House of Music Inspires!
17 August 2021
Barbara read House of Music by Kadiatu Kennah-Mason and was inspired by how hard young children would work to perfect their art when supported and encouraged by parents who sacrificed so much.
What We're Reading Now
Entries tagged with: Barbara Read
It’s Hard to Tell the Truth
12 October 2021
Barbara read The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self by Martha Beck and learned just how hard it is to tell truth and nothing but the truth
Still Possible
7 December 2021
Barbara watched David Whyte’s Zoom sessions titled Still Possible and learned a new way to live one day at a time.
Naming Your Emotions Accurately is Step One
18 January 2022
Barbara read Brené Brown’s new book Atlas of the Heart and learned that accurately naming an emotion can help you deal with it.
Can’t Keep No Satisfaction
26 April 2022
Barbara read How to Want Less: by Arthur C. Brooks and learned why the high of getting what we want doesn’t last very long.
The Joy of Accepted Gifts
21 June 2022
Barbara read Five Ways to Exercise Your Thankfulness Muscles by Tish Harrison Warren and was grateful to have an expert help her understand why accepting help can make you so happy.
Are You Bored? It Might Be a Good Thing.
16 August 2022
Barbara read How to be Creative by Matt Richtel and was reminded that tolerance for boredom allows new ideas to occur. She’s learning to endure some boredom while also creating enough structure and connection in her life to feel satisfied.
Be a Beginner
25 October 2022
Barbara read Cal Newport’s review of Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning by Tom Vanderbilt and learned that getting back to a “beginner’s mind” can help you to cope with life’s challenges.
How Books Can Help
14 February 2023
Barbara read Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus, and was strengthened by the toughness of the main character.
Leaning Into Solitude
11 April 2023
Barbara listened to David Whyte’s Three Sundays Zoom Series called Clear Mind Wild Heart, Finding Clarity and Courage Through Poetry and found reinforcement for thinking positively about solitude.
How Much Alone Time is Too Much?
6 June 2023
Barbara read the New York Times article, I Love You, Now Leave Me Alone: What Friendship Means to an Introvert, by Catherine Pearson and used it to help her return to the right amount of socializing for this stage in her life.
Creative Expression Can Give You Grief Relief
1 August 2023
Barbara read Grief and the Power of Creative Expression on the Hospice Basics website and learned why she has wanted to paint over thirty 9 x 12 canvas boards and five larger stretched canvases during the last year.
Prime the Pump for Writing
26 September 2023
Barbara reread her underlined passages of Writing Without Teachers written in 1973 by her original writing guru, Peter Elbow, and reflected on how his insights inspired the classes she used to teach on how to write about what matters to you.
The Joy and Benefits of Memorizing Poetry
21 November 2023
Barbara read Memorize That Poem! by Molly Worthen and Got Poetry by Jim Holt and decided to return to her practice of memorizing poetry.
Why Writing Longhand is Still a Good Idea
16 January 2024
Barbara read The Case for Writing Longhand: It’s About Trying to Create That Little Space of Freedom by Sara Bahr and appreciated affirmation for something she loves to do—write with a pen.
What Shyness Can Tell You
12 March 2024
Barbara watched David Whyte’s January 2024 Three Sundays Series on The Shyness of Love and learned that shyness can mean new opportunities are on the horizon.
More Talking Less Typing With Our Devices
7 May 2024
Barbara listened to Tobias Dengel at the Virginia Festival of the Book, read his book, The Sound of the Future, afterwards, and learned that instead of just staring at our screens, we’ll be talking to them more.
Peek-a-boo Matters
2 July 2024
Barbara watched seven-year-old Molly Wright’s TED Talk, How every child can thrive by five, and was impressed with her skill and passion at delivering information about important brain research.
Colors Can Lift Your Spirits
27 August 2024
Barbara listened to the podcast Friday Fix: Surprising Ways Colors Affect How You Feel and Behave by Amy Morin, LCSW and was comforted to know other people feel as passionately about color as she does.
Are You Uneasy About Conflict in Group Gatherings?
22 October 2024
Barbara read Personal Change That Sticks: A Tool for Lasting Self-Improvement and was reminded of how important it is to control her own thoughts rather than worrying about possible disagreements and hurt feelings.
