A Library of Resistance: Books to Help You Beat Despair
This week, I’ve written a great deal on “Deaths of Despair.” They’ve taken America by the throat, and if we let them, they’ll threaten to do us in. As I wrote yesterday, we can resist the creeping despair by developing our own rhythms, rituals, and liturgies of resistance. But if you’ve never created personal rituals and rhythms, if you’ve never participated in spiritual liturgies, where do you start?
The Book of Waking Up: Experiencing the Divine Love That Reorders a Life, by Me. Sure, this might be a little self-serving, but my latest book is about identifying pain and the habits, addictions, and coping mechanisms—negative liturgies, you might say—we use to numb that pain. If we don’t wake to our negative liturgies, how can we put more positive ones in place?
You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, by James K.A. Smith. In this stellar work, Smith undoes the myth that we are merely thinking things. He shares how we are shaped by our everyday habits and liturgies, and how to embody faith through positive liturgies (including the Sunday liturgy). If you haven’t read this one, pick up a copy now.
Rythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose, by Rebekah Lyons. Lyons is no stranger to despair. While living in New York City, she suffered from debilitating panic attacks. How did she find peace and freedom from the onset of panic? Through a series of embodied habits, rituals, and personal liturgies. The practices she shares in this book—organized around the themes Rest, Restore, Connect, and Create—are practical habits that hedge against depression and anxiety.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear. You might be convinced that positive habits and liturgies can help you hedge against despair, but how do you start to create some that stick? Grab Atomic Habits. This book was the foundation for my own morning ritual, a ritual that’s full of purpose and meaning. It also helped me identify some of my negative habits and liturgies and kill them. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Grab a copy of these books, and let me know your thoughts. Then, let me know your thoughts.
Life Examined: What are your positive liturgies, the habits that hedge against despair?
***WAKE UP WITH ME***
THE BOOK OF WAKING UP —a book on addiction, attachment, and the Divine Love—launched TUESDAY so order a copy or ten at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookish (my favorite indie bookseller). Then, forward this post to a friend and ask them to read along.