiliar subject or set out to learn a new skill? If you can’t remember the last time, it is high time you brush the cobwebs off of your brain cells and get those synapses firing again.

Now, don’t panic–I’m not suggesting that you rush out and enroll in your local university or sign up for an intensive online course in astrophysics (though both of these suggestions certainly are options). I’m simply suggesting that the only real way to guarantee a FabYOUlous life for yourself, is to adapt the habits and mentality of a lifelong learner. 

The Divine Nine

9 Powerful Practices that will Guarantee a More FabYOUlous 2018

Oh how I love January. It truly is one of my most favorite months of the year because it holds so much promise and the hope of new beginnings. Though I do not partake in the annual setting of New Year’s resolutions (instead, I do a much more intentional and effective, self-audit process every year in July–you can read all about it here); I do always try to approach a new year with a set of guiding principles and practices that help to lay a firm foundation for the coming twelve months. After many years of defining and refining, these are the practices that I have found to be the most valuable…

Lessons Learned

What 2017 Taught Me

Normally, I would publish a post like this on New Year’s Eve; but, I was sick on New Year’s Eve (and for the entire first week of 2018) so instead, it’s getting published now. Fortunately, the content of this post isn’t anything that has an expiration date. I mean, we’re all learning lessons every single day–in fact, it’s that capacity for learning that allows us to grow and evolve in to wiser, kinder, more FabYOUlous versions of ourselves every year.

2017 was a BIG one for me. I think something clicked inside of me when I turned 47 and realized that I was only three years away from the big five-o. It made me take a step back and really look at the direction that my life was headed and assess whether or not I needed to make some course corrections. It also made me spend a ridiculous amount of money on wrinkle-fighting face creams–but that’s a whole other story…

Fight Songs

Songs to Fire You Up when You Need to Fight for Your FAB

Remember your old high school pep rallies and how fired up everyone would get when the band started playing the school fight song? As a former cheerleader, I can remember being down on the sidelines and feeling the electricity surge through the crowd as the band played “our” song and the adrenaline rush that would propel our athletes to push harder and dig deeper out on the field.

If music has the power to energize and excite us–doesn’t it make sense that we should add music to our FabYOUlous Life toolbox? I know that when I’m running, working out, or just needing a jolt of motivation, I have certain songs that I play depending upon the type of feeling that I am trying to obtain. Here is a list of songs that I have compiled and listen to whenever I need a little help in firing up the FAB in my life. Some songs are poppy while some are hard and angry (yes, I fully believe in the power of positivity, but sometimes you just need a hard, angry song when it’s time to knuckle up and kick some butt on your goal).