Books That Kick-Started Mental Motivation
Ever since I first learned how to read, I can remember always loving to get lost in the stories. I would race home to finish whatever book I had been reading and continue to live in the world even after I turned the last page. Then life happens, as it does. Fast forward many years later and I found that in an attempt to protect myself from my circumstances, I had taken a deep dive into those stories and had forgotten what was going on around me. I had even forgotten to see my own self. Books used to be such a wonderful escape but I found myself disappearing. My ability to run from myself was severely impaired once I gained self-awareness about my habits. I started to wonder, what do you read when the escape you need is from yourself?
As a human experiencing life on this earth, I feel a lot. I found that I needed to temper my journey with guides along the way. I finally wanted to improve and face myself the way you do when you come to a turning point in your own life. A sort of “what’s it gonna be?” moment. The following books helped me to stop running and face myself, along with the choices I’ve made, in order to cobble together the motivation necessary to take control of my own life.
A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson
Biggest Lesson: Regardless of the decision, make it from a place of love. Your decision will never be “wrong” if made from the place of eternal truth, which is Love. Everything that is not love is an illusion. The love one feels is indicative of positive energy moving through you. That positivity can make so many miracles happen and I’m ecstatic to have been able to learn and actively practice that positivity in my own life.
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Biggest Lesson: I learned how obsessively tied humanity is to the “Ego”. Our attachment to it and our inability to see and feel our true Self causes us so much extreme suffering. It pleases me to know that there is a distinction between the ego from my own true self. By choosing to keep recognizing when my ego is trying to take over I am able to lean into living in the Inner Peace we all have a connection to.
Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by David R. Hawkins
Biggest Lesson: The message is simple. To let go. But one would be surprised by how extremely difficult that message is to hear when a person is determined to hold on. This book is quite possibly the biggest dose of tough love I’ve ever read. Its deceptively simple approach allows us to see the things we’re resisting which affects our positive progression. It is repetitive but effective because the consistent messaging truly penetrates the psyche if you’re willing to surrender as the book suggests. And let me tell you, they don’t call it work for nothing.
Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill
Biggest Lesson: Framed around the absolutely fascinating premise of an interview with the Devil himself, the conversation between the author and his subject provides some rather unique perspectives on the way people operate and achieve things in their lives. The most impactful of them being the idea of “drifters” and “non-drifters”. According to Mr. Hill’s interview with the Devil, we must aim to be a non-drifter in this life. One who acts through their own convictions and “definiteness of purpose”. To drift is to be pulled every which way by forces outside of ourselves that in turn determine the flow of our lives. When we stop drifting by acting with definiteness of purpose, healthy habits form and then go on autopilot. This means we’re always coming from a place that is inherently good for us due to our own due diligence and preparation. That, my friends, is when the real magic happens.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of the books that have fueled my motivation, however, these are the titles that have given me an invaluable amount of insight. So much of my time is looking to see how others are doing things and how others can help me. These books helped me realize that the work comes from me and the amount of energy I bring to get my Fully Realized Self to the table.
What are some books you’ve read that have inspired and propelled you towards self-realization?!