May 2016- The book that changed your life and your way of thinking
May 2016
This month let’s talk about :
The book that changed your life and your way of thinking
Books are great source of entertainment, knowledge and inspiration. They can be your refuge to conflicts in life and safe escape. They can inspire you or teach you new things and skills. Whatever the reason you reach for them- you will gain some benefits. Some of the books you will read and forget, some will leave mark on your soul and you will remember them forever. The right book read at the right time can have an enlightening effect on a human being. These books will leave readers with feeling that everything changed in their life from this moment on. You cannot be the same, look the same way at things- the perspective about world, society and yourself is shifted. These kind of books are treasures to keep.
A book must be the ax for the frozen sea within us.” ― Franz Kafka
Have you read a book (or books) which left you with a feeling that your paradigm shifted and you see the world in different light? Have you stopped there or it made you dig deeper and find next ones and next ones. Same author? Or subject?
Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.”
–Vera Nazarian
I can definitely say that I have few books that changed my life. These books opened my mind to new possibilities, showed me the way to big changes in my life. They started my interest in self development, the fire which is still alive inside. There are many other books which moved something in me or taught me things but it would probably not happened if these books didn’t lead the way.
My top 5 best personal development books by now are:
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- The Silva Mind Control Method by Jose Silva
- Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
- Creative Visualisation by Shakti Gawain
- Mindset by Carol S. Dweck
You can find my reviews of these books by clicking the links.
The other books which left me restless and thinking about my life are:
- The Celestine Prophecy (4 Book Series)
by James Redfield
It’s a series of 4 novels which features psychological and spiritual ideas derived from ancient traditions and New Age Spirituality. The main character of the book undertakes a journey to find and understand a series of nine spiritual insights in an ancient manuscript in Peru. The book shows his spiritual awakening as he goes through a transitional period of his life. “We must assume every event has significance and contains a message that pertains to our questions…this especially applies to what we used to call bad things…the challenge is to find the silver lining in every event, no matter how negative.”
― James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy
- The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
This modern classic is an allegorical novel. The book follows a young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago in his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there. It combines magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale leading to self-discovery and understanding. “We are travelers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
- all novels by Jodi Picoult
I cannot even choose which one to recommend first as all of them are talking about different problems and ideas. Her amazing style of writing touches you so deeply to the bones and soul that you cannot simply shake it off. She is not afraid to talk about difficult subject like morality, human nature, law, feelings, relationship and many controversial issues. “Picoult is a master in dissecting and describing the tangle of family relationships and the counterbalance of love.”—Tampa Tribune. “Picoult is a skilled wordsmith, and she beautifully creates situations that not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us” -Boston Global. “Beginning with her first book… Picoult has refused to sweat the small stuff. She’s concerned with love and truth, the blurry boundary lines implied by both. She forces the reader to look, however uncomfortable the experience might be, at complacent people who discover, much too late, the sad disparity between what they thought they knew and what they know now.”— Orlando Sentinel Tribune
The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.”
–W. Somerset Maugham
What about you?
What is your “special” book? Have you read a book that changed your life? How did you feel?
Please share your experiences by leaving a comment below.
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Awesome post and books you have listed here. I think these types of books are great for anyone looking to pursue personal growth and awareness. I liked this post and the layout of the site. Great informative blog!
Appreciate your comment David!
The book that changed my life is Face to Face with Life from Mansukh Patel. I might have many books that all had great tips and things that I didn’t agree with in twined in it, but when I read this book… I agreed on every word. I constantly said: “Yes… ah, thats true…. I agree”. It was like Mansukh had read my mind and put it into writing better than I could have done it. After this book I understood myself better.
Thanks Elisa! I haven’t read this book, I will check it out.
I still have my copy of Awaken The Giant Within from the early nineties minus the cover !
lol, thanks, Elektra.
My copy still has a cover but I’m not sure for how long 😉 Thanks for your comment Robert!
I was so excited when I saw your article. I love books and have read many that have changed me for the better. I was excited to see if any of them were on your list as well. There were some that I haven’t read but now that I see them on your list, I will be sure to check them out. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was one that changed my life. I read it over again every year because I always get something new out of it.
Thanks for your comment Kim! I also have few books which I love to re-read from time to time. “When you read the good book for the second time you don’t see something there that you didn’t see before ,you see something in yourself that wasn’t there before” -Bob Proctor.
The book that changed my life was “The Passion Dream Book” by Whitney Otto. It was the first time I actually considered being a creative person.
Jodi Picoult drive me crazy! Such highs! Such lows! I get so attached to her characters and then half the time something terrible happens to them. She makes them all see so real that I actually find myself missing them when the book is over.
I will have to check out some of the other books you recommend, they sound very interesting.
hahaha 🙂 I completely understand what you say about Jodi Picoult’s books. They are driving me crazy and making me addicted at the same time! I cannot read anything for at least two days after finishing her books as the characters are so strong still in my head.
Books do change lives. I try to read a new book each month. As I look back over my life, I see that at many of my turning points books were the catalyst of change.
Thanks for your comment Faithe! I do believe that books can change lives as they open your eyes for new possibilities and ideas.
I have not read any of the books mentioned here but you have piqued my interest now. I’ve seen Jodi Picoult’s books in the bookshops before but never gave them much attention. I will certainly check them out the next time! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Yvonne, let me know when you read Jodi Picoult what do you think about it 🙂