My Morning (Book) Jacket
November 25, 2017 8:58 AM Subscribe
I need an alternative to waking up and immediately scrolling through the news on my phone to see what terrible things happened while I was asleep. So I'm looking for suggestions for books (Kindle is a bonus) that offer daily inspirational readings that make me feel good, instead of bad, when I get out of bed.
Over the past year or so I've developed the terrible habit of immersing myself in the mess of the world right when I wake up. So I've been trying instead to reach not for my phone but for some kind of reading--short, thought-provoking, inspirational but not religious or cheesy--to start the day. I've tried a few things but haven't been able to really stick with them (Poem of the Day via e-mail, Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates, The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, The Daily Henry James, Tolstoy's Calendar of Wisdom). I love the format of just a paragraph or two, set up by the actual date. Other desires but not necessities: seasonally appropriate, not specifically religious (though Buddhism is an interest), available on Kindle, and maybe even geared towards writing as an art/craft or the natural world. It doesn't even have to be a book; I'd be interested in any daily e-mails, apps, or subscription services that might serve the same purpose. My psyche and overall sense of well being would be very grateful for suggestions!
Over the past year or so I've developed the terrible habit of immersing myself in the mess of the world right when I wake up. So I've been trying instead to reach not for my phone but for some kind of reading--short, thought-provoking, inspirational but not religious or cheesy--to start the day. I've tried a few things but haven't been able to really stick with them (Poem of the Day via e-mail, Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates, The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, The Daily Henry James, Tolstoy's Calendar of Wisdom). I love the format of just a paragraph or two, set up by the actual date. Other desires but not necessities: seasonally appropriate, not specifically religious (though Buddhism is an interest), available on Kindle, and maybe even geared towards writing as an art/craft or the natural world. It doesn't even have to be a book; I'd be interested in any daily e-mails, apps, or subscription services that might serve the same purpose. My psyche and overall sense of well being would be very grateful for suggestions!
Zen teacher Cheri Huber's book Transform Your Life: A Year of Awareness Practice includes 365 daily quotes with prompts for meditation, contemplation, and journaling.
posted by Lexica at 10:12 AM on November 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Lexica at 10:12 AM on November 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This may be perfect: A Dream Too Wild: Emerson Meditations for Every Day of the Year
posted by Lucy_32 at 10:48 AM on November 25, 2017
posted by Lucy_32 at 10:48 AM on November 25, 2017
I use Tumblr. If you set up a Tumblr account and follow only delightful weird accounts, you'll get a mix of happy quirky joy every morning,
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 12:40 PM on November 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 12:40 PM on November 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Slightly off-kilter: I bought a real alarm clock without a radio on it and started leaving my phone in the living room before bed. The rule is that I have to have made coffee and showered and stuff before I can check any of my notifications, and in the time that takes I’ve had enough time to think about what I want to do that day that it’s easier to just start doing those things instead of reading the news.
posted by Phire at 7:34 PM on November 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Phire at 7:34 PM on November 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
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you can also open any pema chodron or thich nhat hanh to about any page and read a paragraph or so. my fave is pema's 'when things fall apart'.
i also google "cats in guitar cases" pretty regularly.
fwiw
posted by j_curiouser at 9:13 AM on November 25, 2017 [3 favorites]