My top 4 books for personal development
In this post, I want to share the books that have inspired me the most since I’ve been passionate about personal development.
There are plenty of good reviews of books for personal development, and I thought it wouldn’t be necessary to add more. Such books are motivational, brilliant, and inspiring!
My very own list of books for personal development
With this post, instead, I want to talk about the books that have had a role in my own growing process.
The works I mention aren’t amongst my favorite books — some of them are not even in my top 10! — but they shed some light during my darkest moments, gave me hope, and showed me a new vision of the world.
Maybe you will not resonate with these books, or you won’t like them at all.
Or maybe you will enjoy them and get some inspiring insights.
That’s the beauty of life, after all. We learn something new almost every day: in this way, when we look back at our past selves, we are amazed by how we’ve grown.
Ready? Then, here we go with my top 4!
Tiziano Terzani — One more Ride on the Merry-go-round
Tiziano Terzani was an Italian reporter with a passion for traveling, discovering new cultures, and being constantly open and curious.
He lived for many years in Asia, where he worked as a correspondent. During those years, he witnessed many pivotal events that characterized the political and social life of Asian countries — from the war in Vietnam and the Chinese revolutions to the more recent events that characterized Japan and Thailand at the beginning of the 90s.
“One more Ride on the Merry-go-round” by Tiziano Terzani is a book about disease, relationship with death, and finding inner peace.
Some years after the diagnosis of stomach cancer and medical treatment in the US, Terzani started a journey around Asia to find and document some forms of medicine that could deal with his cancer.
He got closer to those that in Western culture are called “alternative medicines”.
With his peculiar curiosity, Terzani compared those techniques with the treatments he received in the US.
He set up an accurate reportage of the most popular Eastern medicines and techniques, such as Ayurveda and qi gong. Soon, he turned his inquiry into a fascinating journey into ancient Eastern wisdom.
The result is a detailed report of Eastern philosophy from the point of view of a Western man.
Very soon, his journey turned into an introspective analysis and the realization that the cure lies inside us.
“One more Ride on the Merry-go-round” was the first book that got me closer to Eastern philosophies and introduced me to ancient wisdom.
For the first time in my life, I came to the enlightened realization that knowledge and truth can be only sought within ourselves. That was a liberating thought for a young girl in her mid-20’s crisis.
Richard Bach — Jonathan Livingston Seagull
That’s a timeless classic. Every time I come back to this book, I learn something new.
The main character of Richard Bach’s “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” is a seagull who feels frustrated about his life — mostly spent trying to get food and conforming to the standards of his flock.
At one point, the feeling of being inadequate in the materialistic society of other seagulls leads Jonathan Livingston to a realization. He wants to pursue his passion for flight, no matter what. Day by day, he practices, fails, and learns something new — until he gets a good technique.
Pouring his energy into learning to fly leads to the expulsion from the flock. That’s how a new part of his existence starts. Jonathan makes new encounters, discovers new parts of himself, and eventually reaches a higher level of consciousness and awareness.
This book carries powerful messages — above all, the importance of pursuing your passions. But that’s not all. You can find reflections about many topics: spirituality, forgiveness, integrity, happiness, and self-realization.
I read this book for the first time in 2015. It blew my mind. Every now and then, I go back to it to find new teachings.
If you haven’t done it yet, I suggest you find a copy of this gem and add it to your bookshelf.
Bruce Lee — Artist of Life
If you knew Bruce Lee only from martial arts, you might be surprised to know that he was also a philosopher, avid reader, and multifaceted intellectual.
Lee had many interests: among them, philosophy, poetry, psychology, personal development, and more. He believed that life is a “work of art” and that focused practice leads to embodying knowledge.
“Artist of Life” by Bruce Lee is a book where you can find deep insights influenced by Zen and Eastern philosophy, to which Lee got closer thanks to his kung-fu practice.
One of the most poignant concepts I found in this book is the importance of developing your own technique through the exploration of different styles and schools.
Only the mixture of different techniques can lead to expressing yourself with freedom. A concept I find inspiring is that you can’t limit technique to a neutral mix of concepts and a set of rules. You have to understand it first, then embody it, and finally personalize it according to your nature.
We can apply this concept to our everyday life: be curious, open, and receptive. Learn as much as you can, combine your interests, and make something unique out of them. In other words, be unique. Be yourself.
With a fluid and engaging style, Bruce Lee brings the reader on a journey across his inner world for a fascinating exploration of human psychology.
Clarissa Pinkola Estés — Women Who Run with the Wolves
“Women Who Run with the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a must-read for those women who want to develop their full potential.
Clarisa Pinkola Estés is a Jungian psychoanalyst and a storyteller. She dedicated most of her life to gathering old myths, songs, and chants from different cultures and traditions.
“Women Who Run with the Wolves” collects the author’s knowledge in those fields. Through stories and tales from the most diverse popular traditions, Estés provides a detailed analysis of feminine psychology.
The author guides us on a journey from the initial and frightful discovery of our inner resistances and taboos to the awareness of our incredible power.
If we are brave enough, the journey will lead us to live a life in which we feel identified and fulfilled. The “Wild Woman” archetype that permeates the whole book reminds us to always trust our instincts.
This book left me speechless for many reasons.
First of all, it came at the right time in my life. At first glance, one would say that’s a book about women. But there’s much more. “Women Who Run with the Wolves” is about finding our inner center, trusting our instincts, and expressing our true selves.
I recommend you read each chapter more than once to assimilate the lesson it brings. Some topics you can find are creativity, trusting our instincts, motherhood, relationships, sensitivity, and inner strength.
“Women Who Run with the Wolves” is a true masterpiece for women of all ages, countries, and backgrounds. It addresses those who want to start a marvelous journey to their authentic realization.
Best books for personal development: what about yours?
So, here’s the list of my top 4 books for personal development.
Now, I would love to hear from you!
What are your favorite books — the ones you resonated with, made you cry, moved you, and gave a new sense to your personal growth path?
Feel free to leave a comment with your recommendations, suggestions, and reviews.
Reading is a beautiful way to travel in time and space and grow, and I am sure there’s always a new book waiting for us behind the corner.
Originally published at https://pressofpositivity.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/books-for-personal-development/
