10 Books That Changed My Life
Reading has been one of my favorite hobbies since I could read. When I was about 16, I discovered the self-improvement section of the bookstore and since then I’ve turned to books to guide me and provide me mentorship. Twenty years later, I’ve read a ton of books, but there are a handful that I can say that I’ve applied and helped me develop into the woman that I am today.
In no particular order, here are the books that have changed me, the books that I constantly reread:
The One Thing | Gary Keller - I read this book as I spent three weeks hopping all over Asia. It’s possible that’s why this book was able to speak to me the way that it did. This book taught me the importance of focus and provided a practical road map on how to do it.
The Miracle Morning | Hal Elrod - Hal Elrod is the mastermind behind a system of habits that champions taking the first hour or two of your day to do the things that really matter - Read, Journal, Pray, Exercise, Meditate, Recite Affirmations and Visualize. I’m pretty sure I saw the system on a blog or something years before I discovered the book because I was already doing these things. However, the book gave me an entirely different point of view on why this worked and why it should be mandatory for a great life and not just when I felt like it.
Think and Grow Rich | Napoleon Hill - This is a classic for a reason. It’s one of the ultimate law of attraction books and most of the other books on this list mention it. Understanding that I could have whatever I wanted or be whoever I wanted to be as long as I created a clear picture in my life…well, not to sound redundant, but it was life-changing. Speaking of redundant, Napoleon Hill repeats a lot of the same things over and over, but it’s so that you can reprogram your brain. We’ve been trained by society to think something totally different that you need to kinda keep reading the same thing over and over to make sure it sticks. That’s why I’m constantly reading books like these. If I stop, I get sucked right back into the limited beliefs based on how the rest of society perceives the world.
Letters To A Young Poet | Rainer Maria Rilke - If you watched Sister Act 2 with Whoopi Goldberg, you’ll remember the scene where she’s talking to Lauryn Hill’s character about a book she wanted her to read. This is that book. This book features the letters that Rilke sent a young poet that was seeking his feedback on whether or not he was a good writer. It touches on writing, solitude, and love.
The Big Leap | Gay Hendricks - Upper limiting should be a term that’s taught in schools. Gay Hendricks makes a compelling argument that we each have an internal limit of how much success we can take. When we get too close to that limit, we do something to sabotage it. This book shows you how to identify the upper limit problem and move past it. Self-sabotage is a very real thing.
INFJ Writer | Lauren Sapala - This is one of my most recent reads. I was weepy when I finished it. Lauren Sapala is a writing coach that understands INFJs and for the first time, I felt like I understood myself as it related to writing. This book gave me specific ways to overcome the blocks that stymy INFJ writers. Since I’ve read this book, I’ve started writing again (outside of a blog) and finally…FINALLY…have the makings of a book. It’s a must-read for any sensitive intuitive (NFs) not just INFJs.
How to Fail At Almost Anything And Still Win Big | Scott Adams - I’m pretty sure Scott Adams a little bit racist, but don’t let that deter you, this is still a great book. As the creator of Dilbert, he’s seen his fair share of success. In this book he documents his failures and how he was still able to become rich and successful. It’s a combination of “The Miracle Morning” and “Think and Grow Rich”, but from a refreshing perspective.
You Can Be Happy No Matter What - I read this book when I was about 16. Actually, it was a PDF on the Internet. I remember a hot air balloon on the front of it. I tried looking for it online, but I can’t find it. This was the first time that I realized that if you make happiness your goal, you’ll always be happy. Most people think something else will lead them to happiness such as “If I have this car, I’ll be happy.” By now, we should all know that it doesn’t work that way. I’d forget this lesson over the years, but when I discovered some of these other books, I remembered it and how much it helped me from falling into depression when I was 16.
On Writing | Stephen King - So I can write the way that I talk? That’s a real thing? That’s the lesson I learned from this book. I’ve never gotten into Stephen King’s books (his genre is my least favorite) so I wasn’t sure what to expect. This book was funny, insightful, and vulnerable. It reminded me that yes, yes…I am a writer and it’s perfectly fine for me to write just like this.
Shoe Dog | Phil Knight - I read Shoe Dog while I still had the restaurant (Studio No. 7). It’s written by the founder of Nike and tells the story of how the company came to be. Well, Nike isn’t mentioned until around page 180 of the book. That’s halfway through. Nike was not the company that he set out to start at all. Through a series of pivots he ended up there. It was a great reminder that most businesses take the scenic route. You don’t have to have it all figured out when you start. Chances are, you’re going to end up doing something very different than what you thought you’d be doing.