At some point, we all hit crossroads where we are unsure how to proceed. Whether you are a freshman in college or preparing to walk at your graduation, there are moments when you feel like you are going nowhere. Fortunately for us, more than a few women have been there and have written their experiences and tips for getting yourself out of the funk.
1. Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
After the huge success of Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert follows up with the perfect guide for anyone who has ever wanted to be creative. With a lot of creative experience under her belt, she shares advice on embracing the authenticity and curiosity that drives each one of us. It gives you an inside consider the creative process and anecdotes that put all tips into a context that you can relate to. There are many ways to inspire creativity and Gilbert inspires you to seek both the conventional and unconventional ways of inspiring it, whether it is lipstick when you usually avoid makeup or having fun to inspire a flow.
2. You Are a Badass – Jenifer Sincero
With a lot of humor (and a few bad words), Sincero has created the best self-help guide since The Secret. It probably has a lot of information you have heard before but gives you that information in a new tone that is so different from the self-help books we’re used to. Rather than take on the usual guru vibe, the author’s tone comes across as your best friend holding a conversation with you that your parents will not like to hear. She presents the importance of empowering yourself and keep the doubt at bay. From the book, you do feel expected to not have doubts, it teaches you to overcome them.
3. Girl Code – Cara Alwill Leyba
You have probably heard the quote “Behind every great woman is a group chat hyping her”. I do not know who to attribute this to, but “Girl Code” gives a basic understanding of why every woman needs a supportive and encouraging group of friends to stand by her as she achieves her goals. Usually, women feel like they are each other’s competitors, but Leyba clearly lays out why cooperation with other women is better. The cover prescribes the book for entrepreneurs, but whether you are in that direction or not, it doesn’t hurt to have a tribe of women keeping you grounded.
4. Year of Yes – Shonda Rhimes
We have all been guilty of saying “No” to an opportunity because it’s out of our comfort zone and will make us feel extremely uncomfortable. It is hard to think that one of the television’s most influential women also has those problems. That is what makes this book so important. Although Rhimes’ success is great, we are given a common ground with her (other than the love for Meredith Gray) that lets us know we are not alone in our discomfort. After this book, you will find that your comfort zone does not have to be as foreboding as you think.
5. The Bomb Life – Claire Sulmers
The one word that comes to mind when thinking about this book is fearlessness. The author takes her reader on the journey of her life from the second child people doubted to a Harvard grad who has built one of the most recognizable fashion blogs in the world. We see the hustle, the sweat and the process it took to build her brand and all that should tell you is that none of your goals are out of your reach. The lessons are thrown throughout the book, but the first few that come to mind are to look the part of whatever goal you want to reach, be confident in who you are and know your worth.
So, whether you plan on taking the road less traveled or you are taking a path that has proven to work for others, these women who have been there before having tips for every step of the way. Say goodbye to feeling inadequate, fleeing due to fear and stuck in a poisonous friendship, these women show you how to build your own path.