With the current pace that we’re working in it’s difficult to manage ourselves, our thoughts, our progress and to truly to stress-free or at least have a lower stress level that what we’re currently experiencing. For this reason, I wanted to share some of the books, which I personally found as gems in helping me better understand myself. In better understanding myself I was able to reduce my stress levels as I became more aware of what triggered them and how I can prevent such situations from happening. Since it’s also the end of 2017, I think these books would make a great addition to people’s booklists if they haven’t read them yet. Below I list some of these books that help with stress-relief or increase self-awareness and subsequently increasing self-confidence and creating a positive loop for development.
Raising your inner calm:
- A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle –while this book might seem a little wishy-washy in the beginning, at least it was for
myself , it has a lot of insight about managing your thoughts and increasing self-awareness. It differentiates the ego from the self that is. It’s a great read if you’re looking tocalmdown the storm in your head and any stress you have while increasing the calm in your mind. - The Magic, Rhonda Byrne –a friend had recommended this book and honestly, I was very skeptical of this at first. I was a fan of The Secret but also found there was a lot of gaps to be filled in the content
it provided. However, I still took the time to read this book and did the exercises of each book and to say that my life had changed would be an understatement. I had a lot of external changes take place, but the thing that impressed me the most was the internal changes that I experienced. I was filled with gratitude for everything that I had and my perspective on the things and relationships I dreaded in the past had slowly started to shift and I could see the bright side to a lot of people and situations, and bear in mind this is coming from a person who is usually positive. - The power of Now, Eckhart Tolle –this was the first book I read that spoke about the concept of ego and the self. I would say this is an appropriate first read before reading “A New Earth” because it’s less progressive in its explanation of what the difference between the two thoughts
are . It allows you to focus on the present moment, benefiting from its every second.
The Hard-core truth:
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fu*ck, Mark Manson –this book was the slap in the face I needed to wake up from some of the lies I had constructed in my head through experience. It was an eye-opener about a lot of the misconceptions we have of success and our relationship with others. If you’re looking to read the hard truth or the raw truth that a lot of people won’t tell you, this is the book for you.
The How-to:
- The Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod –this book was the first that allowed me to better concentrate and build what I want in my career while having to go to school at the same time. They say you can’t do it all, but this book shows you a way that gets you darn close to it all. A structured morning routine that benefits your mind, spirit and body and the best part of it all is that you get to choose what that routine comprises of.
- The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy –this was one of the first how-to books I ever read. It was very useful in the sense that it broke down a lot of the hassle and confusion I had with the ideas that I wanted to start. It took my ideas and allowed me to take everything step by step to reach the goal that I had wanted. A great book for those who struggle to slow down on their achievement spectrum.
