Oscar Wilde once said, “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

In high school, I refused to pick up a book outside of what my teachers were making me read. Up until I graduated, I would tell people that books were boring and they made me fall asleep. But In my early college years, I found myself gazing through the book section at Goodwill which was where I began my book journey. 

I think the key to reading books is finding something that works best for you. After some trial and error, I found the only books that could grab my attention were self-help books. Here are my top eight: 

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle:

   It is exactly what it says it’s about. The power of the present moment which is now. We overanalyze the past and worry about the future. We allow our minds to drive us crazy with what would’ve been or what if. When we should’ve been putting our energy in the now all along. This book was an eye-opener in ways I could not imagine which has helped me realize that we are not our thoughts. That tiny negative voice in your head is not you and that voice is separate from who we are. If you are looking for motivation this is the book. 

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz:

   This book is simple yet extremely powerful. It’s a quick read that goes over four agreements you are supposed to make with yourself. These four agreements will help you in every aspect of your life. I found this book most useful when I hit an all-time low. It led me to the best version of myself. Although, I recommend reading this book more than once as it’s easy to forget how important each agreement is.        

The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest:

   What’s the best way to fix a bad habit? Well, the first step is admitting you‘re doing it. Then realizing and understanding why. That’s what this book is all about. Why, when, and how to stop sabotaging ourselves. This book doesn’t provide the answer we so desperately seek but it guides the readers to new places where the answers may lie. 

Atomic Habits by James Clear:

   “Habits do not restrict freedom. They create it. Building habits in the present allows you to do more of what you want in the future.” Clear doesn’t give his readers meaningless tips throughout the book but rather teaches you how to gradually maintain your habits. This book will help you see that bad habits will repeat themselves time and time again until you change the core problem which is the system you created. 

Good Vibes Good Life by Vex King:

   This book is all about Vex’s adversity to become a source of motivation and hope. He uses his own experience to motivate you to practice self-care. King reminds his readers that you can’t just walk around hoping to bump into a state of happiness; you have to search within yourself to find it. 

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra:

   Terrific book! I feel like the best way to go about this book is to take it one chapter at a time. It is a quick read, you can either reread it over and over or let each chapter sink in slowly. It’s about seven laws that you can easily apply to your everyday life to help promote success in all different kinds of areas. 

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle:

   After loving The Power of Now it was almost mandatory to give A New Earth a shot. This book was extremely fulfilling. It goes over the basic things that you find in many self-help books but this one stands out because of how he explains it. It’s like after every book I read it all suddenly begins to make sense. It gave me the “lightbulb” feeling. This book is one of my favorites.

The You Beyond You by Ramzi Najjar:

   Now this book is a game-changer that everyone should read. I believe it may even be my #1. Najjar reminds his readers that you can’t get comfortable. When you’re comfortable that leads to you being stuck on autopilot. Subconsciously accepting a fraction of what life could be and taking ourselves away from what else life has to offer.