A Tribe Called Bliss by Lori Harder
Recently, I remembered that I had started this book before I quit my job, but I didn't have enough time to finish it. I'm glad I picked it up again! There is so much in this book about self-love and finding your bliss. It's a book I needed to read, and I plan to revisit it in the future to think through or journal on the soul assignments. I'm not sure I'll be meeting with a group (tribe) to go through the tribe discussions, but perhaps one day.
The Little Book of Fika by Lynda Balslev
This was a fun little book that I read in a day (yesterday to be exact). It's full of insights, quotes, and recipes. In my search for simplicity, I've unknowingly adopted some of the Swedish ways of living described in the book, and fika is one of them. I derive so much enjoyment from my mug of hot tea each morning and evening. I also learned about the concept of lagom, which refers to moderation, simplicity, and contentment. The book defines it as "not too much, not too little--just enough" and notes that it "applies to everything, such as one's general state of being, work-life balance, and personal consumption. It manifests in many ways, including frugality, recycling, clean design, simple food, and, of course, fika." Lagom is definitely a concept I am trying to adopt into my life more and more each day.
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez
This book is highly recommended by a lot of different sources. I've heard it come up so many times that I've very eager to read it.
Update (Nov 15/18): I love this book! I almost wish I had read it years earlier, but the book echoes a lot of what I already believe and practice, so perhaps the end result would have been the same, regardless of whether I read it years ago or now. The book talks about the importance of tracking your finances, reducing expenses, paying down debt, and investing your money. It's basically a bible for the financially independent, and the advice is sound. There are so many parts that resonated with me, but this excerpt about "Crossover Point Jitters" really stood out, because the highlighted sections are exactly how I'm feeling right now:
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At first you may be jumpy. Or bored. Or you may be like a hyperactive kid in a candy store, wanting to gobble experiences. You'll get over it. You'll settle into a routine run not by a clock but by what makes you tick inside.
Whatever carrots you dangled in front of yourself to keep going--you'll start eating them. Travel. Sleep. A week at the beach. Political activism.
Many find that personal or physical issues they'd put on the back burner flare up. These problems have waited in line a long time for your attention. They don't mean you made a mistake; they mean you are getting in shape--body and soul. Whether you're thirty, forty, fifty, or older, your body will likely need attention, and that can be an adventure all its own.
You may learn to play a musical instrument, paint, sing in a choir, tap-dance, or fish; join an ultimate Frisbee team; get hooked on community theater; go conference hopping; get lost in multiplayer online fantasy games; get in better shape than you've ever been; meditate; or serve meals on wheels.
You might even tinker in your shop or your computer and come up with some amazing solution to a gnarly problem--and spread it, giving you more influence than you ever imagined possible.
Nonprofit organizations will offer you seats on their boards. You'll have the change to ask, "How many boards or committees are enough?"
FIers have done all of these and more.
And if you're like such FIers, you will find you have no idea how you had time for a job. Breaking the link between work and money in actual fact will exponentially expand the possibility of discovering your true work, of reintegrating disparate pieces of your life, and of being truly whole. Your days will be brimming, even those days you just putter, tidy, cook, or wander. One activity folds into another without pressure (unless you like pressure!). Nothing is trivial because you put your full attention on it, from meditating to folding laundry to making an important speech to a packed auditorium. It's what economist Juliet Schor calls "plentitude."
You will be free to work for fun, for giving back, for inspiration or aspiration or self-transformation or... whatever you choose.
Choice is at the true heart of Financial Independence. It's not about the money. It's about the choice of where to direct your most precious resources: your time, you attention and your life.
There is no formula for how you live after the Crossover Point. And that's the point. You are free to invent your life. You are free to explore what Buckminster Fuller meant when he said, "We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims."
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You Are A Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
Another book that I've heard recommended over and over again. I'm hoping to "manifest money" during my time off. There's currently no part of me that wants to go back to a nine-to-five, despite my minor freak out a few days ago. I'm hoping a new path will reveal itself to me during my gap year and perhaps this book can provide some insight.
Update (Nov 13/18): I enjoyed parts of this book, but overall, it didn't really resonate with me. The book did get good reviews though, and it was also an easy read, so if you're struggling with money and need some inspiration, perhaps this book can provide some clarity.
How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski
This book was mentioned several times in Victory Lap Retirement. My definition of "retirement" has been evolving, so I'm sure I'll find this book really interesting!
Update (Jan 25/19): I finished this book quite some time ago, but I forgot to update this blog post. This book contained interesting ideas, but I didn't feel it was groundbreaking. It was also written in a style that didn't resonate with me.
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