I found out about The Shelf Help Book Club by listening to The Calmer You podcast with Chloe Brotheridge. Toni Jones was a guest on an episode of the podcast and I was intrigued. I love listening to lots of different types of audiobooks but there is something special about listening to self help books on Audible. Some of my favourites are Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Dr Julie Smith, Untamed by Glenn Doyle and You are A Badass by Jen Sincero. It is just so motivating and uplifting to have these positive words feeding into your subconscious while you walk, or drive, or cook…
There are so many choices of self help books I always struggle to choose my next one so when I heard the Calmer You podcast and the guest was discussing how she started a book club for self help books I was hooked. The BOTM for March and April is Self Compassion by Kristin Neff PhD. Because the book is the book for discussion over two months I have chosen to not rush through listening to it as I sometimes do with books I enjoy, instead I am taking my time to listen carefully and absorb all the information.
I truly think that listening to this book was the reason I pushed myself out of my comfort zone on Friday at the Parents Quiz and volunteered to stand up in front of a hall full of people I barely know (still on Cloud 9 can you tell?). I think I really did have compassion for myself that night and thought ‘Why not? What is the worst that can happen? I will just try my best and that is enough.’
Then on the other end of the scale I really disappointed myself on Monday evening. Every other Monday Shelf Help hold a zoom meeting to discuss the BOTM. This would have been my first meeting but I was too scared to join. I felt intimidated and worried that people on the meeting would expect me to speak and have interesting comments to make and unfortunately I don’t believe in myself enough to put myself out there. Does anyone else feel this way? Is it normal to be 41 and still feel nervous about things like this? Now I am going to make this blog hold me accountable. I will join the next Zoom discussion about Self Compassion and I will write a post about how proud I am that I did it and probably how much I enjoyed it. So now I have said it I have to do it. Oh and I also need to make sure that Miller goes to bed by 6.45pm so I can jump on to the meeting at 7pm. Wish Me Luck.
NJ x
nicola jayne 