From mindfulness and eastern religion to laws of attraction and secrets of success, I used to be something of a self help book addict. But there are some books that I can repeat read and learn something new every time. Here are my 3 self help books to read again and again.
The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck
Mark Manson started out as a blogger and progressed to fuck it guru. He is a hard talking realist, which is so refreshing in a world of ‘happiness peddlars’. I have read this book 3 times and listened to the audiobook a couple more. It’s packed full of good sense and gave me a new perspective on life.
Subtle Art is an international best seller and Manson’s next book is a co-write with Will Smith! Boy done good.
The main takeaways from the book are:
- Get over yourself!
- Life is short, don’t waste it by over-thinking
- If we could all be more honest with ourselves, we would be so much happier
- Stop trying to be happy – it’s making you unhappy
Favourite quote:
You know who bases their entire lives on their emotions? Three-year-old kids. And dogs. You know what else three-year-olds and dogs do? Shit on the carpet.
Who is this book for?
Anybody who is seeking happiness.
The Power of Now
The only book I have gifted to people more than Mark Manson’s book is this one. There is a copy of it by my bed and I have been picking it up and randomly selecting pages for the past 10 years. (Don’t worry I have read the whole thing properly – several times.)
Tolle writes in a conversational format, answering questions he has been asked over the years about life and happiness. This book is very easy to grasp and yet packed full of wisdom.
Main takeaways are:
- Time does not exist so let go of past and future
- The only thing that matters is here and now
- Would you rather be right or at peace?
- Silencing our thoughts leads to deep peace and freedom
Favourite quote:
Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.
Who is this book for?
The over-thinkers.
No Death, No Fear
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk who is probably most responsible for bringing the concept of mindfulness to the west. He is in his last days now and I follow him on Facebook to keep any eye on him. Although he may well be immortal!
I bought No Death No Fear because I used to have a shedload of phobias and for some reason I thought way too much about death – particularly losing those closest to me. It was driving me a little crazy! This book really set me straight on all that stuff and gave me a sense of peace about our existence, death and the importance of living life mindfully. It is written beautifully!
Main takeaways:
- Nothing is permanent
- Happiness lies in ones ability to be present and connected with the world around us
- There is no birth and no death – we are eternal beings
Favourite quote:
When we understand that we cannot be destroyed, we are liberated from fear. It is a great relief. We can enjoy life and appreciate it in a new way.
Who is this book for?
The anxious and fearful.
Don’t be dogmatic
Not being religious I find it easy to read a wide variety of philosophies and opinions. There is something in all of them that I can put in my back pocket and refer to when I need it. And how great to be unshackled by doctrine and dogma.
So if you identify as Christian I still think there is scope for adding a little Buddhism to your plate and the same goes for sweary Americans and softly spoken Germans. We need them all on our smorgasbord of perspective.
Happy reading!
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