4 Self -Discovery Books To Jump Start Your Journey
I am fascinated with humans, human behavior, and why we do what we do. I’ve been reading self-discovery books since my early 20s. They give me insight into not only myself, but others. Unfortunately, the information from those books didn’t stick with me as well back then. Why? Probably because I was too busy schooling, working, and partying and didn’t put any of what I read into action. Don’t get me wrong, I had a huge season of growth in my mid-twenties. But once I hit my early 30s . . . that’s when shit really started clicking. If I had to choose 4 books that really jump started things for me, it would be these. Enjoy!
1. You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
by Jenn Sincero
The very first thing I highlighted from this book was, “It’s not your fault that you’re fucked up. It’s your fault if you stay fucked up.” I love this book for several reasons, but the fact that she drops F-Bombs all throughout tells me that she’s my people. Here are just a few things she covers in the book: why you are the way you are, how to win yourself over so you can create more self-love, not caring about what others think, gratitude and forgiveness, stepping out of your comfort zone, changing your story, overwhelm and fear, success and failure, surrendering to have what you want, and money. It’s jam packed! But not only that, she gives actionable steps to work through each one. She reminds you that your life is happening right now so there’s no reason to wait any longer to start changing what you want about it. By the end, she has you believing that you’re a Badass. And with that, she challenges you to take the tools she lays out in the book and go kick some serious ass.
2. The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level
by Gay Hendricks
He introduced me to The Upper Limit Problem and The Zone of Genius. The Zone of Genius is your unique superpower. It’s a one-of-a-kind quality that you bring to your life and work that lets you do certain things better than almost anyone else. The Upper Limit Problem is the notion that we each have a limit on how much abundance, success, and love we think we are deserving of. It depends on a number of things: our upbringing, limiting beliefs, fears, things we’re told growing up, etc. It’s basicaly subconscious self-sabotage that happens when we get a taste of something great. In order to live and thrive in your Zone of Genius, you must first identify and solve your Upper Limit Problem. And he tells you how to do just that! There are 4 Upper Limit Problems (mine is The Crime of Outshining) and I’ve never met anyone that didn’t identify with at least one. When I first read mine . . . my mind was completely blown! I couldn’t believe 1) how accurate it was and 2) how I never saw it before. It opened an entirely new world for me and I bet it will for you too.
3. Practicing The Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises From The Power of Now
by Eckhart Tolle
This book is about presence. He breaks down EXACTLY what it is, what it isn’t, how to stay there, why to stay there, meditation (because what’s a book about presence without meditation??), how we create our own suffering, the Ego, as well as pain and the victim mentality. He introduces the idea of being present as the “watcher” of your thoughts and feelings instead of allowing them to take over. And you better believe he talks about relationships. This book is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I don’t hesitate to say that it’s transformational. From time to time, I go back and read my highlighted notes from it and when I do, I get a healing all over again. I consider Eckhart a genius. He writes on a deep and intense level. Because of that, there were times I had re-read sentences or paragraphs in order to really comprehend it (so heads up, this may happen for you). But when I finally comprehended it . . . WHOA. Not only that, but sometimes his shit hit so hard that I had to put the book down completely and marinate on it. For example, he asked, “Are you so busy getting to the future that the present is reduced to a means of getting there?” Ummmmm, yes. If you also answered yes, this book is for you.
4. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done
by Jon Acuff
I’m not sure under what section you would find this book at a bookstore, but I’m including it. It lit a fire under my ass, explained why I’m very good at accomplishing my goals, and had me motivated AF. However, if you’re NOT good at accomplishing your goals, you’re actually his target audience. What is the main culprit for this? He says it’s perfectionism . . . everyone has a little of it. When people are interviewed about why they quit their goal, they all say the same thing with different words, “When it stopped being perfect, I stopped, too.” He explains why the most important day is “the day after perfect”. He lays out why people fail, how you can get and stay motivated, overcoming your fears of failing, denial and why it’s dangerous, changing your perspective, how to adjust if you’re unhappy with your progress, and how to set a plan to finish your goals that feels good for you. It’s essentially everything you need to see more success and less failure.
Also, he’s from Nashville, so bonus for me for supporting a local guy!
For me, there’s always an opportunity to learn more about myself and be better. If you’re hesitant about jumping aboard the self-discovery book train, ask yourself why. It could be the catalyst for some great changes in yourself, your life, and your relationships. Don’t knock it until you try it. Choose a book that peaks your interest and read it with curiosity and no expectations. Remember that it’s not about absorbing everything from each book, but taking away the nuggets that resonate with you most. The ones that make you momentarily set the book down because it struck something inside of you. The ones that make you so intrigued that you can’t stop reading. And the ones that resonate so deeply that you know it’s the Universe sending you a direct message. Lastly, you can’t just read the books, you have to apply those nuggets to your life in order for you to see real, lasting improvements. As Jen Sincero says, “In order to kick ass, you must first lift up your foot.”
