To move the dial closer to your ideal life, we’ve gathered nine books to spark the inspiration and change your need to be your best self. If you’re ready to start a business, prioritize your health, renew a relationship or improve your finances, the insights in these books will expedite your progress.
A Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World
by Timothy Ferriss
After losing multiple friends in 2017, Timothy Ferriss had a renewed sense of the value of time. The best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek reached out to leaders in their respective fields—athletes, artists, entrepreneurs and investors—to collect their best life advice. Tribe of Mentors is a whopping 605-page collection of life advice from top performers. Read answers to questions including: What one message would you put on a billboard? And what’s your favorite failure and why? This book is packed with gems of wisdom about setting goals and managing priorities. Find a better morning routine. Learn how to meditate. Overcome failure.
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts
by Gary Chapman
Someone once wrote that relationships could be so much better if couples simply realized they are on the same side. In his New York Times best-selling book, Gary Chapman helps couples improve their relationships by identifying and understanding their partner’s love language. Once you know how your significant other feels loved, you can more easily meet that need and vice versa. What’s your love language? The five love languages include: 1. Quality time. 2. Words of affirmation. 3. Gifts. 4. Acts of service. 5. Physical touch. Know each other’s love language and use what you learn to enhance your relationship with your partner.
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
by Daniel Goleman
We all might like a high IQ, but it’s actually emotional intelligence that can be a better indicator of our success in life—from relationships to work. With numerous examples, Daniel describes the five skills of emotional intelligence and how we can develop our emotional literacy for a more meaningful and fulfilling life. “People with well-developed emotional skills are also more likely to be content and effective in their lives, mastering the habits of mind that foster their own productivity; people who cannot marshal some control over their emotional life fight inner battles that sabotage their ability for focused work and clear thought,” Daniel writes.
The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success & Happiness
by Jeff Olson
The Slight Edge offers a path to success via awareness of the importance of the numerous small decisions we make each day. Author Jeff Olson describes his philosophy as easy to do and easy not to do—and each decision we make is a step in the right direction or away from it. There is no middle ground, he says. “People on the success curve live a life of responsibility. They take full responsibility for who they are, where they are, and everything that happens to them,” he writes.
Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy
by Deborah Heisz
What if the pathway to your best self is easier than you might think? Discover how surprisingly easy, everyday acts lead to lifelong joy and fulfillment, as proved by the latest research in positive psychology. Author Deborah Heisz, founder of Live Happy, features 40 real-life inspirational stories from regular people and celebrities, including Hoda Kotb, Jason Mraz, Alanis Morissette, Niki Taylor, Arianna Huffington, Shawn Achor, Laura Benanti, and Gretchen Rubin. Get inspired while collecting actionable tips to boost your happiness every day. Start a regular gratitude practice. Eat real foods to improve your mood. Plan an act of kindness each day.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
by Don Miguel Ruiz
What if you never took anything anyone ever said personally? That’s the kind of sage advice you will find in this life-changing and best-selling book. Author Don Miguel Ruiz gives four principles to practice in order to create love and happiness in your life. Practice each of the principles until they become habits and watch your life change. 1. Be impeccable with your word. (Say only what you mean.) 2. Don’t take anything personally. (Nothing others do is because of you.) 3. Don’t make assumptions. 4. Always do your best. You will avoid self-judgment and regret.
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives and The Four Tendencies
by Gretchen Rubin
Habits are the invisible architecture of our everyday lives, writes Gretchen Rubin, best-selling author of The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, Better Than Before and her latest book, The Four Tendencies. “If we change our habits, we change our lives,” she writes. Discover how to set up habits based on your personality type and how you respond to expectations—your own and those others have for you. “Habits make change possible by freeing us from decision-making and using self-control,” Gretchen writes.
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
by Brené Brown
True belonging doesn’t mean we have to change or conform, it means we can be who we truly are. Best-selling author and scientist Brené Brown shows us how to own who we are in a time of increased divisiveness. Brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism by being who you are. “True belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it is a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. It is a personal commitment we carry in our hearts,” Brene writes.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
by Michael Singer
The Untethered Soul is a book you can turn to again and again when you feel your ego is getting in your way. Transcend life’s trials and tribulations by taking a bigger look at the world and the role you play. “In the end, enjoying life’s experiences is the only rational thing to do,” Michael writes. “You gain nothing by being bothered by life’s events. It doesn’t change the world, you just suffer. If you’re going to be here, at least be happy and enjoy the experience.” Simply make the decision to be happy and your path will become clearer, Michael contends.
