As I think about my life and how much my perspective has changed over the years I can attribute a large portion of it to my love for reading. Since my senior year of college I’ve been keeping my head in books more than ever- mostly non-fiction. I find myself always recommending books that have helped me on my path of self discovery and self love. Here is a list of the top five books I’ve read that helped me take steps to being happy no matter the circumstance. I have read all of these books in the last year.
The Mastery of Love- Don Miguel Ruiz
The first time I read this book was the summer of 2011 after seeing A Belle in Brooklyn author, Demetria Lucas, mention it on social media. It sounded interesting so I researched it then found a copy at my local library. It was absolutely mind blowing for me with every chapter I read.
When most people think of the word love its associated with being in a romantic relationship. The Mastery of Love’s basic principle is that you’re either operating out of love or fear. After finishing it I looked at the way others treated me in a completely different way and many different aspects of love in my life. Many people rave about Ruiz’s other book The Four Agreements, but this had a much bigger impact on me. I’ve read it a few times now and I always learn something new each time. I suggest you buy this book instead of borrowing it from the library.
Every Day A Friday- Joel Osteen
I’ve always been a fan of Joel Osteen and his style of teaching. This book was an unexpected Christmas gift last year. I didn’t start reading it until January 16, 2013 while on the plane to New York City with nowhere to sleep and just enough money to buy a metrocard ride or food. I decided to read it on the plane between praying to God for a miracle because I didn’t know what was going to happen once I landed.
It was just what I needed to keep my mind in a positive place with its simple and practical theories along with bible scriptures and affirmations. This book was very helpful during my first month in the big apple because of my circumstances I had to stay positive. This book helped me realize just how easy it is to be happy which led to my curiosity of controlling my thoughts better.
Power Thoughts- Joyce Myers
Throughout my life I have always been a thinker and analyzer. I will think about things over and over and over again like many people do. I stumbled across this book on the shelf in the library one day during a time in my life when I realized I needed to have better control over my thoughts. After reading Osteen’s book this was perfect to reinforce and take me to the next level of personal growth. Meyers incorporates scripture from the bible, examples about herself and others to get her point across. I enjoyed the basic concepts of each chapter which makes it easy for anyone to understand and apply (if you want to).
Being able to now shape and control my thoughts has led me to another level in creating happiness in my life because I realized its a choice and thought. This book reiterated that concept at a critical time in my life.
The Game of Life and How To Play It- Florence Scovel Shinn
I heard about this book many times but it never registered to me until this past year. Initially I couldn’t read the book so I found free audio of it on youtube and would listen to it over and over and over again for months until I finally broke down and bought the book. I’ve read the book several times on the train and at home since purchasing it.
It teaches you about multiple universal laws like The Law of Attraction and many others. Its simple but very powerful. You can read the entire book in a couple of hours and its cheap to purchase. This is my go to book, its always on deck. It does include references to The Bible and Jesus, but for non-Christians don’t let that deter you from reading it. This book also include multiple affirmations that you can say and use.
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho
I heard about this book many times but it never registered to me until this past year. Initially I couldn’t read the book so I found free audio of it on youtube and would listen to it over and over and over again for months until I finally broke down and bought the book. I’ve read the book several times on the train and at home since purchasing it.
It teaches you about multiple universal laws like The Law of Attraction and many others. Its simple but very powerful. You can read the entire book in a couple of hours and its cheap to purchase. This is my go to book, its always on deck. It does include references to The Bible and Jesus, but for non-Christians don’t let that deter you from reading it. This book also include multiple affirmations that you can say and use.
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho
Reading non-fiction books for me gets tiring because I have such a big imagination, but I’m so darn picky when it comes to fiction books. This book was perfect, it included traveling around the world which I love and elements of a self-help book but in story form. Coelho is known for being a brilliant author and this quick read packs a punch full of perspective. I don’t want to ruin the story for you so I’ll just say it brings you full circle about life and your journey, especially as you get closer your destination. I really loved this book and couldn’t put it down.
Bonus Book Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang- Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler is a comedian and this book is hilarious. You may laugh through the entire book, but her story is really awesome because she basically used universal laws that are in the other five book above to be this awesome rich woman that does what she loves without even knowing it. Along with seeing how her life has unfolded over the years into what it is today you get to laugh at it and the crazy things she’s done in the past. I’ve read damn near all her books, but this one is the best indicator of who she is from a child to an adult.
Let me know what you think about these books and feel free to suggest other books to read in the comment section.
-TheJournalist25 xoxo