Life Changing Books
“The way to change your life is to change the way you think. And the way to change the way you think is to change what you read.” - Brianna Wiest
The past couple of days I’ve been listening to 101 Essays that WIll Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest. And they truly are doing just that. Just by hearing her ideas, new thoughts are flowing about how I might change the things in my life I’d like to change right now.
It’s really tempting to believe that our lives will change when things around us change: when people are kinder; when our kids stop doing those things they do; when we finally have more money. And yes, those things are NICE, and we probably would be happier, at least temporarily.
But the truth is that we cannot change our lives for good unless we change the way we think. That’s because the way we think drives our emotions and our actions. If, for example, I think “I’m not capable of earning more money”, then I will lack confidence and won’t take the actions I need to take to get out there and make money.
The problem is that we often aren’t even aware of what we are thinking, and even if we are, we’ve been thinking in the same habitual ways for decades. So if we ever want change, we need both awareness of our own thoughts as well as exposure to brand new ways of thinking.
I’ve loved reading since I was a little kid, and now that I think about it, BOOKS are what opened my eyes, time and time again to new ways of thinking. Through books, I’ve learned how to be aware of my thoughts. Through books, I’ve learned new ideas that have sparked change. Over time, by taking in what I”ve read, I have changed the way I think. And that’s changed my life.
Here’s a list of my favorite, truly life-changing books:
Spiritual (Non-Religious) Books:
The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle
A New Earth: Awakening to Your LIfe’s Purpose, Eckhart Tolle
The Untethered Soul, Michael A. Singer
Relationship Books:
Conscious Uncoupling, Katherine Woodward Thomas
Conscious Loving, Gay Hendricks and Kathlyn Hendricks
Communication:
Nonviolent Communicaton, Marshall Rosenberg, PhD (this should be a textbook in every school, IMO!!)
Self Help:
Loving What Is, Byron Katie (this book is all about how to change the thinking that’s making you suffer).
Boundaries, Henry Cloud and John Townshend
Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza
101 Essays That Will Change Your Life, Brianna Wiest
Memoirs/Autobiographies:
Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela
