I love a good story, and so I tend to stick to the fiction section of the book store or library. I love to get drawn into a book with complicated characters, plot twists, and a captivating dialogue. A good story is a good story, and I love to lose myself in a good book with a great story.

However, earlier this year, I decided maybe I needed to try some self-help, or self-empowerment books. I help motivate, guide and provide me with some extra influence and inspiration to fulfill my goals and keep me on track. I mean, who doesn’t like to feel motivated?

Here are a few of the self-help and motivation books on my to-read list.

 

The Wisdom of Sundays – Life-Changing Insights from Super Soul Conversations, by Oprah Winfrey

I started with the ultimate motivator – Oprah! I bought The Wisdom of Sundays, which is a collection of insights and stories from her Super Soul Sunday conversations. The reason I like this book is because I can pick it up at any time, and open it to any page and read. It’s not sequential. There is a story and a conversation for everyone. I’ve even read the same conversation over again, and depending on the day I’ve had, or the circumstances that surround you, I have taken different things from the same reading. It’s also a beautiful book and I love keeping it by my bedside.

 

You are a badass. How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life, by Jen Sincero

I have just started this book, and found there were some moments where the author was speaking directly to me. It is inspiring to put a new perspective on the way you think, and alter those thoughts in order to get the most out of your goals. From what I have read so far, we do stand in our own way. We sabotage ourselves. And I think we learn to do this so early on in our lives that it is a hard habit to break. I am looking forward to learning more and seeing how this book can help me change my habits. Because, who doesn’t want to be a badass, amiright?

Note I have learned that I can only read these books in small doses, and not as my regular daily read on the subway. I lose focus and my mind starts to wander, so I now keep it at home for those quiet moments I can steal to myself.

 

The life-changing magic of tidying up. The Japanese art of decluttering and organizing. By Marie Kondo

So, who doesn’t need some tips for tidying up and organizing? A while ago I realized that I still had my wedding bouquet on my dresser. It was in a vase with other dried flowers, all from D, but I wasn’t sure if I should keep them? I took it to Instagram, and was overwhelmed by the number of people who told me to chuck it. Did you know that keeping dried flowers brought bad energy and was bad feng shui? So, while they are flowers from one of the most favourite days in my life, I have lots and lots and lots of pictures of them, so I tossed them. And I’m happy I did.

The other recommendations that came out of my Instagram poll was the recommendation of The life-changing magic of tidying up. I bought it, because who doesn’t want life-changing magic to help tidying up?

I let you know how life-changing it is when I’ve finished it.

 

 

O’s Little Guide to the Big Questions. By The Editors of O, The Oprah Magazine

This lovely little book is another one filled with inspiration and was gifted to me by my dear friend. It is full of stories, answering life’s biggest questions about the meaning of life, love, finding purpose and pushing through adversity. The stories have brought tears to my eyes and it’s another book that I am not reading front to back. I scan the table of contents and pick the story that speaks to me and read it. It is a great way to use this book and get what I need at that moment.

It has found it’s found its way onto my side table with my other Oprah book and makes me just as happy.

 

The subtle art of not giving a f*ck. A counterintuitive approach to living a good life. By Mark Manson

I bought this book because it keeps showing itself to me. It appears in my Instagram feed, my recommended books on Amazon and from Chapters. I can take a hint when the universe sends one, so I bought it. I haven’t started reading it yet, as I have too many other books on the go, but I will do a full review once I have.

 

Before this year, I really had read too many self-help books, however I’m glad I have opened my options. People are always willing to share their opinions and ideas of life and nobody is ever short of opinions on how you should live your life. However, by embracing these empowerment books, I’m able to take what I want. I can choose how to consume them and when. I can take from them what I want. They are so different from a fiction book, which you can’t skip ahead, because you will lose important details of the plot, of the story, of character development. And it’s that difference that makes me like these self-help books.

 

Do you ready self-help, or empowerment books? If so, I’d love to hear your favourite ones. Please share in the comments below.