Today I finished reading Robin Sharma’s ‘The Monk who Sold his Ferrari’. Adored it!!!! So feel good. And practical. The key lessons for a better life are: mastering your mind to fill it with positive thoughts, following your purpose and doing the things you want/love to do, practicing Kaizen (constant and never ending improvement), living with discipline to build inner strength, respecting your time and priorities, being kind and generous, embracing the present. An easy read and perfect ideas for really working on your mindset.
“Never get into the petty habit of measuring your self-worth against other people’s net worth.”
If you’re new to a bit of a personal development journey and interested in finding more happiness/joy/optimism, it can be hard to know where to start. Here’s my top picks for books for beginners:
Learning about self love and self care: Louise Hay and her book ‘Heal your Life’. I have a huge girl crush on her and want to be just like her. She’s done amazing things for the world. Just beautiful simple messages about learning to love yourself so you can trust in the universe and start living a life with more of what you want.
Learning to deal with your fears: ‘Big Magic’ by Liz Gilbert (she who wrote ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ which is another gem). This is all about being curious when facing your fears. Taking it easy. Not putting any pressure on yourself. Making you feel you want to do it. Helped me get through some public speaking in 2015.
Learning about money: ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ by George S Clason. An absolute classic written in 1926!!!! Easy read and messages that are still spot on now. I recently read the Australian Scott Pape’s ‘The Barefoot Investor’ book and so many similar philosophies. See my review of Scott’s book here.
Learning who you want to be: Brendan Burchard’s ‘Life’s Golden Ticket’. I adored this book. All about it’s never too late – a story about second chances. Quite often he gives it away for free on his website.
Learning to get more positivity in life: ‘How Full is Your Bucket?’ by Tom Rath and Donald O Clifton. Really simple book about how to get more positive moments and decrease your negative ones. How to find and enjoy your strengths.
Learning how to be happy now: a billion books for this category but let’s start with ‘The Present’ by Spencer Johnson. A very short easy read. Helps you to focus on what will make you happier.
Learning to appreciate the world: I just read the ‘The Magic’ by Rhonda Byrne. Another easy to read, feel good book, full of gratitude exercises. Not just writing a list each night of a couple of things you are grateful for, because I know for me that hasn’t really made much of a difference. But really focussing on a different thing in your life each day to be grateful for. We are so busy and get caught up in rushing around all day every day trying to achieve more. These ideas are good for simply stopping and reflecting on all the good stuff – rather than always thinking about what’s next and what we must tick off the list and what we must strive for and what we should achieve and and and and…..
I am slowly realising that your mindset is the KEY to your life. To your happiness, to what you feel, to your bravery, to your connections with people, to your optimism and to your health. We either have positive and inspiring thoughts which bring more of those qualities to everything in our lives, or we have negative/limiting/fearful beliefs and everything around us reflects that. Which would you prefer to radiate and attract to you?
Just like the muscles in your body, your mind is a muscle. With training and practice you can develop it into a stronger muscle bringing you more happiness and joy. Interested?
And doesn’t the idea of happiness in your head just make you feel lighter even as a concept? Doesn’t the idea of saying nice things to yourself, instead of constant criticism and blame and judgement and fear mongering, feel a whole lot better? Like a weight lifted off your shoulders? Allowing yourself kindness and optimism. Allowing yourself to believe there is more out there for you. It is out there. It’s waiting for you. Wanna collect it?
Where will your personal development journey start?
Be kind to yourself
Wx
