Do you ever have moments in life where your whole world comes crashing down around you due to some thought-provoking quote, discussion, or experience?
I can specifically pinpoint the moments in my life where I experienced this feeling, and I noticed that most of my life-changing realizations stemmed from particular books.
Out of the many books I’ve read, there are five that I truly feel changed the trajectory of my life. In other words, if I had not read these books, I would not be the person I am today.
I believe that books meet an individual when it’s time for them to receive a specific lesson, so here’s the five books that taught me the lessons I needed to grow.
The 5 a.m. Club by Robin Sharma
The 5 a.m. Club by Robin Sharma is a tale of an artist, entrepreneur and secretly disguised billionaire.
The story follows the struggle of the artist and entrepreneur as they try to find meaning and success in a chaotic world. Through the guidance of the disguised billionaire, they learn how to radically transform their lives through one simple habit — rising at 5 a.m.
When I first picked up this book at the library, I thought it would just be another “how-to” guide that I would feel good about reading but not really apply; however, that was not the case.
Because it was intertwined in a parable and had practical steps I could start implementing immediately, I was able to make waking up at 5 a.m. a lasting habit.
The More of Less by Joshua Becker
The minimalism philosophy was the catalyst that helped me realize what I truly wanted out of life.
It introduced me to the practice of letting go of what no longer served me (a muscle I’m still working on), it helped me think for myself when it comes to what I want to spend my time and energy on, and it taught me how to find meaning in experiences rather than the accumulation of material items.
The More of Less was a book I read when I first began my simplifying journey and it was a great way to ground me in my “why” because Joshua Becker’s experience with minimalism inspired me to strive to create a life with purpose.
Think like a Monk by Jay Shetty
I can safely say that Jay Shetty’s wisdom entered my life just when I needed it.
As the title suggests, the book is a guide to how to think like a monk. The book contains chapters on overcoming the ego, realizing your dharma, transforming your identity and more.
This is unlike any book I’ve read, and as I apply the principles and exercises in the book, I see the magic working in my life.
The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
This is the third book I’ve read by Deepak Chopra and I always close his books feeling like a new person.
The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success is packed with wisdom on how to effortlessly manifest all that you desire in life and, more importantly, how to “win” when it comes to living a life of purpose.
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The four agreements mentioned in this book is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
The agreements: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions and always do your best are easier said than done, but I’m committed to practicing them.
The book goes into depth on the conditioning we, as individuals, go through in our early stages of life, and how a lot of our self-made problems in life stem from that conditioning. He explains that it is ultimately up to us to break the negative bonds and conditioning that contribute to our suffering.
Those are the five books I can confidently say changed my life. I have a video talking more about my experience with reading the books (and I mention two bonus books!).
Comment below if you’ve read any of these books or plan to. I would love to hear from you!
EMMANUEL
I concur Aaliyah…read one of those..5am Club
aaliyahinspired
the 5am club is so good! I highly recommend it 🙂