Journey To The Soul

Books for a Softer, Stronger Now

• Jacenda Villa

Share episode

Some days the world hums so loud it rattles the bones. We’re feeling it too, and rather than push past it, we chose to slow down and share the books that have steadied our hearts and sharpened our presence. This is a reading list for anyone craving clarity, gentleness, and a way to move through big feelings without hardening.

We begin with the power of simple presence and mindful breathing, drawing on Thich Nhat Hanh’s You Are Here to return to the only moment that changes anything: now. From there, we look at purpose through Ainslie MacLeod’s The Instruction—soul ages, missions, and patterns that make sense of fears and gifts you may have carried for years. We talk about trust and flow with Michael Singer’s The Surrender Experiment, where saying yes to what life brings becomes a radical, practical path. We pause with Pema Chödrön’s Taking the Leap to catch ourselves in the instant of reactivity and learn freedom in uncertainty. And we redefine love with Anthony de Mello’s The Way to Love, moving from attachment and control to awareness and inner wholeness.

Throughout, we connect the dots: mindfulness as a daily skill, surrender as an antidote to control, purpose as alignment rather than pressure, and love as the natural fruit of awareness. If you’ve been navigating anxiety, division, or a sense of energetic overload, these pages offer tools you can use today—short practices, reframes, and stories that bring you back to peace. Pick one book, try one exercise, and notice how your inner weather softens and steadies the people around you.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a calmer day, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. What are you reading that’s helping right now? We’d love to hear.


Find all the books we discussed below :)

You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Instruction by Ainslie MacLeod

The Surrender Experiement by Michael A. Singer

Taking the Leap by Pema Chodron

The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello

Podcast mentioned in this episode:

The Call to Embody Your Light

Subscribe to my Newsletter HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE


SPEAKER_00:

Hello, my loves. Welcome to another episode of Journey to the Soul. I hope you are all having a beautiful day. There is so much energy going on in the world right now. I feel like we're all feeling that. And I just want to check in and see how you're doing. How have the last few weeks been for you? The last few months, really. This year has been very energetically heightened. So I'm so curious to know how everyone is holding up. It's definitely has been a little bit more of a year that is making us face everything that's in front of us. And that's okay. These are the moments in our life where we're meant to grow and expand. Today I wanted to share with you some books that I feel would be super helpful if you are walking a path of expansion when it comes to your spirituality or your deeper desire and understanding to want to understand like the deeper truths in life. Whether that's you yourself, your path, or the world around you, and kind of energetically how you can move through what's going on right now. I have some books that I want to share with you. And I love to read. Reading is one of my favorite things. It is one of my true loves. So sharing books is one of my love languages. And I have a short, just a few books to share with you today because I feel like right now we can all agree that there is a lot going on in everyone's life. We're being given so many opportunities, so many what many of us might call challenges than we might have ever experienced at a previous point in our life. And that's okay. Those challenges, these experiences that have been put in front of you at this moment are there for reason. And you're being called to rise up against them, to not let your experiences inhibit you from moving forward and you being your fullest self in this life, to move beyond any fears or limitations you might have to choose the light, because the light always exists if we choose to find it, which it's really not that hard to find. It's just a conscious choice that we need to make. So, how do we learn to be more at peace with everything that is going on in the world? How do we feel more grounded when the world feels so ungrounded right now? How do we root ourselves in love when fears and everything that comes from fear feels so much louder than love itself? And this collective experience that we're going through, because you're not alone. This is something that we're all being asked to do in different ways in our life right now. But this is almost like an initiation of some sort. You could almost think of it like that. But this is all prompting us for us to really step into what's meant for us. So this is a moment in time for us to expand, to really, really create the version of us, the vessel for us to continue on to the next evolution of our life. And I did already talk about this in another podcast. I just specifically talked about the energy that we've all been feeling the last couple of months and why we're feeling it. So I'm gonna link that episode down below if you want to listen to it. I just touch on what this experience is. So if you're having a hard time with being here and this storm feeling so heavy right now, I encourage you to listen to that episode. But also, of course, listen to this and you can take in some of the book recommendations that might help you on your path right now. Because I really do feel like books are on our spiritual path. Books are really there to serve as teachers, guides, or companions. And I feel like when we know that something needs to change in our life, a lot of the times we don't know where to start. And I feel like a book is a very easy way to open that door. And I love books, like I've mentioned. I believe words have such incredible power to shift your perspective, to help you heal, to inspire you. I mean, they are one of the easiest things that we can go to. The other thing that some of these books might highlight is the need for us to open our heart to love more. And this ties so much into the energy that we're all feeling right now. Because when I talk about love, this is love for ourselves. First and foremost, we need to be at peace with who we are. That is fundamental to everything. And a lot of what so many of us are experiencing right now may be wars within ourselves. So love towards ourselves, love towards others, and to the world around you, people you don't even know. And this is something that is so necessary right now in our world because there is so much division between so many of us. And even if it doesn't make sense, love truly heals the world. And loving ourselves is something that radiates outward, it radiates from within us and is healing to all those around you in your life. And this is so imperative, especially right now when the world feels so heavy, because people are gonna feel into that energy that you are carrying as you walk through life. And it's gonna help us all continue to grow and evolve together, but in a way that where we're all holding hands and walking the path together, regardless of what differences we may have. So opening our hearts to love is also one of the best things that we can do for ourselves. The first book recommendation that I have for you, it's called You Are Here by Teach Not Han. It's a super quick read. It wouldn't take you that long at all. And I love short little books that pack a punch. But this book, like the title says, is about you being fully present in each moment of your daily life. And it talks about how happiness is not found in striving for the future or dwelling in the past, but it's about being right here, right now, in the moment that you are in with awareness and compassion, which are key principles that are talked about. They're principles that are part of Buddhist teaching. And this book is based off of Buddhist teachings. Teach Not Han is actually a Zen Buddhist monk. So that's where you know the backing for so much of the knowledge comes from. But he has written so many books, they're all very like short but very powerful reads, and they really pack a punch. I feel like there are so many things that we just need at any moment in life, whether it's learning how to cultivate presence or how to feel at peace with our life and the world around us, and how to realize how we are all connected to one another. So this book in particular highlights mindful breathing. So, like very simple breathing exercises that you can do whenever or wherever you are, and it also shows us how painful emotions like fear, anger, or anxiety can be transformed through mindfulness instead of us suppressing them or choosing not to face them, and how peace can be found in very simple moments in your everyday life. I want to make a whole other episode on this, but you know, on different meditation practices and things like that. But why do people meditate? Why do people do visualization or breath work? They want to feel a deep sense of peace, most of the time, a lot of the time. That's one of the reasons. But the reason that we want that is so that we can move through our day from this state of deep peace, understanding love. It's this frequency. And when we align to that every single day, how we move through life, how we react to things changes. So sitting in meditation or doing breath work are all wonderful things. And I think that most of us can find a version of those practices that align with us and can help us in our daily lives. But the real kicker is you actually being able to do that and cultivate that in your life. Ultimately, that should be the point of what we are doing when we are doing any kind of mindfulness practice. It's not about you sitting and meditating and then moving about your day as you did before you even meditated. It's about you in everyday moments being mindful and so rooted in peace. And that's the real act of mindfulness, of being connected to your being. And I feel like some of us forget that and we just go through the motions of trying to do the ritual, meditating and doing it every single day, or visualizing and doing it every single day. But it's really about doing it in everyday moments that counts. So he highlights that in this book. And the last thing that he really touches on is everything regarding compassion and love. And true love, according to him, is rooted in presence and understanding, which I completely agree with too. It comes back to you being in this frequency. And when you are in a frequency of peace or love, then that allows you to open your heart to other people, to yourself. And it creates this understanding, this peace between other people in your life. And I feel like that's something that with this energy that we're all feeling right now, we are all craving some kind of grounding when we feel so ungrounded. So it's really a great little guide if you want to try to find more mindful moments in your life or to just find more inner peace amid everything that's going on, and to just open you up to the idea that even when everything feels as it does, you can live with joy and compassion and presence and peace. Which I mean, my goodness, don't we all want that right now in our lives? So it really gives you the tools to do that. The next book that I have for you is The Instruction by Ansley McLeod. McLeod. I hope I'm saying his last name right. I have actually talked about one of his other books in a different list that I did maybe a year ago. One of my favorite books is by him. It's called The Old Souls Guidebook. The one that I wanted to mention today is also one of my favorites. It's called The Instruction. And Ansley is actually a psychic, and his focus on is past life stuff. So with his guides, he has created essentially a framework for us to understand our soul's journey on this earth and through different lifetimes. So that's how he's made his works. But I feel like they are super helpful. It's such insightful information. If you want to gain a deeper understanding of what your soul chose to do in this life, if you believe in past lives and reincarnation and all of that jazz, then I think you would really enjoy this book because a lot of what we are craving right now is to understand ourselves, our soul at a deeper level. So his framework is really helping us understand our soul's journey throughout different lifetimes. And he talks about how our soul chooses a plan before we come into this life. And things like the age of our soul, the type of soul that we have, which again are things that are part of his framework. We all have different missions, fears, and themes that are all a mix of that, that are create that essence of our soul. And again, these are all things, all this information is information that he channeled from his spirit guides. And the goal is to help you align your life that you're leading right now with the life that is intended for you, your deeper soul path. So, with soul ages, he talks about, you know, how souls progress from being a young soul to an old soul and what that means, and what each stage, which there's 10 different stages according to him, means what are your strengths and weaknesses according to that soul age, and what uh you're really meant to focus on. And there, of course, the soul types that describe more of our soul's natural tendencies, what we're drawn to, and our soul mission, which is the overarching purpose that we're meant to fulfill in this life. And what I also love as well is that he talks about how past life influences can show up in our life. This can be fears, blocks, or even gifts that we come into this life with. And it's super insightful if you're trying to get an understanding of your soul and maybe why you may have certain fears. Maybe there are fears that you came into this life with already. So if you are curious about that, this would be a wonderful book for you. And it really gives you a framework and a roadmap for how to heal past life fears that may be holding you back and how to align daily with your soul's highest intention, because it just creates a deeper sense of peace and meaning and flow, which again is what we're all craving right now. So many of us are being called to live more in alignment fully, to be our authentic selves, you know, and knowing what if you are confused about maybe what that might look like for you, this would be a great book. If you don't know where to start, or if it feels very cloudy, this would be a wonderful book to start with. The next book I have for you is The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. I have mentioned this book in another episode. It was one of my favorite reads, I think in 2024 or 2023. But I absolutely love this book and I feel like it is also so helpful with everything that is going on. The surrender experiment is about Michael's experience with him applying this idea of fully surrendering in his life. So it's written like a memoir, and it really captures his entire process with that, what his life brings, how his life expands. So he has this spiritual awakening when he's pretty young, and he starts incorporating spiritual practices into his life, like meditation and yoga, because he realizes that we all have this mental chatter that is incessant, it's continuous, it's always happening, right? So he told himself that he he made a vow essentially to accept whatever life presented with him, and that's what this book captures. It's him surrendering to everything that life brings him, regardless of what he thought about it, whether it was something that he thought he should or shouldn't do. It just took him to very unexpected places. He started building houses in the woods and slowly became a spiritual teacher, and he also gained so much success in the industry that he worked in. And this is without any planning or anything. It just he continued to take the step in front of him and surrendered to whatever the universe was placing in front of him, and that's how he moved through his life, and it's very eye-opening to read this because at the end of the book, you know, he's reached this point in his life and he's found such a deep sense of peace and trust by doing this, by knowing that ultimately he doesn't need to have it all figured out, and there's something greater than us that is pulling all the strings, and how this has brought him to this incredible place in life. And it's ultimately that life is happening exactly as it should be, and that us trying to fight what's happening or resisting what's happening doesn't actually allow us to find the goodness that can also simultaneously happen in that moment. Like freedom, love, growth, expansion, it can all happen if we choose to surrender. And I think that that's something that so many of us can definitely lean into more right now. It's knowing that we don't need to know everything that's happening or where our path is taking us or where the world is going, because ultimately there's only so much that we can know. But it is really for you to trust deeply, for you to know that you are always being taken care of, that there is always someone watching out for you and wanting you to go where you're meant to go. And everything is happening in divine timing, it's all unfolding as it should, even if it doesn't go according to our plan. So if you feel like that's something that you've been struggling with, this book would be gold for you. I absolutely love it. It is amazing. His other book, The Untethered Soul, is also amazing. I've also shared talked a little bit about that in another podcast episode. The next book I have for you is Taking the Leap by Pema Chowren. And Pemma Chowren is actually a Buddhist nun. She's a teacher, she's an author, she's also written so many books regarding so many different things when it comes to Buddhism. She talks about mindfulness, compassion, and embracing uncertainty and working through emotional pain. And this book in particular is about us recognizing and stepping out of our habitual reactions. Triggers, you know, things that make us feel some type of way. Because this is how we are able to actually transform those moments and take the leap, as she calls it, into freedom and presence. So she talks about different things, but essentially us being able to identify our triggers and what they might be, and then learning to pause instead of following the urge that a lot of the times we feel to react immediately when we are triggered by something. And she talks about doing this in different ways, whether it's taking a pause or breathing or just creating space, because this allows you to create a new reaction that is different from your usual triggered reaction. And she also discussed how so much of life is uncertain and how so much of our suffering comes from us resisting that fact. So it's essentially the book, it's called Taking the Leap, and it's about us being able to take the leap into what she calls groundlessness, and it's us knowing that we just simply need to soften our need for control and discover freedom in uncertainty. So it's taking the leap into that. And when we do that, when we stop clinging to old things, we open ourselves up to compassion for ourselves and for others. Because when we are able to see our own struggles, like the things that we fight internally, that helps us see that in others as well. And this is how we're able to create a bridge and create a safe space for everyone. And she also just highlights different practices that you can go through to live in this way. So again, it's very similar, it's similar but different, also rooted in Buddhist approaches on working with your fears, triggers, and habits. And it's all about us being able to cultivate awareness, presence, and compassion instead of us reacting. So another incredible book to read, also very short read if you're not into big chunky books, especially when it comes to Buddhist concepts, they can be a little bit harder to digest. So if you've been wanting to understand different Buddhist concepts or learn a little bit more about Buddhism, this book and Teach Not Han's book would be good because they are just short and concise. And if you have ever tried reading a book on Buddhism, they can be quite big and there's a lot, a lot of information to process and read. So this would be something that is very friendly if you are new to the concepts. The last book I have for you is called The Way to Love. It's the last meditations of Anthony DeMello. And this was actually published after he died, and it's such a short book. It just happened to turn out that so many of these books were short. But this is actually a collection of some of his essays, his reflections on his core teachings of love, awareness, and freedom. Anthony DeMello was actually an Indian Jesuit priest, a psychotherapist, a spiritual teacher. So he talks about a lot of these things in his works. He wrote about Eastern traditions and also Christianity. So his work is very easy to read. It's like almost storytelling as well. And a lot of people really resonated with it. So this book in particular is about discovering true love and how love is not attachment, dependency, or possession, but should come from a state of awareness and freedom. And he says that so much of what we call love in our world is actually rooted in fear conditioning and self-interest. So he talks about how awareness is the first step for us to be able to cultivate a deep and true love. And this is to truly love ourselves, we must see ourselves, others, and our life as they are, not as we wish them to be. And how freedom, control, and dependencies are the enemy of love. And real love arises when we no longer need others to validate who we are. It comes from a sense of wholeness. And he also touches on how so much suffering comes from false beliefs and expectations that we have about happiness or different life circumstances. And that love can be found in the present moment. It's not found in the past or the future, which a lot of us can project, and it's lived here in this moment. And it's a very short book with like 31 meditations that he's written. So you can almost read one a day. You could read it in a whole day if you wanted to, but you could read one and meditate on it. It would be perfect for that. But I feel like with how the world is right now, this is something that we all need to open ourselves up to. Loving ourselves, loving others. We all just need that space. So this book gives a lot of insight on how to create a love that is rooted in freedom, in you know, awareness, and for us to be able to challenge like conventional norms when it comes to attachment and happiness. So this is a short read, but it's a very powerful little read. If you feel like maybe one of the things that you're struggling with is opening your heart up to yourself or to other people in your life, maybe you were hurt deeply by someone else. Else recently, and you don't know how to trust other people or how to ever allow yourself to do that again. But this shows the thread of how it all connected, how it begins with us. In order for us to be able to love others, we need to love ourselves first. And this is honestly something that we just need in the world. It is so healing, and there is so much fear, so much strong negative emotions going on right now. This is what we need to pour out of us. This is what the world needs for us to heal and be able to move through the world in lightness, you know. And I'm sure you saw a theme with all of these books. It's really about cultivating a way to coming back to the now for you being in the present moment. And I feel like that's so important because in the present moment is where the power lies. And I feel like a lot of the times when we go through challenging moments in our life, we keep going through the same challenge. We keep repeating the same cycle, we keep repeating the same fear and reacting in the same way, or you know, keep doing the same thing. But in order for change to occur, we need to make new choices. And that comes with us being here. That comes with us being where we are and choosing something else. I've said that before because if you want to make a change in the world, this is how to do it. It's about you making a change in yourself that radiates out to the world. And I want you to remember that we are all walking this path together. Sometimes it feels like a lonely road, but it's not. We're all doing this right now at the same time. I'm here talking about this with you, and I am not immune. No one is immune. And I'm sitting here talking about it because I feel like more now than ever, we need to be there for one another, help each other out as we go through these times that can feel a bit more challenging. And sometimes all it takes for us is to read a line in a book or read a story or just read something that completely shifts our perspectives about the way we see the world, ourselves, you know, it creates a whole new reality. So I would love for you to pick up one of these books if they sounded interesting to you or if one of them piqued your interest and see how that speaks to your heart and know that our path is always unfolding. And if you are reading something else, something different right now that maybe is helping you move through everything that you're experiencing in your life. I would love to know what books you're reading or what's helping you do that right now. And you can send me a message on Instagram as well. I would love to know. But we're all walking this path together. Remember that. I am sending you all a huge hug and so much love until next time.