Reading books isn’t something I started at an early age. I began this journey quite late, in my first year of university. I always liked the idea, but I never found a book that started this passion until then. Not being an avid reader was a source of frustration for me in many ways. It made me feel insecure. I wasn’t writing or speaking correctly, and I was limited in general knowledge.
Luckily for me, the Universe got in my way an extraordinary human being who was to become one of my best friends in college. At the beginning of our friendship, she offered me a book (I don’t remember the name). I was so fascinated by what was written in that book that I read it breathlessly.
Fifteen years have passed since then, and now I’m proud to say that I have read a little library until now. It is not much but is an ongoing process. I could spend days in a row reading books and still not quenching my thirst for knowledge. Reading is something I got to love and appreciate along the way while discovering myself and shaping my beliefs.
I had moments when I felt how the perspective I was weaving a particular situation changed in a second. It was like my mind suddenly discovered a new window that I was not even aware of until then.
To experience such moments is magical and mind-blowing at the same time. I feel blessed to have lived such moments. I will always be grateful to my friend Alexandra, that gave me the key to this incredible kingdom.
About the books
I like to know and understand everything. So I don’t have a favourite gender. I read books about neuroscience, self-discovery, history, poetry, novels, SF, business, psychology, fairy tales. You name it. Every book I read is now part of me. They shaped the way I see life, understand myself, relate to others or comprehend the Universe.
Below, I will share five self-development books from different fields: well-being, business, psychology, coaching, and neuroplasticity. That gave me new perspectives through which I’m now looking at my mind, soul, and relationships. In another post, I will address other books from different areas that also strongly influenced me. Until then, check out these five inspiring books. If you like a particular book, I inserted a direct link from where you can purchase every book.
Heal your wounds and find your true self
by Lise Bourbeau
Heal your wounds and find your true self is a little book that has the power of a giant. I believe my journey to compassion for every human being, including myself, really started with this book. Even if we look different, we can see that we are all suffering in our way. If we know how to look through different lenses and from different perspectives, we can connect to those around us and be more understanding and gentle with one another.
We are all pieces of history, lives of happiness, suffering and wounds engraved in little cells. Every one of us has in the DNA parts of her or his mother and father, which have their parents with their own sets of experiences and emotions engraved in their DNA. We are now the result of our ancestors, our parents and our own experiences and feelings. The things that we blame and condemn ourselves are part of this journey. We want to start seeing it from this perspective and start treating ourselves with compassion and love.
We often make the mistake of seeing only the outcome, I’m insecure, I am afraid, I am fat, and we don’t go down the spiral and see what lies behind all of this. Where has this process started? How it evolved, and if we need to live with all this blame and guilt. The truth is that we can act differently and heal ourselves from all these wounds. I believe courage also comes from the knowledge we are open enough to receive it.
Think and grow rich
by Napoleon Hill
This book was mind-blowing for me. For the first time in my life, I found out that many of the people who created gigantic businesses were applying notions like meditation, energies, visualisation, the law of attraction, etc. This made me understand that life is not divided into physical and spiritual, business and art, mind and soul. These aspects that seem so opposed are blending into each other, creating a single complex shape.
I recommend Think and grow rich to everyone who wants to look into some very popular and rich people’s minds. They shared with Napoleon Hill their mistakes, values and achievements. It is a wonderful book that can inspire and motivate us to start experiencing different approaches to the trials we go through each day.
Nonviolent Communication
by Marshall B. Rosenberg
I spoke about this book many times, and I still feel the need to recommend it. I can’t stress enough how important this book is for our well being. Through speaking, we communicate on this planet through words that have different backgrounds, both energetically and historically. Some have thousands of years of evolution, while others are new. Some have even different meanings and understandings. Depending on the energy and the intentions behind them, words can hurt us deeply or lift us instantly. Understanding simple mechanisms like this can bring tremendous transformations in the way we communicate with others and ourselves.
Marshall B. Rosenberg explains in Nonviolent Communication why we don’t get along with each other and how to communicate to be heard and understood. We can’t be all experts in communication. But we definitely can understand why words hurt us so badly and how we can shift our feelings. In my perspective, this book should be read by every human being on this planet.
The Miracle Morning
by HAL ELROD
I never was a morning person. All my life, I hated waking up in the morning. At one point, I also hated the morning people because, in my mind, they made me feel lazy. What I love the most at late night hours is the silence and the clarity of the mind. You know everything that happened throughout the day, and you know what your next steps should be.
Still, a part of the work I do with myself is experiencing new things and things I’ve always rejected. Among the rejected ones is waking up early. This is the only book that I had read about this subject, and it was the perfect one. In September 2019, I started an experiment. I began waking up at 05:00 in the morning, every day.
The experience was priceless. I learned so many things and discovered a new kind of silence and clarity. Utterly different from the one in the night but equally addictive. Now I’m in the process of balancing both of them, late-night hours and waking up early. Currently, I wake up around 07:00, but I miss 05:00 every single day. I managed to wake up at 05:00 for five months in a row. My target was one year. I failed, but I’m thinking to start all over again.
The Miracle Morning is a perfect book if you intend to make changes in your life. Also, it guides you through creating a system that you can apply to anything you wish to improve. After I began waking up in the morning, I started this blog a few months later. I made everything by myself, without knowing anything about building sites and while caring for a newborn baby. So I can say this book did its job pretty well.
Scattered Minds
by Gabor Mate
Scattered Minds is among the last books I read. This book gave me so much clarity regarding aspects like childhood traumas, parenting, blame, shame, fear, our society today, ourselves in this society, and more. The book addresses the subject of ADHD. But I would not be too fast in detaching myself from the book if you think that – you are not in this boat.
If you decide to try and read it, I would be happily surprised if you didn’t find yourself in it at least once. You may also say that what is in the past is in the past so why dig it up. If you have even one thing in your life that is not working, your answer is 100% in your childhood. If you are reading this article, I believe you already agree that everything is here and now. Your past is here through you, so you can’t ignore it. You want to understand it and own it so it won’t hold you.
In this book, you will find incredible resources that will give you new perspectives from which to view your childhood, past, present, traumas, or your parents. If you are already a parent, this book can be incredibly inspiring and resourceful. See also this interview with Gabor Mate in which he speaks about the subject in detail.
Final words
Books are paths, doors or stairs to our inner worlds. Books can be our guides and sources of inspiration. The book Autobiography of a Yogi so inspired Steve Jobs by Paramahansa Yogananda that he offered this book to all his friends. “It transformed many of my friends and me.”
Walter Isaacson, the author of the book Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, writes, “Autobiography of a Yogi was the one book that Steve Jobs had downloaded on his iPad… the guide to meditation and spirituality that he had first read as a teenager… then re-read in India and had read once a year ever since.”
Another example of a well-known man who got his inspiration from books is Elon Musk. The science fiction series “Foundation” created by scientist and author Isaac Asimov had a tremendous impact on Elon Musk’s vision in creating SpaceX and Tesla.
Have you read any of the books presented above? If yes, what is your opinion? Also, do you have a book that inspired you? I would love to discover your story and find new inspiring books and authors. Share your thoughts below.
Love yourself,
