5 Self-Imorovement Books to read

Self Improvement has to do with making one's  self better, emotionally,intellectually or economically. It has to do with developing yourself, by constant studying, it has to do with personal mastery.

Personal mastery implies that one possesses the self-awareness necessary to identify the source of one's resistance and the creativity to find ways beyond it.  Self mastery isn't about controlling yourself or dominating those fearful, aggressive, and nasty parts within us. It is the ability to control ones self, desire and impulse.  I cant imagine the person i would have become if i didn't have books in my life. Reading books, enhance your thinking, they reprogram your mind in a certain way, that motivates you for success.
Below is a list of self improvement books you should probably get your hands on 

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama gets incredibly honest about everything from not knowing where your passions lie, to taking a chance on love (even when the whole world is watching), and how to stand firm in your determination to make the world a better place. She inspires readers to be the best version of themselves by leading with vulnerability.
Favorite quote: “Failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result. It’s vulnerability that breeds with self-doubt and then is escalated, often deliberately, by fear.”
Who will enjoy this: Anyone who has only brothers, or always wanted an older sister, or has an older sister but wishes that older sister were Michelle Oba

2. Stop Doing That Sh*t: End Self-Sabotage and Demand Your Life Back by Gary John Bishop

You may think you don’t self-sabotage. But Bishop breaks down how even the smallest “I’ll go to the gym… tomorrow” affects your success in the long run. This is a short, intense jolt to your way of thinking that tells it straight, because our futures don’t have time for sugarcoating. Bishop helps readers get in touch with their individual psychological machinery to nip negative thoughts and behavior in the bud and build new thinking patterns that allow readers to find success in the areas previously inaccessible due to all the sh*t in the way.
Favorite quote: “On one hand you talk about wanting to be an author or a business owner or going back to school, while at the same time you’ve reduced your life’s potential to the lofty aim of getting up at the first alarm buzz or fighting the meaningless battle if prizing yourself away from your cell phone a little more often… You just can’t keep responding in ordinary ways if you are truly out to live an extraordinary life.”
This book is akin to: Your no-bullsh*t older brother having a heart-to-heart with you over a scotch at midnight. You’ll laugh, you may cry, but at the end of the night, you’ll be better for it.

3. The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay, PhD

Dr. Meg Jay explains over the course of 239 pages why the “30-is-the-new-20” culture is complete rubbish and how you can use your 20s to propel your future in a direction you’re passionate about. Jay weaves the latest science with stories from 20-somethings and provides actionable steps to create identity capital and make the most of your “defining decade.” This should be required reading for every 20-something.
Favorite quote: Dr. Meg Jay’s entire TED Talk on the topic, here.
Guaranteed to: Make every 20-something think twice before swiping right.

4. Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up by Koshin Paley Ellison

With a refreshing and surprisingly relatable style considering Koshin Paley Ellison is in fact a monk (monks, they’re just like us!), this book teaches you how to expand outward. Ellison uses a blend of the 16 teachings of Buddhism, Western Psychology and his personal life experiences to help readers learn to break down the walls we build around ourselves that distance us from connecting with others (and ourselves), and wake up to the world around us to truly live wholehearted.
Favorite quote: “People are afraid of—and paradoxically long for—honest, loving and ordinary conversation.”
This book feels like: A warm cup of hot cocoa, with extra marshmallows, and a fire crackling in the background.

 

5. The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons From Extraordinary Lives by Katie Couric

What began as a collection of advice for a commencement speech turned into a thoughtful curation of advice from some of the most successful people in today’s society. Katie Couric interviews people in politics, entertainment, sports, philanthropy, the arts and business—and shares their insights on how to take chances, follow your passions, cope with criticism and, perhaps most important, commit to something greater than ourselves. Plus, all of the proceeds from this book are donated to Scholarship America, which helps ambitious students graduate from college and realize their full potential.
Favorite quote: “Very few of us get through this life unscathed. Scratch beneath a stranger’s surface and you’re likely to uncover professional setbacks, broken hearts, unspeakable loss, unfulfilled dreams, or worse. Everyone seems to keep going but, God knows, navigating through it all isn’t easy.”
This book is similar to: Chicken Soup for the Soul, but business casual.

 

 

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