Atomic Habits by James Clear

 There are a million great ideas in this book!

I took it slowly because there is so much to digest. My biggest take-away, though, is that habits are best formed when they become a part of our identity. In other words, even if you don't work out, or only go to the gym for five minutes, and you do it every day, you begin to realize you are a person who goes to the gym. Your identity changes and pretty soon, your consistency helps you change your self-perception. There are many other great ideas here.

Here's another one. If you want to start a new habit, link it to an existing one. 

And another--you must create a system in order to succeed. In other words, create the environment for your success. Put your chairs in a conversational circle, not facing the TV if you want to spend more time talking with your family, for example. This is reminding me that I need to reread this again and get more nuggets out of here! 

This book is also richly infused with motivating and interesting vignettes of real people and examples. It's a very enjoyable read! But I need to read it more intentionally, and not in bed when I'm ready to go to sleep! It's more valuable than that...

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

 My sister Alice Jane recommended this book to me because she thought it was very engaging AND it reveals a lot about what it's like to be "in therapy." I agree with her assessment! It's kind of cool the way the author interweaves her own struggles and questions with her patients' stories and theories of counseling.There is a lot of wisdom here, particularly in dealing with difficult people and situations. As she shares how and why she counsels her patients, her skill shines through. 

I was disappointed but not surprised at the author's personal choices; ie, sleeping with her boyfriend and involving her young son in the relationship that eventually broke up. She is definitely in tune with the social mores of our time, but it was disappointing to see no remorse over that situation or thinking she had done anything amiss. And her story of finding a sperm donor for her pregnancy shows how completely "modern" she is, not thinking her baby needed a father. 

Still, overlooking those moral differences, there is great love and empathy and commitment with her patients. I enjoyed reading about her dying patient, her narcissistic patient, and her aging patient, all of whom developed and grew over the course of the book. Plus I have to admire how vulnerable and open this author is about her own thinking, insecurities, and life itself. Her own therapy with Wendell was one of my favorite aspects of the book, particularly how she grew to appreciate him. He is a real standout in the book, the way he seems completely authentic and supportive and nonjudgmental. Definitely the kind of therapist I would want!

Better Than Happy by Jody Moore

 I really wanted to like this book!

I think Jody Moore is brilliant, and her application of Brooke Castillo's Life Coach School model is often better than the original. I especially appreciate her gospel perspective and how she sometimes, on her podcast and in her coaching, brings in examples from the scriptures or aligns some concept with a gospel concept. I want more of that, because I'm still somewhat suspicious that some of the model does not necessarily align. Not sure where or how, just suspicious. So the subtitle really intrigued me: "Connecting with Divinity through Conscious Thinking."

Unfortunately, she did not deliver that well. Yes, the model is well-explained and applied, but the gospel applications are kind of a stretch. The ties are not strongly tied. It's really kind of superficial to me and not real applicable. Now that I'm thumbing through it again, though, I'm wondering if I shouldn't give it a second chance. I will. Maybe I'm wrong. I worry that my life experiences at the time I'm reading really color my like and dislike of what I'm reading!