“A good book is an education of the heart. It enlarges your sense of human possibility what human nature is of what happens in the world. It’s a creator of inwardness.” Susan Sontag
To embark on a journey to live a great life is a courageous and life long journey. It is very difficult to do it alone and if you don’t have help, the chances of you reaching your goal to live a great life is virtually impossible.
Self Help books are the best way for you to get the knowledge, information, tools and strategies to guide and support you to achieving your goal to live a great life.
These 15 Self Help Books have changed millions of peoples lives and they can help you change your life too, so that you can live the life you desire.
1. Awaken The Giant Within – Anthony Robbins
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“in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know.” Anthony Robbins
This book is the “bible for personal development”. The main message from the book is, that we have the power right now to control how we think, how we feel, and what we do. Anything we want or desire in our life, we have the power to achieve it.
You hold within you the power and the energy force to achieve all of your dreams – hence the title of the book “Awaken the Giant Within”.
2. Finding Your Own North Star – Martha Beck
““No one but you has the ability to find your own North Star and no one but you has the power to keep you from finding it. No one”
Martha Beck
Your North Star is about you finding your passion and purpose in life. The tools and strategies are practical and uncomplicated. Martha Beck takes you through some very simple and effective processes that will give you clarity and a better understanding of how to deal with internal conflict, internal dialogue and the feelings of unhappiness, discontent and dissatisfaction in your life.
3. Mojo: How To Get It How To Keep It How To Get It Back If You Lose It – Marshall Goldsmith
“Mojo” is, “That positive spirit toward what we are doing now, that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside” Marshall Goldsmith
I found my MOJO when I read this book. Marshall Goldsmith, for me, did exactly what the title says – he guided me through practical steps and provided me with tools and strategies that helped me get my mojo back.
Marshall Goldsmith defines Mojo as “the moment when we do something that’s purposeful, powerful and positive and rest of the world recognises it”. A must read book that will change your life as it did mine.
4. What Should I Do With My Life? – Po Bronson
“I learned that it was in hard times that people usually changed the course of their life; in good times, they frequently only talked about change. Hard times forced them to overcome the doubts that normally gave them pause.It surprised me how often we hold ourselves back until we have no choice.” Po Bronson
This book is not going to give you the five steps to finding your Life Purpose or to living a greater life. It does not give you any tools or strategies to help you answer all those questions about life that are swirling around in your head.
This book will provide you with a reality check as to how tough and complicated it can be when you decide to change your career and your life. It is an inspirational book as it is based on the true stories of ordinary people who made a decision and took action to answer the question “what should I do with my life?” There are no famous peoples’ stories in this book, just ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
5. The Magic of Thinking Big: Dr David J Schwartz PhD
“Think you are weak, think you lack what it takes, think you will lose, think you are second class – think this way and you are doomed to mediocrity.” Dr David J Schwartz
This book is an oldie and a classic. According to Dr Schwartz, to create change in your life and to attain all that you desire the key thing you need to do is, change your thinking and your attitude.
The other key message from this book is, you must start preparing your mind and your thinking for the journey of personal change. If you are going to run a marathon, you need to train and get your body in shape. This is the same concept for taking on the challenge of personal change. If you want to chase your dreams you need to train your mind to dream big.
6. The Art of Happiness A Handbook For Living – Dalai Lama
“happiness is determined more by one’s state of mind than by external events.” Dalai Lama
There is not a person I know who is not in the pursuit of happiness. The Art of Happiness is a book that does not give you the answers you seek as to how you can live a happy and prosperous life. What the book does however do, is it introduces you to Buddhist teachings and the wisdom of the Dalai Lama, who lives a life that is content, happy, and spiritually fulfilled. There is no better way to learn about how to get happiness and fulfilment than from someone who is actually practising what they teach.
The Art of Happiness is a book that will encourage you to self reflect and to look deeper into your inner self (your soul) so that you can truly clarify what happiness really means to you.
7. The Gifts of Imperfection Brené – Brown
“Healthy striving is self-focused: How can I improve? Perfectionism is other-focused: What will they think? Perfectionism is a hustle.”
Brené Brown
Renee Brown’s Book the Gift of Imperfection will show you how to find your courage, rediscover your self-belief and self worth. For without these key essentials you wont be able to have a greater life. The Gift of Imperfection is about the lifelong journey.
This book takes you from the place where you are asking the question: “What will people think?” to the place where you are making the statement “I am enough”.
8. Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life – Martin Seligman PhD
“Habits of thinking need not be forever. One of the most significant findings in psychology in the last twenty years is that individuals can choose the way they think.” Martin Seligman
Dr Martin Seligman is Dr Happiness! He is an expert on how one can live a happy and fulfilled life. In his book Martin Seligman talks about the power of being an optimist and uses scientific reasons as to why you should be living an Optimistic Life.
Seligman believes that Optimism and Pessimism are habits of thinking and these habits of thinking have been learned through out our lives. We just need to learn how to change these habits of thinking so that we can live happier more fulfilled lives. There is hope for you, if you have a pessimistic view of life, as Dr Seligman will teach you how to be an Optimist.
9. If Life Is A Game These Are Rules – Cherie Carter Scott
“Remind yourself often that self-esteem is ephemeral. You will have it, lose it, cultivate it, nurture it, and be forced to rebuild it over and over again.” Cherie Carter Scott
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Have you ever wondered what the heck is going on in your life or asked the question “ why does this happen to me?” If so, then you need to read this book by Cherie Carter Scott. Cherie Carter Scott presents a set of life rules that she calls “The 10 Rules of Being Human’. This book is a reality check about how you should be living your life. After you have read this book you will gain more clarity about you, how to move in forward in your life and how play the game of life, which of course will result in you living a great life.
9. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Steven R. Covey
“Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).” Stephen R.Covey
“Each of us guard a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside.” Stephen R Covey
Have you ever wondered why it is that some people are very good at getting things done? Do you go looking for excuses to be distracted rather than sit down and get those essential tasks completed? The road to living a great life takes a lot of effort, commitment and focus. Distraction and procrastination will not get you a life you love.
Stephen Covey will show you how to become more effective at completing those essential tasks that can change your life. The 7 Habits are the winning strategies you should implement in your life so that you can live the life you desire.
10. The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
“Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.” Don Miguel Ruiz
Seeking the advice and knowledge of others, particularly those who had been on similar journeys. is essential to you staying strong and committed to living a great life.
Don Miguel Ruiz is one person I sought out – his depth of wisdom, his spirituality and knowledge about life is insightful and inspiring. The Four Agreements are Don Miguel’s code for life. The Four Agreements provide an inspirational code for life, for the way you handle your relationships, how you behave and how you communicate with others.
If you are seeking inspiration and knowledge to find your courage to follow your dreams – then read The Four Agreements. You will discover four life principles that will definitely help you reach your dreams and aspirations in life.
11. Switch How To Change Things When Change Is Hard – Chip Heath & Dan Heath
“So the question is this: How can you make your changes a matter of identity rather than a matter of consequences?” Chip & Dan Heath
To live a great life you have to make changes and they are big changes. If I had to recommend one book that showed you how to create and maintain lasting change in your life – then it would be Switch.
The best way to create and sustain the change in your life according to the authors is when you:
Direct The Rider – by providing rules to follow, precise actions with small measurable goals
Motivate The Elephant – identify the motivation to change or an emotional rationale for change
Shape the Path – set the direction and shape the path to facilitate the journey of change
When you get these 3 elements aligned then creating and sustaining the change in your life is pretty much guaranteed,
12. The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be – Jack Canfield
“You only have control over three things in your life—the thoughts you think, the images you visualize, and the actions you take (your behaviour).” Jack Canfield
This book offers practical advice on how to change those attitudes and beliefs that are preventing you from achieving your success in life. It shows you how to harness the resources you have within you and around you so that you can achieve any of the goals you set.
13. Life Was Never Meant To Be A Struggle – Stuart Wilde
“You’re the only one who can decide what’s best for you.” Stuart Wilde
Stuart Wilde believes that the struggles in life are “laced with emotion and desperation” and we were born to be free. To achieve that freedom we have to move from struggle to free FLOW.
This book will help you to identify the cause of struggle in your life and shows you how to eliminate it quickly through a concerted action plan so you can achieve flow in your life.
14. The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life”. Eckhart Tolle
“See if you can give more attention to the doing than to the results that you want to achieve through it. Give your fullest attention to whatever the moment presents” Eckhart Tolle
The Power of Now I call the 101 guide to spiritual growth and enlightenment. This book has great tools and strategies for those of you who are interested in; mindfulness, awareness and the quest to achieving living a life you love in the now!
15. Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.” Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill wrote Think and Grow Rich to help people overcome the physiological barriers that kept them from wealth.
According to Napoleon Hill money brings us stability, which brings relief to our life, which results in us feeling a sense of satisfaction and when we feel satisfied we have a sense of belonging –this does make us happy. When we are happy we are living a great life.
Napoleon Hill believes that key requirements to create wealth in your life are; self-belief, self-awareness, the motivation to succeed, direction, focus and a positive healthy relationship with money.
Reading these 15 Self Help books will not give you the one and only ultimate answer you may seek as to how you can make a great life. They will, however give you advise, wisdom, knowledge, and the tools and strategies that will support and guide you on your journey to living a great life.
