Some books amuse us while others teach us something new, but few change our perception. There are many perspectives we have on life (and the world in general) that are damaging to us, or others around us. These books address changing some of those perspectives.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
This read is for those feeling stuck in their personal or professional growth. Would you like to become a principle-centered person but don’t know how? Covey goes beyond productivity hacks, and his seven habits are rooted in principles that align both our personal and professional lives with integrity and purpose.
Building character from the inside out is extremely important. Covey emphasizes the importance of focusing on personal victories, such as beginning with the end in mind, before public victories like synergizing with others. The seven habits form a framework that encourages permanent growth, meaningful relationships and an intentional, nonreactive life.
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
This book is for readers seeking a deeper understanding of race, body image, and trauma. For those ready to confront uncomfortable realities, Kiese Laymon writes a vulnerable memoir that challenges us to deal with the heaviness the truth holds. The weight of his world encompasses race, his family, his body, trauma and the American South. He writes beautifully about what it means to be a Black male in Mississippi experiencing love and violence. Laymon invites everyone to question what they carry and hide. Can one survive while telling the truth?
Heavy allows us to examine how we internalize shame and deal with systemic injustice. We reckon with ourselves and our responsibilities to one another.
Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day by Amishi P. Jha
This one is for anyone struggling with distraction, stress, or burnout in the digital age. Your brain isn’t broken! You can train your attention to be what sets you apart. Neuroscientist Amishi Jha shows how training our attention helps our performance and resilience. Focus is not something you have or don’t have — it’s a trained skill that can be built with only 12 minutes of practice per day.
Jha uses her neuroscience knowledge with exercises you can do anywhere. She shows you how attention training can reduce stress and distraction. Anyone can regain control over their mind, enhance clarity and regulate their emotions. In a world that is full of distractions, you can improve your mental fitness!
Happiness: A Memoir: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After by Heather Harpham
For anyone facing emotional uncertainty in relationships, parenthood, or chronic illness, you will benefit from this read. Happiness isn’t about an ideal life; it’s about being present in the one you’re living. Heather Harpham captures the emotional roller coaster of dealing with medical uncertainty and parenthood. When she and Brian become pregnant, she finds herself a single mom. When they discover their daughter is perilously ill, Brian decides to become involved in his daughter’s life so she can make it to adulthood. Life is messy, but it can still be joyful, no matter the circumstances you are dealt. Happiness coexists with fear and dread, and true meaning is luminated from our most harrowing memories. Happiness is not a goal, but how we handle what is.
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown
If you’re feeling isolated or unsure where you belong, this is a must-read. Do you feel like you’re just blending in instead of belonging in your circle? Brené Brown doesn’t believe that belonging means following the crowd. Alternatively, she argues that truly belonging means we all must be unwavering in our beliefs — a revealing but necessary action in our divided environments.
Brown explores the differences between individuality and community, showing that truly belonging doesn’t come from altering our personalities, thoughts and behaviors to fit in, but from being who we really are, even when we feel misunderstood. Brown shows us that standing alone and braving the wilderness with authenticity and belief in ourselves is the start to finding community and real connections.
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins
This book is for the people-pleasers and overthinkers. Exhausted from trying to control things and make others happy? This book introduces the concept of “letting them” — a mindset that liberates us from explaining more than we need to and overanalyzing how others will react. A small change, with transformative capabilities for peace of mind.
Through embracing this theory, Mel Robbins helps us to stop caring about what other people think and do. Instead of doing things to be liked, we should focus on our values and boundaries. This not only helps with anxiety but also allows us to live with more sincerity and focus on what matters in our relationships.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Curious minds who want to understand the unseen forces behind extraordinary success will love this book. Ever wonder what separates the highest achievers from the rest of us? Success is dependent on many factors; it’s not something that comes from nowhere. Idiosyncratic experiences are the divider. Malcolm Gladwell nixes the idea of being self-made as he shows how culture, environment and timing play a big part in success.
Gladwell uses case studies to introduce concepts like the “10,000-Hour Rule.” He also illustrates how invisible factors cultivate success. Success suddenly feels more accessible but also more complicated. Readers will rethink the broader systems that influence outcomes.
