25 Books and Courses for your Business, Mind, Body and Soul

Surprisingly, considering I have very little time to spare, this year I have consumed a lot of books and courses.

I’m a frequent visitor to the Google Play book store and fill in every spare moment reading empowering books rather than scrolling through a Facebook feed full of cat pictures or complaints.

I love learning. If I don’t know how to do something, I quickly track down the expert in the field and learn from them.

As Benjamin Franklin says,

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We invest both time and money heavily into knowledge. It certainly pays off.

Here is a list of courses and books that I’ve done, or read, mostly over the past year. They’ve all had a significant impact in evolving my mind, body, soul and business.

(Some of these will contain affiliate links. That’s because whenever I find something I love I join up to be an affiliate, because I know I’m going to be sharing it and the small amount I receive, at no cost to you, helps cover our overheads.)

Books for Personal & Spiritual Growth

1. The Happiness Trap, Dr Russ Harris

The Happiness Trap is simply the BEST book I’ve ever read on Mindfulness and how to manage the never ending quest for happiness. If you only read one book this year, it has to be this one.

2. A Return to Love,  Marianne Williamson

I can’t believe it has taken me so long to read A Return to Love. This is the perfect example of when the student is ready. I’ve heard about it for years but always avoided it without understanding why; I’m now hanging off and understanding every word. It’s all about love people. Let’s return to it. I think travel is the amazing portal for it, yeah?

3. E-squared, Pamela Grout

E-Squared is a really fun book that demonstrates how the law of attraction works through some cool experiments. Try it and tell me about your yellow butterfly experience.

4. Ask and It Shall Be Given, Esther and Jerry Hicks

I loved the practical tips Jerry and Esther give you to help you raise your vibration. We attract into our life everything based upon how we feel. But, what happens when we dive into a funk as easily happens?

Ask and it shall be Given offers 23 processes, each targeting a particular emotion to help you move up. These work. I’ve been using them when I’ve been feeling overwhelm or frustration and they can easily take me out of it. Plus, we’re having awesome results in our life now!

5. Step into your Sacredness – 12 principles for creating the life your soul yearns for

Now this one is mine!! Nepotism at it’s best. These are the principles I’ve followed to live a life of travel for over 16 years, to now road trip around the most expensive country in the world with our 2 kids, AND to have one of the world’s biggest travel blog.

I do live the life my soul has always yearned for. I’m spilling my secrets here.

6. The School of the Modern Mystic, Belinda Davidson

School of the Modern Mystic only opens twice a year. I took the plunge this year and enrolled and am loving it. It’s a six month course devoted to cleaning the chakras and improving all areas of your life. It does involve a fair bit of inner work, but is kinda easy and loads fun. I’m really really really loving it. Check back with me in September if you’re keen on doing it alongside me.

7. Anatomy of the Spirit Caroline Myss

Anatomy of the Spirit explains the chakras- the energy systems of the body and how they affect our life with their blockages due to past pains and injuries. It’s a fascinating insight into how our mind body works.

8. Thrive by Arianna Huffington

We’ve been listening to Thrive by audiobook in the car, and it’s awesome! I’ve developed a new approach to business and life that involves a lot more sleep and less stress. She shares her insights on the Third metric for redefining success and creating a life of well-being, wisdom and wonder. Kind of what I think travel gives you.

Books for Relationships

9. Happy Wives Club

Happy Wives Club is a great book that shares the secrets to a happy marriage. Fawn Weaver took a journey around the world to discover the secrets from long-time married couples. I love her mission to prove that happy marriages is a thriving reality.

Books & Courses for Business & Blogging

10. Travel Blog Success

This is such a great course with an amazing community attached to it. It’s the only travel blogging community I’ve been involved with that does not argue or tear each other down. It’s very supportive, encouraging and a great place to get your questions answered by a wide variety of experienced and beginning bloggers.

Note, the community is only for those who purchase the travel blogging course, which has everything you need to know about travel blogging. It’s awesome and is the only travel blogging course I’ve done.

11. Jab Jab Jab Right Hook

This latest book by Gary Vee gives a great overview of the most popular social media platforms and how businesses need to be using them. It still amazes me how so many people are stuck back in canoes with one paddle when it comes to social media. Can you believe so many businesses in Australia don’t even have websites?

I love the case studies Gary gives in each one. Totally gave us some great ideas. Jab Jab Jab Right Hook is all about how to tell your story in a noisy social world.

12. Creating Traffic Driving Images

There is a reason why Donna Moritz was one of our blogger picks for this year and is steadily growing huge influence, including a regular contributor to Social Media Marketing and Entrepreneur.com  and Best Australian Business Blog in 2014

Her course, Create Traffic Driving Images is awesome. It’s all about visual social media. At a time when most facebook pages are diving with engagement rates, ours are increasing from what we have learned in this course. And our images look hot!

(And Donna interviewed us for a bonus feature of her course- we share our visual image strategy tips for Pinterest!)

13. Marie Forleo’s B-School

Marie’s our girl. Totally transformed our whole business. Doing B-School last year was the best investment we’ve made business wise. If you are starting a business, want to start one, or already have, you shouldn’t look anywhere else but here as it will teach you all you need to know to get it right from the beginning, have fun doing it and make a huge difference to the people you serve.

It’s a positive and loving space as well. Marie only opens the course once a year in Feb. So note it in your calendar. Like this year, we will have a private mentoring group for those who do the course with us.

14. PR School – Publicity Alchemy

We adore Kelly O’ Brien who’s been a huge supporter and friend of ours. A former journalist, Kelly understands the whole PR and pitching process. She shares all her wisdom in her course the Publicity Alchemy.

I love how Kelly shares her advice from the perspective of someone who was always pitched to for possible stories to feature in traditional media. She knows exactly what will catch a journalist’s eye and how to speak to them in the right way.

15. The 4-hour Work Week

I have this anti-cult thing. You know running the other way from things that everyone is running to. Like Apple, Instagram and the 4-Hour Work Week. Yeah right, as IF that’s a real thing! And it’s not, but I finally gave in to just see what it’s about. I did see Tom Ferriss talk at Problogger a few years ago and loved him.

I’ve only just started the book, and I think I’m going to like it. In fact, I think he’s written it about me! Lol. Anyway I’m keen to sharpen my business savvy and knock down a few hours.

Books for Improving Your Money

16. Lucky Bitch Money Bootcamp

Now I haven’t done this course but Denise was hugely responsible for me diving into our Money Project and dramatically improving our financial situation. I gained some new insights through her free abundance training (get tips) which challenged me to make some changes. Read more about it here. It’s incredible the difference it has made.

I’m very keen to do her course, but I wanted to do a few tests and things on my own first. She truly knows how to help people increase wealth in their lives and respect their own value.

17. The Attractor Factor by Joe Vitale

This is an oldie, but a goodie. The Attractor Factor jumped into my hands in a bookstore in Beechworth. Joe’s 5 step plan for attracting abundance is simple, yet truth. Love it.

18. Tapping into Wealth, Margaret M Lynch

I’m almost finished Tapping into Wealth and I love it. I’m learning a lot for my Money Project and I think it’s one of the most practical and easily understood frame of work around money and how our beliefs can greatly impact our income levels – most of the time without us knowing!

Books for Travel

19. Getting out of Auto, Bethany Salvon

Getting out of auto is a beautifully designed book that explains simply how to shoot out of auto on your camera and take better pictures.

20. Don’t forget our travel ebook!

Designed to help you create the travel life you love without spending a fortune. We share a TON of tips and strategies for getting cheap or free travel. You can get it as a package with Step into your Sacredness for a discounted price.

21. How to Get Started with Housesitting

It’s such a great strategy to travel the world for free. Check out this great housesitting guide from the Globetrotter Girls.

22. How to Work on a Cruise Ship

This is such a great strategy for working around the world and seeing the sights. Our friend Wandering Earl did it for many years, and shares all his secrets to help you do the same in his ebook.

Books for Health and Eating

23. I Quit Sugar cookbooks

Sarah Wilson is my idol. I hang off her every piece of healthy wisdom! I love her I Quit Sugar series. Her Chocolate Cookbook is just awesome. We loved this chocolate tart we made for Christmas. Her Christmas cookbook totally rocked the house, and the I Quit Sugar cookbook is well thumbed through in my kitchen.

She’s also where I learned a lot of my tips for skin care on the road

24. Clean Living Cookbook

This is the book that gave our family The Ultimate Smoothie!! I love the clean recipes the boys offer through their paleo lifestyle- sugar free, dairy free and gluten free!

25. 21 day Cleanse and Simple Green Smoothies

I discovered Jennah and Jadah earlier this year and they have transformed my eating. I love their simple smoothie recipes and I purchased their 21 day cleanse. Doing a cleanse on the road is really tough and we made 10 days, which I was proud of.

I continue to regularly use their recipes, which are easy, delicious and soooo healthy! I’m not into diets, nor fasts that make you just have juice or watery soup. I like good wholesome, nutritious foods and this cleanse is full of it. Seriously who’d have thought raw tacos could taste good!

Heads Up: My sister and I are creating a cookbook sharing awesome road trip recipes! She’s a chef so the perfect partner for this book! Tell us what you’d love to see in it!