5 Books That Changed My Life
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I have been a bookworm for all of my life. My love for books and reading was instilled in me by my Grandma June from a young age, and I will read pretty much any and every genre. Reading has also been a huge part of my personal wellness and spiritual journeys.
There are so many amazing self-help, wellness, and spiritual books on the market these days, and I have read a lot of them. Many of them have been impactful and inspiring, some… not so much… but a select few have been truly life changing. These are the 5 books that have changed my life (up until this point):
1) Spirit Junkie by Gabby Bernstein: Spirit Junkie is the book that made it all “click” for me. I had been practicing yoga for about 7 years, completed yoga teacher training, established a consistent meditation practice, and had been deeply invested in my own personal wellness for a while, but I still struggled with crippling anxiety that impacted my day-to-day and quality of life regularly. When I read this book in 2016… all that finally changed. The concept of “letting go” really resonated with me, and “let go” has been my personal mantra ever since. While I still struggle with anxiety, it’s not nearly as intense, consistent, or all-encompassing as it was in the past. I definitely recommend this book to anyone struggling with anxiety or simple just looking to start deepening their spiritual practices.
2) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: Not be be cliché here, but Eat, Pray, Love is one of those books that was suggested to me when I needed it the most, and is a book I have gone back to again and again and again (and probably will for the rest of my life). In college, my therapist recommended that I read this book when I was struggling with poor self-esteem and body image issues. It helped me to realize that there is so much more to life than what my body looks like, and helped me learn to love myself exactly as I was.
3) The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo: The Alchemist is another book that probably pops up on these types of lists all the time, but with good reason. While this book is a fiction novel, its story is compelling. Without giving too much away, the story teaches the wisdom of listening to your heart and following your dreams, and most importantly, of paying attention to the lessons life teaches us on our own journeys. It taught me to trust myself and listen to my inner knowing more closely.
4) The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown: I love Brené Brown for so many reasons… her storytelling and the way she weaves research into her teachings, just to name a few. This book took the lessons I learned in Eat, Pray, Love a step further by exploring the psychology behind letting go of the idea of being “perfect”, and embracing yourself and your life as imperfect. It helped me to embrace a life of authenticity, and establish a practice for a life of imperfectly honest beauty. If you’re a perfectionist like me, this book is a must read.
5) Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza: If you’re not familiar with the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza, stop everything you’re doing and read this book! This book is packed with all of the tools, knowledge, and research you need to up-level your life, call in profound healing, and reach extraordinary states of being. Using quantum physics, epigenetics, and neuroscience, Joe Dispenza has created a series of meditations specifically for Becoming Supernatural to help you shift your awareness from the limited material world to the quantum field of infinite possibilities. This book has helped me to go deeper with meditation practice, and reminded me that I am the creator of my reality.
What books have changed or impacted your life for the better? Share them in the comments below so I can add them to my reading list!
xo,
Kelsey