5 BOOKS THAT DEFINED MY 2020 UPLEVEL
By: Kc Mccormick Çiftçi
Tags: Self Help Books, Book Recommendations, Books

5 BOOKS THAT DEFINED MY 2020 UPLEVEL

books Dec 15, 2020

2020 may not have been the year for goal crushing (what an understatement), and there’s a good chance the New Year’s resolutions we set at the end of 2019 probably seem laughable. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a transformative year. For me, I had set the goal to read more — to read 50 books, actually — and perhaps in part because I was at home even more than normal, I was actually able to do just that. Today, I’m going to share the five books that contributed most significantly to my 2020 uplevel — some of them just might surprise you.

*Disclaimer: I will post links to the books, which are affiliate links. This means that if you decide to purchase the book, a small percentage of the cost will go towards Borderless Stories and keeping this website running.

It all starts with hydration

The first book that really rocked my world this year was Quench, by Dana Cohen and Gina Bria. I would not necessarily have expected a book about hydration to be such a page turner, but this book really held my attention and taught me a lot. Prior to reading it, I thought I’d been doing just fine with hydration — I drank enough water, and I never really saw much of an effect from it when I didn’t, honestly. In reading this book and learning about the benefits of hydrating through eating plants, the way that hydration affects the fascia of the body…well, it definitely inspired me to change my habits. I started adding chia seeds to my drinks regularly, and I saw a huge difference in my energy levels. I had thought that an afternoon energy dip was the norm, and I thought that I was just someone who was occasionally unfocused and unmotivated. Turns out a significant portion of that may have actually been dehydration — the more you know!

Embracing the infradian cycle

Another book that rocked my world this year was In the FLO, by Alisa Vitti. This book is all about working with the unique cycle of hormones that occur in the (approximately) 28 days of the menstrual cycle. Even if you don’t have a period, this is a fascinating book. It goes into great depth about the different needs and strengths of the four phases of this cycle, called the infradian cycle. At different times, there are different foods and exercise that are more beneficial, activities that come more naturally, and our need for rest and/or stimulation can vary greatly, too. The most significant takeaway for me by far was the realization that who I am one day is not an ideal for who I should be every day. For example, there are times in my cycle when I am super focused and productive — that’s great! But that does not mean that I should be hard on myself on the days when I am more introspective or needing a break. I highly recommend this book if there is anyone in your life who would benefit from you understanding the effect that a menstrual cycle has on a body and a life.

Sensitivity is a strength

The next book is called The Highly Sensitive Person, by Elaine Aron. I have been learning more about the concept of highly sensitive people lately, and I will admit that the label is a bit off-putting to me. So if it feels that way to you as well, then bear with me because I think it is worth it to learn about this phenomena. Basically, there is a segment of the population that is highly sensitive — this is a genetic difference, not a judgement call. I read this book to learn more about myself and also to learn more about how to support the next generation of highly sensitive children. I learned a lot from it and found it really helpful to understanding times when I might feel overstimulated, decisions I have made in the past, and so much more. Even if you don’t consider yourself highly sensitive, there is a very good chance that someone close to you is, and they might benefit from you learning more about this trait.

Spiritual + scientific

I’ve really been enjoying Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza. I’m not sure if you can relate, but I love a book that combines spiritual truths with science — the first book that rocked my world with this winning combo was The Tao of Physics, and I hadn’t found anything else quite like it until I read my first book by Joe Dispenza. I’ve really taken my time reading it, practicing the different meditation techniques that are taught, and staring at the brain scans of the folks who’ve been doing the same techniques. It’s expanded my reality in a lot of ways, and I really recommend it. I’m looking forward to reading more of his books, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing them here when I do.

Crushing the upper limit

I’m saving the best for last because, wow. This book significantly contributed to the biggest change that happened for me this year, and I am so, so grateful that I stumbled onto it. The book is called The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks. In it, the author tackles the idea of the “upper limit problem” — the idea that, as we approach the limits of our happiness or success in an area of our lives, we may subconsciously sabotage ourselves in order to stay where we are comfortable. Breaking through that limit is scary and uncomfortable, and the author shares his experience working through that transformation, both in his own life and with a number of clients. This book introduced me to the idea of the different zones — the zone of competency, the zone of excellence, and the zone of genius. In distinguishing between the zone of excellence and the zone of genius, some of the questions that he asked are actually what inspired me to significantly pivot what I am doing in my business. I recommend reading the whole book, but to paraphrase some of those questions: what is it that lights you up? What can you lose track of time doing? Start thinking about those questions now…then go get your hands on a copy of this book to take it even further.