Last week, I shared with you three tips to help you stay motivated this summer. You may have read them and thought “How does Sammi know this?” I surely didn’t come up with this off the top of my head. This week, I’m laying out five of my favorite podcasts and books that have altered my thinking and taught me everything I know now about creating the greatest version of myself.
* These are in no specific order, just how they came to mind *
Podcasts!
- The Ed Mylett Show with Ed Mylett This podcast is fiery, intense, and has so much goodness every single week. Every Tuesday, Ed Mylett releases a solo episode and gives you a step by step process on one part of how you could create a better life, business, and relationships or he will interview someone who you probably know already and pulls out all of the untold stories about his guest. What I love most is how intense he is with his practices and the way he speaks. It always is able to give me the push I need.
- The MFCEO Project with Andy Frisella Talk about intense, this podcast defines intense. Andy Frisella is the creator of #75hard challenge, an insane mental toughness challenge that I am actively taking part in and he is huge entrepreneur. His podcast is great because he doesn’t take any crap. He cuts through the BS and tells you exactly what you need to hear. My favorite episode to date is his recent interview with Nicole LePera, better known as The Holistic Psychologist on Instagram.
- The Goal Digger Podcast with Jenna Kutcher If I did not have the Goal Digger Podcast, I would be lost in business. Seriously. Although this podcast is more focused on tips for women to grow their businesses, there is so much goodness that can be used for your personal life. From Jenna, I have learned how to be effectively productive, how to get more engagement on Instagram and the ins and outs of podcasting.
- The RISE Podcast with Rachel Hollis As many of you know, Rachel Hollis was the first person in the personal development industry that I was introduced to. Rachel Hollis has grown into a big name for herself and her podcast is reflective of that. Lately, I have been wanting to go back to old episodes of this podcast that talk about health, relationships, and inspiration because nowadays, Hollis is evolving this podcast into more of a business podcast but it still has taught me A LOT of what I talk about today.
- Fashion Your Passion Podcast with Sammi Reyes I know, what you guys may be thinking. Sammi, this is your podcast. And you are right but I didn’t add it to this list just to advertise. I genuinely listen to every single one of the episodes I upload. They are always in my queue with the podcasts listed above. I listen to my podcast like any other podcast because of the value it brings to my life. I don’t let just anyone be on the podcast. I pick my guests and the topics they are going to share very deliberately to only bring you the best of the best. My favorite episodes to date are episodes 7, 8, 13, 16. These are episodes that I turn back to time and time again to bring that motivation back in my life.
Books!
#MAXOUT by Ed Mylett
Who’s surprised this is on the list? I’m surely not. If you are looking for the most intensive and tangible guide to truly maxing out your life and be an all around badass, this is the book for you! Ed Mylett breaks down everything he does in his day to day from his routines to his mindset. This is the ULTIMATE guide.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz
This book was recommended to me about three years ago and I only got around to it this year. This book altered everything that I did. Every conscious act and word and breathe was altered. I thought about it all differently. The grace in which this book was written and the energies that it gives off brings you to another space. Ruiz gives you four (agreements) ways in which you can add intention to your life and release self-limiting beliefs.
The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
It took me 4 months to read this book. One of my school mamas gifted it to me in October and I finished it in February. Not because it was bad or hard to follow but this book hit my soul so hard that I had to take it in piece by piece. Bernstein shares her spiritual story and gives you ways to release internal and external judgement and live a blissful life. It may seem cliche at first glance but this is a book that I refer to time and time again when I pop out of alignment and needs reminders of how to surrender.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Although this book is a fiction book, I learned many valuable lessons from it. Since my introduction in my freshman year of high school, I have always been attracted to Buddhism and its philosophies. In more recent days, I have considered myself a Jewish Buddhist (yes, it is real. I Googled it.) just because the practices are so similar yet with many differences. Reading this book in my senior English class, I was able to dive into it with my soulful, deep perspective and be able to share that with others. I learned the value of listening to yourself, getting out in nature more, and the significance of being a minimalist.
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
Once again, we have to bring it back to my girl. This book is the thing you need if you don’t know how to set a goal.. Hollis breaks down her process to set a goal and give you all of her advice on how to clean up your environment, body, and mind to achieve those lifelong goals NOW. I think in GSA, there are parts that remind me of her first book Girl, Wash Your Face which was just as transformative just in a different way.
I hope you enjoyed reading through this list. Those 5 podcasts are really the only five that I listen to because I feel like too many opinions is too much. They are truly pots of gold and have guided me to do the work I am doing today. As for books, I think it is pretty clear which genre I have been loving for the past few months. Maybe I will do this as a yearly thing because I will probably find more amazing books and podcasts.