13 of The Best Self-Improvement Books to Inspire
Everyone needs a little extra push from time to time. When the road ahead seems uncertain, deciding where to turn for more motivation can feel intimidating. This is the very reason the world has passionate writers whose words will always find their way to those who need them the most. For everyone who may be running low on inspiration, ahead, a list filled with book picks to keep you inspired along your journey.
The Little Book of Big Lies: A Journey Into Inner Fitness
by Tina Lifford
Featured on Essence Magazine's Culture List
In fourteen raw, personal stories, Tina teaches you how to change your self-perception--to see yourself in the best possible light, to love and honor what you see, and to forge a new sense of what's possible in every aspect of your life. But make no mistake, The Little Book of Big Lies is not a "rah-rah" quick fix for fear and pain. Like physical fitness, building and maintaining emotional strength requires continued effort. This invaluable book is the foundation you need to start building inner health and well-being so you can thrive.
The Magic of Thinking Big
by David Schwartz
"The Magic of Thinking Big" gives you useful methods, not empty promises. Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. He proves that you don't need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction--but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there.
Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic (Art Book for Artists, Creative Self-Help Book)
by Lisa Congdon
Bestselling author, artist, and illustrator Lisa Congdon brings her expertise to this guide to the process of artistic self-discovery. Find Your Artistic Voice helps artists and creatives identify and nurture their own visual identity.
This one-of-a-kind book helps artists navigate the influence of creators they admire, while simultaneously appreciating the value of their personal journey.
- Features down-to-earth and encouraging advice from Congdon herself
- Filled with interviews with established artists, illustrators, and creatives
- Answers the question “how do I develop a unique artistic style?”
Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live
by Martha Beck
In this book, you'll start by learning how to read the internal compasses already built into your brain and body--and why you may have spent your life ignoring their signals. As you become reacquainted with your own deepest desires, you'll identify and repair any unconscious beliefs or unhealed emotional wounds that may be blocking your progress.
"Explorers depend on the North Star when there are no other landmarks in sight. The same relationship exists between you and your right life, the ultimate realization of your potential for happiness. I believe that a knowledge of that perfect life sits inside you just as the North Star sits in its unaltering spot." -- Martha Beck
The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life
by Shawn Achor
Happiness is not the belief that we don't need to change; it is the realization that we can.Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that once we succeed, we'll be happy; that once we get that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But the science reveals this formula to be backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around.
"Powerful [and] charming . . . A book for just about anyone . . . The philosophies in this book are easily the best wire frames to build a happy and successful life."--Medium
The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World's Happiest People
by Meik Wiking
In The Little Book of Lykke, Meik identifies the six factors that explain the majority of differences in happiness across the world--togetherness, money, health, freedom, trust, and kindness--and explores what actions we can take to become happier. As he reveals, we can deepen our blissfulness and contentment with little adjustments in our behavior, whether it's eating like the French (sitting around a table and savoring our time) or dancing the tango like Argentinians in Buenos Aires.
With his trademark warmth and wit, Meik explores the happiness gap for parents, how much money you really need to buy happiness, how we can be healthier without having to go to the gym, how we can learn to build trust and collaboration, how we can help ourselves by helping others, and why our expectations often outweigh our reality.
How to Be an Imperfectionist: The New Way to Self-Acceptance, Fearless Living, and Freedom from Perfectionism
by Stephen Guise
From an early age, kids are taught to color inside the lines, and any color that strays outside the lines is considered to be a mistake that must be avoided. Perfectionism is a naturally limiting mindset. Imperfectionism, however, frees us to live outside the lines, where possibilities are infinite, mistakes are allowed, and self-judgment is minimal.The old way to approach perfectionism was to inspire people to "let go" of their need for perfection and hope they could do it. The new way is to show people how simple but highly strategic "mini actions" can empower them to gradually and effortlessly "let go" of perfectionism. This book applies the science of behavior modification directly to the roots of perfectionism, resulting in a new and superior method for change. Imperfectionists aren't so ironic as to have perfect lives: they're just happier, healthier, and more productive at doing what matters.
The Artist's Way: 30th Anniversary Edition (Anniversary)
by Julia Cameron
"With its gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, fill-in-the-blank lists and tasks -- write yourself a thank-you letter, describe yourself at 80, for example -- The Artist's Way proposes an egalitarian view of creativity: Everyone's got it."--The New York Times
"Morning Pages have become a household name, a shorthand for unlocking your creative potential"--Vogue
Since its first publication, The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery.
The program begins with Cameron's most vital tools for creative recovery - The Morning Pages, a daily writing ritual of three pages of stream-of-conscious, and The Artist Date, a dedicated block of time to nurture your inner artist. From there, she shares hundreds of exercises, activities, and prompts to help readers thoroughly explore each chapter. She also offers guidance on starting a "Creative Cluster" of fellow artists who will support you in your creative endeavors.
Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life
by Gary John Bishop
New York Times bestseller.
Joining the ranks of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, You Are a Badas*, and F*ck Feelings comes this refreshing, BS-free, self-empowerment guide that offers an honest, no-nonsense, tough-love approach to help you move past self-imposed limitations.
Are you tired of feeling fu*ked up? If you are, Gary John Bishop has the answer. In this straightforward handbook, he gives you the tools and advice you need to demolish the slag weighing you down and become the truly unfu*ked version of yourself. ''Wake up to the miracle you are, '' he directs. ''Here's what you've forgotten: You're a fu*king miracle of being.'' It isn't other people that are standing in your way, it isn't even your circumstances that are blocking your ability to thrive, it's yourself and the negative self-talk you keep telling yourself.
The Laws of Human Nature
by Robert Greene
Robert Greene is a master guide for millions of readers, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding and mastery. Now he turns to the most important subject of all - understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves.
We are social animals. Our very lives depend on our relationships with people. Knowing why people do what they do is the most important tool we can possess, without which our other talents can only take us so far. Drawing from the ideas and examples of Pericles, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther King Jr, and many others, Greene teaches us how to detach ourselves from our own emotions and master self-control, how to develop the empathy that leads to insight, how to look behind people's masks, and how to resist conformity to develop your singular sense of purpose. Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense.
Untamed
by Glennon Doyle
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"Packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today."--Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club Pick)
There is a voice of longing inside each woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees, and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives and wonder: Wasn't it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful, hiding our discontent--even from ourselves.
Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member's ability to bring her full self to the table.
Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams
by Robin Roberts - Michelle Burford
Over the last 16 years as the esteemed anchor of Good Morning America, Robin Roberts has helped millions of people across the country greet each new morning, gracing our screens with heart and humility. She has sought to bring a bit of positivity into each day, even in the most trying of times. Now, she shares with readers the guidance she's received, her own hard-won wisdom, and eye-opening experiences that have helped her find the good in the world and usher in light--even on the darkest days.
Full of profound insight and the compassion to meet readers wherever they are on their journey, this contemplative and uplifting read is a breath of fresh air that will bring a dose of joy into your daily life.
No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering
by Thich Nhat Hanh
The secret to happiness is to acknowledge and transform suffering, not to run away from it. Thich Nhat Hanh acknowledges that because suffering can feel so bad, we try to run away from it or cover it up by consuming. We find something to eat or turn on the television. But unless we're able to face our suffering, we can't be present and available to life, and happiness will continue to elude us.
Nhat Hanh shares how the practices of stopping, mindful breathing, and deep concentration can generate the energy of mindfulness within our daily lives. With that energy, we can embrace pain and calm it down, instantly bringing a measure of freedom and a clearer mind.
No matter what you may be up against, trust that inspiration is right around the corner, just waiting for you to rediscover it.