Self-help books are a dime a dozen, but still, I read them – a lot of them. I’m attracted to what they offer. But how do we know which books are having a profound impact on your life?
To answer this question I think you need to ask two more questions: 1, did the book give you an “aha moment” and 2, if it did, did you act upon it?
There are five self-help books that I have read, at various stages of my life, which caused me to pause, pivot and take a new course of action.
Five self- help books that changed my life:
1. Be Here Now – Ram Dass
2. Chop Wood Carry Water – Fields, Taylor, Weyler & Ingrasci
3. This Is It – Alan Watts
4. Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child – Thich Nhat Hanh
5. The New Heart of Wisdom: Profound Teachings from Buddha’s Heart – Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche
The “aha moments” were like breadcrumbs left on the path for me to follow. They helped me pick myself up from deep, dark slumps and they proved to me that love is the answer, that I am strong and that I am a survivor present in this moment.
I can remember the points in my life when I picked up each one of these books. When I read them today, they take me back to a moment of clarity and reflection.
Quotes from the Top Five Self-Help Books:
“When your center is firm, when your faith is strong and unwavering, then it will not matter what company you keep.” -Be Here Now
“Jesus said, ‘Love thy neighbor as thy self.’ This may well be the single most concise and powerful bit of medical advice any of us could follow.” –Chop Wood Carry Water
“One will get the sense that his ego or self has expanded to become the entire universe, whereas another will feel that he has lost himself altogether and that what he called his ego was never anything but an abstraction.” –This Is It
“The reality is that we are safe and we have the capacity to enjoy the wonders of life in the present moment. When we recognize that our suffering is based on images instead of current reality, then living happily in the present moment becomes possible right away.” –Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child
“Everything we now enjoy has been provided through the kindness of other beings, past or present.” –The New Heart of Wisdom
Let’s Share Books!
I’d love to hear about the books you’re reading or have read! I’m always looking for new things to read. Please feel free to leave some suggestions in the comments below or post your top five and tag me in your post.
Also, you can follow me on Goodreads to see more of my book suggestions! On my Goodreads account, you’ll find more than self-help books as I like to, in the words of Demian Farnsworth, “read wide.”
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Originally appeared on CM.
Photo by Pixabay.