Welcome March! I hope you’re all doing really well and have been feeling very positive about the upcoming months! Recently, I had a few friends ask me about the best motivational and self help books I’ve read lately, and as I love discovering new ones to add to my list, I thought that it could be interesting to share my favourite reads. With so many book options on the market, sometimes it’s a bit hard to choose one, so I’d absolutely love to hear some of your recommendations too in the comments below!
I have to admit, from a very young age I’ve been a bit of a bookworm, and although my interests in book genres have changed over time, I generally love books that are uplifting, incite my imagination and that I can learn something new from. From finding purpose, increasing productivity and finances, to creative living and mindfulness, there are so many books that have had a positive impact in my life – maybe even too many to include in this single post! So here is a selection of some of my top motivational books to positively impact your life!
THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES by Jack Canfield
After finishing university, when I was seeking which direction to take professionally, I read this book and it completely changed my life. If you’re on the path of finding your purpose in life, I cannot recommend this book enough. From the first chapter, Jack Canfield discusses about taking 100% responsibility for your life, and this is such a great truth that brought me away from feeling a victim to all the external things that just happened to me, and gave me the reigns and control of being able to decide how I wanted to live my life.
THE FOUR AGREEMENTS by Dr Miguel Ruiz
There are not many books that I go back to many times after having finished them. However, The Four Agreements is a short, captivating read on spirituality that advocates personal freedom from beliefs that are creating limitations in our lives. Dr Miguel Ruiz offers a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love: 1) Be impeccable with your word 2) Don’t take anything personally 3) Don’t make assumptions 4) Always do your best.
It sounds super easy, right? I like playing a game where I track how many times I break an agreement (in my actions or my mind). To my constant amazement, I find myself stumbling over one or another of these agreements with some regularity. A truly transformative read!
BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert
I finished this book that taps into creative energy during my Christmas holidays, and I have to say, I absolutely enjoyed every page of this book, to the point where I was trying to not rush through it too fast! Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the bestseller Eat Pray Love, explains that when we have sudden intuitions of creative energy and ideas, they are small gifts from the Universe. She puts forward the idea of letting go of perfectionism, as the final reward is actually doing or creating something! When people are creative, they have to create just for the sake of creating, and not have an expectation of it being something grand, marvelous, or a best seller. She also addresses fear and doubting yourself, and how it’s something that is always going to be there, so we should learn to live with it as if it were a passenger in the back seat, but has no voice in taking decisions in our lives!
THINK LIKE A MONK by Jay Shetty
When I finished reading Big Magic, my sister Andrea and me decided to swap books as we had just finished reading at the same time, and this is the current book I’m reading which I’m thoroughly enjoying! I had been following Jay Shetty for a while as I love his content regarding mindfulness and introspection. In this book, he exposes his experience into becoming a monk in India, and the lessons he learnt during this three year journey. Think Like A Monk goes through topics like overcoming negativity and accessing the calm within all of us, and there’s a super interesting chapter in the book regarding purpose, that helps you seek out your dharma through the Vedic Personality Test, to find out if you fall into Creators, Leaders, Makers or Guides. Loving it!
YOU ARE A BADASS by Jen Sincero
This is a really good introduction to self development, to learning how to cultivate more self love, self acceptance and self awareness. Written in a humorous kind of way, its like having a really good conversation with a friend, with a mentor or someone you look up to. Throughout the book, Jen identifies a lot of the common thought processes or negative things that come up in our heads and how to replace them with positive thoughts instead. Its a fairly quick read, and if you enjoy hearing books on Audible, the author actually reads the book herself which is always a bonus!
THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman
From the title, this book seems directed just for romantic relationships. However, I have found it to be extremely helpful in understanding all of my relationships with people in my life. With what gestures do we feel most loved and valued? In other words, which Love Language do you speak? Do you feel more valued through Words of Affirmation (“Wow I really appreciate you doing that for me”) or can it be a Gift (A surprise bouquet of flowers)? Do you feel most loved through Acts of Service (Your loved one cooks for you your favourite meal) or through Physical Touch (hugging or holding hands)? Or is what you cherish the most spending Quality Time with your loved ones (a weekend getaway to spend quality time together)? It certainly isn’t the same for everyone, and Gary Chapman does a fantastic job in helping you discover which Love Language you and your loved ones speak through this enlightening read!
ARE THERE ANY MOTIVATIONAL BOOKS THAT YOU’VE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED?
HAVE YOU READ ANY OF THE BOOKS FROM THIS LIST AND WHAT DID YOU THINK?
I’D LOVE TO KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
Photo Source: Kristoffer Johnsson
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