Which 3 Books Have Inspired You the Most?

For me, this is a rather difficult question to answer in view of the number of excellent books I’ve read and loved, some of which have changed my life. My reading has been like a patchwork quilt, each book being integral to my whole development, with every new one adding to the one before in unexpected ways. However, if I had to choose any at all, they would be three books we all should read, for very different reasons.

The first is Real Magic by Dr Wayne Dyer. Briefly, he believes there are three types of people in the world. The first type abdicates responsibility to others for their life, and seems to enjoy victimhood. They are fond of asking the question “Why me?” in a hopeless, impotent way, without the awareness that they can actually affect their existence positively through self-determination.

The second type of person, which apply mainly to professionals, lives for results. They are always moving from one task to the next, hungrily searching for the next outcome to make them feel better and to boost their self-esteem, yet never really finding that desired satisfaction and self-fulfilment. In this continual search process, they often end up a slave to their work in their bid to find that elusive joy.

Finally, the third type lives to purpose. They know their values, what matters to them most, what they really enjoy doing and, without fanfare, live to their purpose in a life that enriches both themselves and others. I have gone through all three of those types myself a various points relating to my age and circumstances, finally settling to my purpose in life, and can say that he is 100% spot on!

Another inspirational book is Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes by William Bridges. A powerful book that gives a simple, almost idiotic message which many people don’t heed: Life consists of birth, growth and death. You cannot begin anything in life without completing something else - e.g, one cannot start a new relationship without ending the old one and moving away from it, because the death of the relationship would not have occurred. The same with the seasons: winter has to die before we get spring, and spring has to die before we see the summer. So, for any new birth to happen, there simply has to be an ending first.

But some people are so afraid of endings, of moving on, and of letting go, they try in vain to start over but are still wedded to their past, which prevents them getting what they seek. Sadly, they spend years of their life in limbo fighting against the flow, wondering why they are so unhappy and in so much pain.

Transitions serves as an indispensable guide for us precisely because it separates change (the external event) from actual transition (the internal emotional process around it). The book’s core usefulness lies in its three-stage model, which reassures readers of the validity of the confusion and discomfort they are likely to feel during these three stages of upheaval: letting go, navigating through the in-between phase where the old identity is gone, but the new one hasn’t fully formed - usually an awkward space that is a necessary period of creativity, reflection, and renewal, rather than a mistake to be fixed. Only after going through this period can a true beginning take place, which is usually marked by genuine clarity, renewed energy, and a fresh sense of purpose.

The final book is Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins. A truly awesome tome which gave me, personally, another powerful message: Thoughts make our life; they dictate our actions and the quality of our existence. Most important, they show us who we are, so we need to be careful what we think!

Each of these books is an unreserved winner in the message they offer, though, individually, they won't appeal to everyone.