Tag: #readanything

Bri’s Favorite Things 2018

Published on by BriAlys

It’s that time again! For the 5th year in a row I’m publishing Bri’s Favorite Things, which can also be used a Holiday Gift Guide for your friends and loved ones. (See also: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014).

Because it’s year FIVE, I’m going BIGGER and BETTER and offering you TONS of options, so…. BUCKLE UP!

BOOKS & WRITING

Becoming , Crazy Rich Asians, Make Your Bed, The Four Agreements, Notebook, Mildliner

TECH

AirPods, White Marble iPhone Case,*Tortoiseshell iPhone Case, HP Sprocket (case, paper), Marshall Bluetooth Speaker,*Popsocket, iPad Mini

BEAUTY

FARMACY Green Clean Makeup Meltaway, Benefit Brow Pencil, Travel Size Cologne, Lipstick, Bloom Perfume

ACESSORIES

Double G Brooch,*Crystal Alphabet Charm, Supreme Backpack, Mini Pochette,*Gold Diamond Initial Necklace (Silver)

TV

Outlander (STARZ), Woman in White (PBS), The Crown (Netflix), Greenleaf (OWN)

CLOTHING & SHOES

Quarter-Zip Sharpa,*Houndstooth Tweed Jacket, Adidas Trefoil Tee,*Vogue Sweatshirt, Slippers, Rain Boots, Alabama Sweatshirt

Happy Shopping!

*items I do not own

 

#girlboss

Published on by BriAlys

It’s a term I absolutely love! According to a popular Netflix movie, a #girlboss is strong, smart, resilient, opinionated, confident and feisty! Do you agree? If not, no worries! Everyone has a different definition. While the point is to define what being a #girlboss means FOR YOU, the more important thing is to BE THAT. In your personal life, work life or however else you define your life.

BE. THE. BOSS. OF. YOUR. OWN. LIFE.

Not someone else’s. Live your best life. Stay in your lane and mind your own business. 🙋🏽 If you need to find (or re-find) inspiration you can listen to a #girlboss playlist (Spotify), read a #girlboss book, check out #girlboss quotes on Pinterest, set up a #girlboss lockscreen on your phone or take a #girlboss trip. #whateverworks

LIVE. THE. LIFE. YOU. WANT. MAKE. IT. HAPPEN.

You can be 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 or 100+! Just know that while you are doing all those things, so are others and it’s okay! For me, being a #girlboss means protecting my space and my peace. I guard that very closely because most times I just CANNOT!!!! 🚫

FIND. YOUR. PASSION. AND. DO. THAT.

FACT: I like writing and paper. And guess what? So do A LOT of other people. As normal, we take the things we love whole new #levels! See also: Planner Situation, my current favorite pen (there’s nothing wrong with a little bling!) or Shop PaperSource. Another one of my personal #girlboss criteria is to have order in my life – in written form of course – (and to look the part 😉)! The essential item I use to do this is an agenda. Mine is currently being repaired and I feel SO VERY stifled. 😩

You may have noticed I underlined a few words above: FIND, BE, DO, LIVE. They are all verbs because at the heart of being a #girlboss is to take ACTION.

GO. GET. IT. 🖤

50 for Your Future

Published on by BriAlys

New book alert! 50 for Your Future: Lessons from Down the Road by Tavis Smiley is  full of inspiration in the form of quotes followed by a (very) short story explaining the concept in more detail. You can think of it like a short devotional, packed with tips and wisdom that you can and should learn and re-read as a reminder. Reinforcement is key! Here is my favorite quote from the book:

You have the right to remain silent. Exercise it Sometimes.

The author goes on to explain (my thoughts in green):

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  • Sometimes the best thing you can do is just keep quit. I like to call this staying in your lane until and unless someone invites you into theirs. Even then, proceed with caution!
  • People often assume there is something implicit in what you leave unsaid – and that can be very powerful. In other words, you don’t always have to say something, to say something!

There are a few others I absolutely love as well

  • #24 -Fall in love with the possibility of you.
  • #28 – Some of you is not the sum of you.
  • #30 – Today is not refundable.
  • #50 – You decide. <== #THIS 🙌🏽✅

You can purchase the book on Amazon and also watch Tavis’ interview on Bloomberg below.

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Practice vs. Learning

Published on by BriAlys

51rhQVelq2L._SL500_AA300_PIaudible,BottomRight,13,73_AA300_I bought a new, amazing book from Audible.com (an Amazon company) for a whopping 99 cents, The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life.  I listened to the Introduction and Chapter 1 this morning while walking on the treadmill and I absolutely love it so far! Key themes so far include inner peace/happiness, self empowerment and learning to love the process – whatever you set out to do or be! You can download the Audible app from iTunes or Google Play and listen while on the go.

Lifehacker sums the book up this way:

  1. Learning Can Be a Crutch That Supports Inaction: In situations like this one, we often claim that we are preparing or researching the best method, but these rationalizations allow us to feel like we are moving forward when we are merely spinning our wheels. We make the mistake of being in motion rather than taking action. Learning is valuable until it becomes a form of procrastination.

  2. Practice Is Learning, But Learning Is Not Practice: Learning by itself can be valuable for you, but if you want to be valuable to others, then you have to express your knowledge in some way. Practice is the only way to make a meaningful contribution with your knowledge. 

  3. Practice Focuses Your Energy on the Process: The state of your life right now is a result of the habits and beliefs that you have been practicing each day. When you realize this and begin to direct your focus toward practicing better habits day-in and day-out, continual progress will be the logical outcome.

#ReadAnything

Calm in Chaos

Published on by BriAlys

ftfLife is tough. It’s hard. There’s always curve balls thrown at you from multiple angles: some you knock out of the park and some knock you down. There is a single factor that determines the outcome, regardless of the situation: you. So what’s the secret sauce? How do you stay calm in the midst of chaos, when you’ve got multiple things competing for your attention? The answer is tucked away in a book called First Things First by Stephen R. Covey. I received a copy of this book in 2001 by my manager while on my very first internship at Lucent Technologies. In your personal life, at work, in social circles, I’m telling you unequivocally this book is the answer because it asks one question: What are the most important things in your life? and forces you to #prioritize your greatest asset, #time.

So let’s get down to it. Grab a piece of paper and draw a square. Now divide it into 4 equal sections. You will fill in those boxes with all the things or tasks that occupy or compete for your time. They could be PTA meetings, Exercise, or preparing for a big presentation at work.

  • Top Left: Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects)
  • Top Right: Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships)
  • Bottom Left: Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters)
  • Bottom Right: Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters)

prioririesI’m serious here… Grab a piece of paper and get started! When you’re done, label the first column urgent, the second column not urgent. Label the first row important and the second row not important. Finally, I want you to do one thing: write a Big Fat Red X  on the bottom 2 squares. Why? Because they’re distractions! Avoid them at all costs and notice when others try to force you to respond to or focus on these types of situation. Spend your time on all those items you wrote on the top row and be strategic about it! That’s how you can stay calm in the midst of chaos: focus on what matters to YOU. Your blood pressure will thank you.