The Books That Changed My Life

It might sound like an oversimplification to say ‘books have changed my life’ – but it’s absolutely true.  I’m a HUGE advocate for self-education and personal development – and one of the easiest ways to do that is through great books! 

In fact, I  can trace many of my biggest life transitions back to a specific book.  In this post I’ll share the books that changed my life.  If you haven’t read them, I highly recommend checking them out!

Book One: Conversations With God

This three-part trilogy has been one of the only collections of books I’ve returned to again and again.  I’ve probably listened to the audiobooks at least 3 times apiece!  If the title throws you for a loop, don’t fret.  It’s not a ‘Jesus’ book.  You won’t be hearing bible verses or parables (for the most part).  The book begins by the author Neale Donald Walsh talking about an angry letter he wrote to God.  He was down on his luck, having a hard time paying his bills, and decided to take it up with the Big Guy In The Sky with some angry prose.

According to the books, God answered back.  His pen started moving independently of his mind, and God answered him.  The three books are a question-answer format actual ‘conversation with God’. 

Now, whether or not you believe such things are feasible is completely up to you.  You do NOT need to buy-in to this being a real experience to get major wisdom from this book.  The ideas presented in this book about who we are, what we’re here for, relationships, the institution of marriage, politics, community and so many other topics are beautiful and thought-provoking.  There is at no point a ‘right way’ and a ‘wrong way’ to live according to this book series.  Every nugget of advice in this book is outlined as a choice we can make about what we want and who we want to be. 

When I heard the words in this book, I was at a pivotal point in my life.  I’d spend years living for other people and had ‘forgotten’ I had choices about who I was and how I wanted to show up.  I was living in a house I hated with a husband who was abusive, had hit a ceiling at my job, and honestly didn’t recognize myself anymore.  The words in this book spoke to my soul – and for the first time in a LONG time, I remembered that the expression of mySELF mattered.  It inspired me to shake off all the ‘should’s’ I’d been living up to and the people I thought I had to please in order to uncover who I truly was underneath.     

Key takeaways: We are all made up of the same ‘stuff’ – in this book they call the stuff God.  In this way, we are all expressions of God, and our job, our purpose here on earth is to literally be ourselves.  We are God expressed.

Book Two: Quench

I read this on a whim because one of my online business-guru crushes was hosting a virtual book-club.  It has CHANGED my life.  The book is about proper hydration, and mainly about eating the right balance of foods in order to fully fuel your body and your brain.  I learned about how to move properly throughout the day for proper hydration (so great since I work at a desk now!) and some really yummy smoothie recipes I use every morning.  With just a few tweaks in my diet and routine, my energy skyrocketed, my productivity went through the roof, and I was finally able to feel hydrated after my hot-yoga sessions.

Key takeaways: Drink cucumber juice every morning.  Add ground chia seeds to an afternoon beverage for extra hydration, and take some time every day to stretch and twist your core to send hydration through your whole system and flush out toxins.

Book 3: The E-myth Revisited

This book was written for me and for every person who leaves the service industry to start their own business.  (For a step-by-step process for how to leave the service industry, check out this blog post here).

The E-Myth Revisited is a business book for non-business people.  It introduced me to the difference between working IN your business and working ON your business – which was really eye-opening.  As a former hair and makeup artist, my tendency was to make more work for myself because more work = more money.  When you own your own business with this mindset, it totally shoots you in the foot.  The E-Myth taught me to think more like a visionary, which has helped me keep my eyes on my goals and never forget the big picture.  It’s also helped me become more efficient in managing my time and delegating tasks.  Any entrepreneur who is feeling like they’re drowning in the minutiae of their business MUST read this book.

Key Takeaways: There are three roles in a business: Visionary/Entrepreneur, Manager, and Technician. Each is essential to the business – but to scale your business, you need to recognize the different roles that are being played and discover how to free up your time and energy to create sustainable workflows – otherwise you haven’t created a business, you’ve created a job.