As within, so without…
Most people think self-help books sound like a bunch of hype, someone selling you dreams that you’ll likely never attain.
But not all self-help books are like that. In fact, some are truly transformational and life-changing.
I used to think the same thing about self-help books. That they were for losers or people who were really struggling in life (even though I felt like that was me before I started reading these types of books).
I just couldn’t bring myself to be seen as one of those kinds of people. Those people who just can’t seem to get their lives together no matter what.
That wasn’t me.
But the fact was, it was me. I just refused to see it. And the patterns I was repeating because of the “agreements” I made with other people (and myself) were only hurting me.
I was running around with programming from my past and operating off of that (and often lashing out because of it).
Once I started my journey of really looking inside myself, I realized that there was a lot I was holding onto that wasn’t serving me in my present reality.
And I knew something needed to change.
So I wanted to share some of the books that helped me change my mindset and transform my life.
Here goes.
1. Radical Self Love
Radical Self Love by Gala Darling is one of the first books I read on my path to self-love, and it’s been truly life-changing.
The book gives you all kinds of exercises to try to help you learn how to love yourself (radically). It helps you take a closer look at what’s stopping you from living your dream life. It helps you examine any limiting beliefs you might be holding onto that might prevent you from getting to where you want to be in life.
I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to add a little self-love to their lives.
2. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
When it comes to training your brain for financial success, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Ecker is one of the best books out there on the subject. It teaches you how to talk to yourself so that you can train yourself to think like a millionaire, instead of a poor person.
A poor man’s mentality is what keeps most people in their life situations, according to the book. If you can change your mindset, you can change your life situation. This book teaches you how to do precisely that with tips and exercises that can help you start moving in the direction of millionaire-thinking.
3. The Power of Now
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a great primer on how to stop living in the past and in the future.
The Power of Now discusses how people tend to live in the past or future, which is the reason for the majority of human suffering. The book helps you take control of the present moment and learn how to be present in the Now, rather than anxious about the future or sad or angry about the past.
It also helps you realize that all you have is the present moment to make changes. Forget the past and move from where you currently are now.
It helps you realize that once you stop trying to get to some better “future” and stop focusing on “becoming, achieving, or attaining,” that’s when you’ll find true enlightenment — true heaven on earth. It’s a true game-changer and I highly recommend it to everyone.
4. The Four Agreements
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is similar to The Power Of Now, in that it teaches you how to get rid of self-limiting beliefs based on what people have said about you in the past (that you believed and agreed to).
The Four Agreements gives you four agreements that you have to make with yourself if you want to experience true heaven on earth — true enlightenment.
So if you want to experience that, this book and The Power of Now can get you there. I recommend taking notes and writing down your realizations as you read both books to help you process everything and also to return to later for reflection. Keep a journal.
6. Dear Universe
Dear Universe by Sara Prout is less of a book you can read straight through and more of a collection of mini-meditations (200 to be exact).
Basically, if you’re feeling a certain way, you flip to the page with that feeling on it and read the meditation followed by “so be it, so it is.”
Each mini meditation is accompanied by a short story or anecdote from the author that helps you understand your situation better, see it in a different light, or deal with it better.
It’s a great source of strength to keep turning to, knowing the universe always has your back.
The book has 100 mini-meditations to help you rise above fear and 100 mini-meditations to embrace love.
7. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Even though this book came out quite a while ago (it’s been 25 years!), it’s been transformational in changing how I think about money. It’s an overview of what the rich teach their kids about money that the poor don’t.
If you want to change the way you think about money, this book is a great start.
The book, according to its description, does the following:
- Explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich
- Challenges the belief that your house is an asset
- Shows parents why they can’t rely on the school system to teach their kids about money
- Defines once and for all an asset and a liability
- Teaches you what to teach your kids about money for their future financial success
So if you want to change your mindset about money, this book can help.
8. You Are a Badass
Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life is a refreshing take on the self-help book and gives you the kick in the butt you need to get your ass in gear.
It’s an easy, quick read with tons of relatable anecdotes that help drive the point home. It was so popular, it got a sequel (which I haven’t gotten around to reading yet, but I’m sure is equally great).
According to Amazon:
YOU ARE A BADASS IS THE SELF-HELP BOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BUT DON’T WANT TO GET BUSTED DOING IT.
In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you’ve never made before.
Go grab your copy now. It’ll be the best $8 you ever spent. (Okay, I can’t promise that, but you get the point. 😉)
9. The Mental Toughness Handbook
The Mental Toughness Handbook by Damon Zahariades is a great book for people who find it hard to deal with the ups and downs of life. It provides exercises you can do to continue strengthening your mental toughness muscle.
It helps you deal with everyday stress as well as the intense emotional pain you might be dealing with by helping you reframe your mindset. Then, it becomes easier to deal with the stressors of life.
As long as you do the exercises, you’ll find yourself on a totally new playing field when it comes to your mental toughness. It’ll help you develop a thick skin that can be useful in almost every difficult area of life.
10. The Magic of Manifesting Money
The Magic of Manifesting Money by Ryuu Shinohara is a treasure when it comes to books about manifestation.
Most books on manifestation only scratch the surface of how to actually change your mindset and manifest correctly.
The book gives you several tips on how to attract wealth, success, and abundance without hard work. (It sounds totally made up, but this is actually legit — as long as you do the work he tells you to do in the book, which is no easy feat). But if you can grasp the concepts and implement them the way he describes, you should have no problem attracting success to you.
Grab your copy on Amazon.
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