5 Books That Will Change Your Life

Written on August 16, 2007 by Tezza

We all have a list of cherished books that seemingly came at the right moment and made a lasting impact. I have certainly got my short list of books that have changed my life and I hope they will do the same for you. Each in it’s own way opened my eyes, gave me an insight to self discovery or led me to an attitude change.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“Simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them”. – Paulo Coelho

This is one of my favourite books of all time. Coelho has a wonderful gift of simplicity in communicating his message. Coelho presents the notion that we all have a “Personal Legend” and that if we have the courage to believe, the conviction to take action and the faith to see the signs we will find our “treasure”. We follow Santiago the shepherd boy along his journey to find his “treasure” after it was revealed to him in a dream. In order for him to follow his dreams he must first have to give away all that he knows and all that has come to shape his life.

Coelho in his stroke of masterpiece encourages the seeker within us to abandon the false sense of security that we cling to so that we may begin to experience the magic of our destinies that await us if we only but follow the signs that light our path along the way. This is certainly not another book filled with new age dribble but rather a gem of a book that aims to provoke the faith, courage and resolve hidden in each and every one of us who are seeking.

Nothing is worse in life than missing an opportunity that could change your life. “People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.” Coelho says of destiny, “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation,” the old man tells the shepherd boy. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
“The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we act.” –Stephen Covey

According to Amazon more than 10 million copies have been sold since it was first published in 1990 and it still sits on the best seller lists. That many people can’t all be wrong. For me this was a ground breaking book when I was first introduced to it as it revolutionised the way I approached time management. It is more than just another book on goal setting or a book solely about personal growth. Rather it is filled with timeless wisdom which is still as relevant today as it was when it was first published.

Covey has made teaching Principle-Centered Living and Principle-Centered Leadership his life’s work. He espouses common sense ideas such as Be Proactive, Begin with the end in mind, Put first things first, Think win/win, Seek first to understand…then to be understood, Synergies, and Sharpen the Saw. Covey approaches productivity and time management in a holistic point of view and challenges people who want to be more effective in their lives to honestly examine their own paradigms.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” – Mitch Albom quote

I was first introduced to Mitch Albom through the book “The Five People You Meet In Heaven”. I loved the book and so I picked up the book that was said to have inspired it. Tuesday with Morrie is a heart warming story of one man’s dieing days. Based on a true story, a chance sighting of his favourite professor on Nightline inspired Mitch to reconnect with him. Finding that he was dying from a de-generative disease and had only a short time to live, Mitch found himself starting a project of a lifetime. He meets his professor each Tuesday exploring life’s deepest questions and recorded the conversations that became the book “Tuesdays with Morrie“.

Dealing with traditional taboo topics like death and disease may seem a bit morbid but Morrie deals with these deep questions in a light hearted and refreshing way. He eloquently distills his life’s wisdom into a way that touches the reader’s heart and you can’t help but become fully immersed in Mitch’s journey through each meeting. Morrie inspires you to live a meaningful and inspiring life in the everyday moments. He encourages you to find what is truly important in your life and to treasure them.

Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work by John C. Maxwell
“As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to become. Take action on your behaviour. Too many people want to feel, then take action. This never works.” – John Maxwell

Studies have shown that each of us have on average 60,000 thoughts a day. What is scary is that many of those thoughts were the same as the ones we had the day before. With that thought in mind I thought who better to help me with my thoughts than John Maxwell.

This illustration shows the importance John places on thinking right “A new executive, touring the office, saw a woman whose office had no desk, computer or any other equipment. The executive asked who she was. His guide, the company president, said that the woman was a vice president paid “just to think,” The president added that the woman’s last idea had generated $20 million for the company.”

While we aren’t all going to to be paid to generate $20 million dollar ideas, we also don’t spend nearly enough time in our days valuing the whole concept of thinking right. The main argument put forward by John is that “To do well in life, we must first think well.” And that thinking well is a habit that can be learned and improved. If the results you seek in life are not going to plan, then this is a book worth considering.

Some of the areas that John guides you through include:

• Big-Picture Thinking-seeing the world beyond your own needs and how that leads to great ideas
• Focused Thinking-removing mental clutter and distractions to realize your full potential
• Creative Thinking-stepping out of the “box” and making breakthroughs
• Shared Thinking-working with others to compound results
• Reflective Thinking-looking at the past to gain a better understanding of the future

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin S. Sharma
“the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master” – Robin Sharma quote

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a tale about a successful high flying lawyer who has all the trappings of wealth and success. When at his prime he has a life threatening heart attack it forces him to face the spiritual crisis that has become his life. He leaves all that he has worked for behind and journey’s to the east on an odyssey of self discovery to find greater meaning in his life.
Julian the lawyer spent three years in India and returns home as a new person. He relates his experiences with his friend about the time he spent with yogi Raman the leader of the sages of Sivana who taught him his secrets of a happy and fulfilling life.

Robin superbly tells the simple truths of living a simple more balanced life and finding joy and abundance along the way. For all of us who have been sold on the endless need to consume, and to aspire to success by embracing the rat race then this is a must read book.

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Posted in Must Have Books