Read These 7 Life-Changing Books to Reinvent Yourself

As we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, we’re all presented with a unique opportunity for reflection and reconsideration. Do we really want our lives to go back to “normal”? Do we want our old habits, tendencies, and preferences to simply return to how they were?

For many of us, the answer is a resounding “no.” Perhaps we’re ready for a new job or a new adventure—or perhaps we’re ready to look inward and change something about ourselves. Striving for personal transformation is never easy, but with these seven remarkable new books on your shelf, we wouldn’t bet against you.

Your Turn: How to Be an Adult

By Julie Lythcott-Haims

Many of us have realized that being a grown-up isn’t easy—so how can we do it better? Julie Lythcott-Haims, a former Stanford dean and author of the perennial bestseller How to Raise an Adult, believes that being an adult is a process of slow improvement. It’s a matter of becoming more comfortable with uncertainty, and gaining the knowhow to keep going. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change

By Christian Jarrett

“Life isn’t about finding yourself,” George Bernard Shaw once said. “Life is about creating yourself.” In Be Who You Want, cognitive neuroscientist Christian Jarrett shares research-backed advice for turning Shaw’s words into action, showing how anyone can change their personality to become more emotionally stable, extraverted, open-minded, and more. View on Amazon

Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day

By Jay Shetty

When business and media influencer Jay Shetty encourages us to “think like a monk,” he’s not referencing something he read about, or researched for a doctorate degree. He’s talking about something he lived, as he spent years in India as a monk himself. This remarkable book lays bare the most ancient, most valuable wisdom he learned along the way. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick

By Wendy Wood

University of Southern California psychologist Wendy Wood draws on three decades of original research to explain the fascinating science of how we form habits, and offers the key to unlocking our habitual mind in order to make the changes we seek. View on Amazon

The Child in You: The Breakthrough Method for Bringing Out Your Authentic Self

By Stefanie Stahl

At long last, this million-copy international bestseller is available for English-speaking readers. Clinical psychologist Stefanie Stahl explains how to shed past traumas and societal pressures to uncover your most joyful, most authentic self. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

The Book of Moods: How I Turned My Worst Emotions into My Best Life

By Lauren Martin

With a good job and healthy relationships, Lauren Martin seemed to have it all—but she couldn’t shake persistent feelings of inferiority, irritability, and more. The Book of Moods is her deep dive into what causes such negative emotions, what purpose they serve, and how anyone can manage them more effectively. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

By Katy Milkman

Wharton professor Katy Milkman shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. Whether you’re a teacher or coach trying to change someone else or simply trying to change yourself, this is a science-based blueprint for achieving your goals. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

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12 Books to Change your Perspective on Life #communitymade

Books can have a tremendous impact on our lives. A single one can change our entire perspective on the world and our lives. But which book that is varies completely from person to person. That’s why we asked our community which books changed their perspective on life. Here are some of their answers:

Words by Manu Reas: “Maya Angelou’s I know why the caged bird sings inspired me from a young age. Her sad but inspiring life story gave me motivation that everything can be possible for you, if you stay connected to yourself and love yourself.”

Words by Hellen Modiba: “The Book that made me aware of my inner processing of such situations is “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, which I had received as a gift 4 years prior to actually reading it! One day I just reached for it.

I think I was ready for it by then. All my inner dialogues and observations felt recognized. It inspired me to question and shift a lot from old beliefs.”

Words by Cecilia Lucio: “Das Café am Rande der Welt” – John Streckely (“The Why Are You Here Café”) – This book opened a door in my life which gave me a new perspective about myself, my path and life in general. It taught me to have trust in my journey and to let my heart guide my way without fear.”

Words by Nicole Smolinski: “After reading Daring Greatly, I truly felt like I’d woken up from this painfully numbing kind of slumber; I realized I’d been keeping out pain in my life, but that also meant I’d been keeping out joy, spontaneity, and any sort of vibrancy that comes with being fully awake to life.”

Words by Jacqueline Foster: “The Untethered Soul by Michael Alan Singer showed me the concept of ‘we are not our thoughts’. It explores being an observer to your thoughts and that we can choose how we react to them.

It gave me a sense of peace in knowing that in challenging moments of overthinking, I have the ability to decipher what is true, what story is being created in my mind, and how to move forward.”

Words by Aigerim Toktamys: “There are three books: The Power of Now, The Power is Within You and Emotional Agility. I guess the book names speak for themselves why they changed the perspective on my life.

And for me they are not just books, more like a self discovery guide for life. I do believe books come to your life, you do not choose them – they choose you. And all three books came to my life by beautiful life-situations as a gift from strangers and sudden circumstances.”

Words by Florian Oefner: “In the San Francisco airport I picked up a copy of „The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck“ by Mark Manson and read it in one go during the flight. It showed me that all those thoughts in my head were ok, there was nothing wrong with me and helped to focus on what actually matters.”

Words by Kitty Chu: “A book that I’ll never forget would be Goodbye, Things: On Minimalist Living by Fumio Sasaki. The process of seeking simplicity transcends my old path and heightens the understanding of myself, from needs and desires to creativity and sense of awareness. Mr. Sasaki’s philosophy and vision impacts me on how to live a more meaningful life with less possessions.”

Words by Raúl Osés Iturmendi: “Siddhartha, from Hermann Hesse, is a life’s journey in search of meaning and self-growth.”

Words by Daniela Da Silva: “I am very impacted by what I read and I read constantly, it would be unfair to pick a single one, however, Paulo Coelho’s manuscripts were my companion from when I was a teenager and I found great lessons on all of them.”

Wow, so many inspiring book tips! Maybe there is one for you too. What was your favorite book that changed your perspective on life? Write us!

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We will keep this post updated – so check back regularly for more book recommendations!

Choose Your Story, Change Your Life

Reviews

I am successful because years ago, I took control of my own story. Choose Your Story, Change Your Life will show you how to create a powerful story for yourself that inspires and engages others from the inside out.

If you've ever sensed that the thing holding you back from achieving greatness isn't entirely an outside obstacle -- that maybe there's something inside of you keeping you tethered to where you are, you're not wrong. In Choose Your Story, Change Your Life, Kindra Hall takes the power of storytelling to a whole new place -- inside our own minds -- and shows how the key to success has been within us all along.

Kindra Hall is a master storyteller and knows how to tap into the power that stories have to inspire and transform. In Choose Your Story, Change Your Life, Kindra shows us how to spot the hidden stories behind our behaviors and how to write all new scripts for any part of our lives.

When I look back on my life and the risks I've taken, so many of them were possible because I chose to tell myself stories that encouraged me to fearlessly take the next step. Choose Your Story, Change Your Life is the missing piece for anyone who has felt stuck and isn't exactly sure why. Look no further than the stories you're choosing to tell yourself.

Choose Your Story, Change Your Life will leave you asking yourself, 'What story am I telling myself here and does it serve me?' A radical approach to self-talk and personal perspective, Kindra Hall's digestible storytelling process teaches you how to find, edit, and ultimately use the stories you already have inside of you to redefine and uplevel your finances, relationships, business and life.

My entire business is focused on helping people achieve their physical health goals and I see the lessons in Choose Your Story, Change Your Life play out in real time every single day. People who choose to tell themselves stories that fuel their motivation and belief in what they're capable of, are far more likely to achieve their health goals than those who don't. This book will change lives.

Kindra has built an amazing career teaching people about the power of telling stories. In this inspiring book she will help you write the most important one of all--the one you tell yourself!

Whether you're looking to make improvements in your health, your business, your family or your finances, this is the book that will make it happen. Kindra lays out a simple process for big changes and keeps readers entertained the whole way through.

The greatest enemy we have sometimes is the pessimistic co-pilot flying in the cockpit of our minds. Kindra's new book shows you how to eject that co-pilot and put you back in control of your mind and life so you can reach your desired destinations.

Kindra Hall is one of the best storytellers in the world, but her true calling is in her ability to teach others how simple and empowering it is to share their own experiences. Choose Your Story, Change Your Life is the written guide to something I've witnessed her do in person countless times: Show people who they really are and how their uniqueness can make a positive impact on others.

As a therapist, I know how powerful the stories we create about ourselves can be. Choose Your Story, Change Your Life teaches us how to change our narrative. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to create a different path for themselves.