Eight Self-Development Books I Recommend
For me I've always been a bibliophile. And in recent years, I've opted to listen to audio books, and read e-books. The reason behind that is my need for instant gratification: I see a book and I want it now! I don't want to wait a week for it to arrive from Amazon, or from my used-to-be favorite bookstore (which became a mobile phone shop, sadly). I see that book and I want to read it tonight.
And this is how I was converted to a listener-reader. If I had all my books in physical form, I'll probably have to get several of Ikea's Billy bookcases (though not a bad idea, hmmmm!)
In the area of personal growth and healing, I had my fair share of reading. It was not easy to choose one book over another. But I created this list of the eight books that I think were helpful for me on my journey (which is not over yet).
Here is my list:
1. Plato's The Republic, Allegory of the Cave.
This is a classic. In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato, talks about how without proper education (i.e. self-awareness), one is imprisoned as if in a cave. The chained prisoners only see shadows on a wall and think this was life. When one is freed, s/he goes outside to the "real world" to discover a different reality. Her/his mind is freed from the shadows and s/he's now able to see for the first time the real world.
I loved this book when I read it back at school, and I have come to appreciate the deep wisdom it holds in describing the process of personal awakening from a state of conditioning to a state of freedom.
2. You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay
Another great book I recommend. Healing one's self is a process, and Louise Hay is a brilliant author who describes her journey of personal healing with the reader, as well as offers her wisdom in applicable form and different exercises.
You can watch the movie "You Can Heal Your Life", which is based on the book, on YouTube.
3. Why People Don't Heal and How You can, Caroline Myss
This book is brilliant because it tells us the secret behind resisting healing and growth: "who am I without the story I tell myself and others?" To identify your woundedness is the first step towards healing, BUT to identify with your wound is a sure-fire way to block your healing.
4. The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown
Shame is the silent terrorist that keeps us hostage and imprisoned within ourselves, and prevents us from living the life we want and deserve. I love this book because it offers strategies to handle shame, especially towards our imperfections. Working on my personal healing process, shame was a key factor that held me back from actually doing what I wanted to do, including writing a blog post about my work and the books I like. It takes time to heal shame, identify its traps, and overcome them. It takes time to be able to live an authentic life and feel belonging. Brené Brown is an expert on that and I recommend her book.
5. Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert is the best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love. You probably watched the movie and/or read the book. But Big Magic (and the Big Magic Podcast) deals with the creative process itself. What does this have to do with healing? Well, unleashing your creativity is big part of your healing process. And accessing that infinite source within you is key to living a fulfilled life.
6. Rejection Proof, Jia Jiang
You may have watched his TED talk about rejection, if you haven't, I recommend you take time to watch it as well as watch his experiment published on YouTube since the book is based on those. In his book, he offers an account of conquering his fear of rejection, and how he was able to turn it around to create something positive. He offers different insights and tips pertaining to conquering the fear of rejection.
7. The 5 Second Rule, Mel Robbins
This book is a recent release by life coach, author, speaker Mel Robbins in which she offers the five-second tool to help individuals explore what she calls "the push moment" to cultivate better habits and overcome excuses to achieve your goals, one decision at a time. I recommend you watch her TEDx talk as well, which I found entertaining and informing.
8. Hands of Light, Barbara Brennan
This book is a classic if you want to study energy healing. The author offers the science behind energy healing; she explores the process of development as a healer; and offers insights and tools that one can use to develop as a healer.
I hope you find this list helpful, and would love to read about your favorite books in the comments below
