“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” -Haruki Murakami

I don’t remember the exact age when I started reading but I remember how I felt when I read. I felt as if there was someone with me, a guide who shared the snippets of his/her life. As a child, I loved reading Ruskin Bond, Enid Blyton, P G Wodehouse, Premchand and Pu. La Deshpande. During my college days I was going through an emotional phase and I was drawn to teachings of Buddha and The Bhagavad Gita.

My interest towards spirituality and self-help books increased gradually. I read famous books like How to Win Friends and Influence People, The Power of Subconscious Mind, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Secret, etc…

However nothing significantly changed in me. I felt better for few days but the low feeling returned within a week or 15 days. There was a point in my life when I decided to learn the way my brain functions. I wanted to own the user manual of my brain. So I enrolled for courses like NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). I learnt the tools to observe and influence my brain.

“When the student is ready the master appears” – Buddhist saying.

In my case I think this happened. Here are some books I discovered on the path of personal development. These books have shifted the way I process my emotions and deal with the lows in my life. They also introduced me to tools and strategies to become a better communicator and a better person.

Here’s the list for you-

Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins is a giant in the personal development field. I started following his work after learning NLP. In this book Tony talks about the unlimited power that each one of us possesses and how to tap it, effectively. He introduces us to Value & Belief Systems, tools to Communicate efficiently, the power of asking the Right Questions and how Reframing a situation can give you better control and offer solutions.

Buy the book: Amazon. in

Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins

This book lists down strategies to take immediate control of your mental, physical, emotional and financial health. There are exercises to break limiting beliefs and build new empowering ones. Tony shows you different ways in which you can tap into your resourceful states and anchor them to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Buy the Book: Amazon.in

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr Robert B. Cialdini

When I started reading this book I felt it is for Marketing and Sales professionals. I kept it aside and forgot about it completely. Recently while cleaning my bookshelf I found this book again. This time I randomly started reading and some of the concepts were so insightful. The main principle that I found interesting was ‘Reason Why’. I found this useful in my day-to-day communication as a parent and as a therapist.

Buy the Book: Amazon.in

Psycho Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz

“Any good plastic surgeon is and must be a psychologist. When you change a man’s face you almost invariably change his future. Change his physical image and nearly always change the man – his personality, his behaviour – and sometimes even his basic talents and abilities.” However Dr Maltz also observed that some of his patients didn’t change even after a successful surgery. They still viewed themselves as ugly. This book introduced me to the concept of ‘Self-Image’ and guided me to rebuild my identity (the way I saw myself).

Buy the Book: Amazon.in

The Biology of Belief by Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D

Whether you think you can or you cannot, you are right. At the end it’s all about our beliefs. What do you believe the most? That will influence your decisions and shape your destiny. This book is a powerful reminder of that. Bruce Lipton is a cell biologist and his research on how cells receive and process information and how this influences our life is documented in this book with case studies and some stories.

Buy the Book: Amazon.in

Molecules of Emotions by Candace Pert, Ph.D

This book transformed the way I thought about emotions and nutrition. Candace introduces us to the importance of processing our deepest emotions fully to stay healthy. She also talks about the significance of nutrition and how it connects to the emotional health of an individual.

Buy the Book: Amazon.in

You are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza

In this book, Dr. Dispenza  shares unbelievable stories of the power that the human brain possesses. He talks about self-healing and introduces us to the concept of ‘Placebo’ This book shifted the way I saw illness and healing. I stopped taking medication, especially painkillers and paracetamol. It gifted me the strategies to strengthen my immunity system.

Buy the Book: Amazon.in

Ikigai by by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”- Howard Thurman

This book introduces us to the concept of following one’s deepest purpose so we can live a healthy, happy and meaningful life. And here are the four questions you need to ask yourself to find your Ikigai

Buy the book: Amazon.in

What you love doing?

What are you good at doing?

What the world or community needs?

What you will be paid for?

So that’s my list and I hope you found it useful. Have you read any of these books? If yes then I’d love to hear your views. If no, then which one will you pick now to read? As always the comments are where the conversations begin, so looking forward to your thoughts.

PS: Kindly note that these books are not a substitute to Therapy. Please visit a therapist or learn the personal development tools to gain understanding about your brain.

Lots of Love & Gratitude

Gayu