Monday is my favourite day of the week and January, my favourite month. It’s perhaps my love for fresh starts, and the first day of the week and the first month of the year definitely feel like one.
It’s like we get a clean slate. All past mistakes forgiven and transgressions forgotten. At the same time, it also means we need to step up and make the most of this opportunity.
No more procrastination or excuses, you’ve to bring a new attitude and put a new system in place.
Related: 9 things to do to start the new year happy & stress-free
The books I am sharing in this post can help us do that. As you read the books, you will find that the writer has shared, not anecdotes or memories, but a way of life.
All of these books have a very gentle tone but with every page, you will experience a shift in your own mindset and opinions.
Related: Ultimate Book Recommendation List
1. You can heal your life by Louis Hay
I loved reading this book, and I feel like I understood the writer and the very essence of her message.
This book beautifully shows us the immense power of our beliefs. All that we suffer and endure in life has its root in some distorted or conflicting internal belief.
From the book-
“Do you dig into old mental garbage to create tomorrow’s experiences?”
“It is vital that we release foolish, outmoded ideas that do not support us and nourish us. I feel strongly that even our concept of God needs to be one that is for us, not against us.”
If we change the way we FEEL and THINK about ourselves, we can change our whole life. Now, if you’re someone who struggles with shame, guilt, or self-hate, the book can help you overcome all those negative ideas. There are a number of exercises in the book that can help.
Related: Exercises To Help Resolve Emotional Issues
It also has over 20 pages dedicated to a list of physical ailments, their possible cause, and a way to fix them.
Amazingly, the table (the causes, specifically) made such sense to me. I like to believe that in the past few years, I have come to understand my own psyche a little better and this book either validated my learning or revealed a whole new aspect of it.
Related: Step-by-step guide to becoming more self-aware
Also, if you’re new to the world of affirmations, this book is a wonderful starting point. I’ve actually modified some of my own daily affirmations using this book.
Another reason to read this book is that towards the end of it, the writer has shared her own life story and as you go through it, you’ll find yourself experiencing a whole gamut of emotions.
They will dispel the gremlins of disbelief and show you why Louise Hay is someone we can trust to help us heal our life.
Create Effective Affirmations
2. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Brené Brown – Honestly, one of my favourite writers to learn from, and just like Louise Hay, she truly makes herself vulnerable in the content she shares.
Emotive writing of this nature demands a connection be established between the reader and the writer otherwise, the ideas shared will fail to leave an impact. You will not have this problem with Daring greatly. The book packs quite a punch.
One of the main reasons why so many people despite being immensely talented fail to achieve their goals is because they never feel good enough. Constant uncertainty and a pursuit of perfection holds them back.
Well, this insanely well researched and well-written book will help you break your old, dysfunctional patterns.
By the end of this book, you’ll look at all your weaknesses and find them transformed into points of strength. Go into the new year with a heart full of courage, hope, and faith.
3. A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul by Leo Tolstoy
As I was learning to better manage my anxiety, one skill that I consciously cultivated and developed was this ability to suspend all thought and retreat from the chaos around me.
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I draw my focus inward and train it onto some happy memory from my past. I have done it so many times that it’s become my trusty route of escape when things get too out of control.
Related: Creative Visualization – Intent, Benefits, and Technique
The state lasts for 10 minutes or so but it restores my strength and energy. It’s a skill that doesn’t come easy to people due to which we should value any resource that can help us in this endeavour. Leo Tolstoy’s Calendar of Wisdom is a book that can help.
As is often mentioned, Leo Tolstoy considered this to be his most important contribution to humanity.
It was his attempt at sharing the wisdom that guided his life, and as you read the thoughts shared, you will feel the time slow down.
As the author himself said, “I hope that the readers of this book may experience the same benevolent and elevating feeling which I have experienced when I was working on its creation, and which I experience again and again when I reread it every day, working on the enlargement and improvement of the previous edition.“
4. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Reading this book is like opening the door into another world.
Paramahansa Yogananda was a famous yogi, responsible for propagating the ideas of Kriya Yoga in the western world, and in this book, he has recorded his journey to complete spiritual enlightenment.
Related: Why and How to cultivate spiritual practices?
It’s full of wisdom and several guru’s teachings. Fortunately, all of it is presented in a witty, engaging, and entertaining way.
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The book unravels some of the more mystical secrets of our soul. Soul and its power is the strongest force in the world. It’s something we forget in the push and shove of life and end up becoming a slave to the daily vicissitudes.
I found myself modifying my own way of life as l read the book.
Steve Jobs read this book once every year and gifted it to many of his friends as well. This book, if read with an open mind, can take you down the path of self-realization.
5. Magic by Rhonda Byrne
If you believe in the law of attraction, chances are you’ve read the Secret and are familiar with the writer, Rhonda Byrne.
She is responsible for familiarising the world with the power of gratitude and positive thinking and the effort continues with the book, Magic.
Related: How To Channel Law Of Attraction As A Busy Professional?
I wouldn’t recommend it as a particularly engaging or well-written book, but as an exercise book, it’s excellent.
There are gratitude exercises meant to be completed over a span of 28 days. This way you truly commit to becoming more grateful and by the end of 28 days, you would have rewired your brain. You will notice a positive change that will spill over your entire life and your relationships.
You’ll be happier, less prone to complaints, and obviously, more grateful.
Anytime, you find yourself standing on a (metaphorical) precipice bracing yourself for a frightening leap into an unknown future, these books can be your friend and guide.
Each of these books can help you establish a new, healthier system aimed at the successful achievement of your goals.
4 comments
I’m glad to see that both Tolstoy and Louise Hay were included on this list! I came across Hay when I was looking for resource after being diagnosed with epilepsy, and I’ve long been a fan of Tolstoy’s writing. I also liked how you specifically applied the teachings to your life. I’m intrigued by the other books on the list as well, particularly Teachings of a Yogi.
Thanks Kate. I am glad you enjoyed the article. Louise Hay is definitely someone we want in our life even if it is in the form of her books. All these books have had a wonderful impact on me. I hope you enjoy the ones you haven’t read. ?
Personal growth is one of the tings I started pursuing lately and it is great to find so many new books I haven´t read yet! Thanks for sharing!
I am glad you found the recommendations useful