Books I Love (Part III): Personal Development

Good day everyone! Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and get comfortable ;). Today I share Part III (and final) part of this Summer Books Series. As mentioned last week today we dive into some personal development books that I’ve read through the years and consider phenomenal.

The concept of personal development and motivation is very near and dear to me. Although I would read mostly fiction growing up, once I hit my 20s I started to develop a strong desire to be better and to have an abundant and great life in every way possible. One of the ways I fed my interest and desire to learn more about improving my life and living the “best life” (for me) was my immersing myself in these kinds of books.

I tried to think of books I’ve read that I felt were amazing but perhaps a lot of people haven’t read yet. However, it wasn’t that easy and so you may notice some familiar titles :).  The books are in no particular order. If you’ve read any of these let me know in the comments.

Also, if you’re new here, don’t forget to check out Part I and Part II of the series if you’d like to catch up.

And let’s go ….

You, Inc. Discover The CEO Within! by Burke Hedges

“…take inventory of your existing habits. Think about which habits help you move forward, and which ones hold you back. Then think about the habits that can help you accomplish your dreams and goals in life. Finally, look for opportunities to substitute productive habits for unproductive ones”.

– Burke Hedges

I came across this book by chance while browsing a bookstore back around 2007 or so. I remember standing in one of the aisles browsing through the first chapter and after a few pages, I was hooked. It became a staple in my personal library. Since that random ‘encounter’ 10 or so years ago I’ve read this book at least 3 times. The book encourages us to look at ourselves as a ‘corporation’ – one we want to see grow and thrive towards its ultimate potential. Through a series of practical tips and principles as well as examples of real people that have reached their ultimate potential, the book not only encourages us to be our best selves but also goes into HOW to actually do so.

The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D.

“Hope is a start. But hope needs action to win victories”

– David Schwartz

I found out about this book while sitting on the NYC subway one day also in my early 20s. I saw some girl reading it and obviously, the title caught my attention so I added it to my list of prospective books. I picked it up that same week.

This book is incredible and another one I’ve read several times. It talks about how to position our minds into having great expectations for ourselves and our future. It explains (in practical and clear examples) how thinking small doesn’t do us any favors and we are better off striving for great things in life even if we feel they may sound unrealistic at first. This is not a book that tells you to sit down, do nothing, and just “think big”. It goes into the power of putting action behind our big life expectations and how to actually go about it. Another staple in my personal library!

The Present by Spencer Johnson

“Even In The Most Difficult Situations, When You Focus On What Is Right In The Present Moment, It Makes You Happier, Today. And It Gives You The Needed Energy And Confidence To Deal With What Is Wrong.”

-Spencer Johnson

I read the audio version of this book and have listened to it probably close to 10 times since I found out about it close to 10 years ago. It is a quick listen so I’m assuming also a quick read. The book helps us put life in general and current life situations into perspective. It teaches us exactly HOW we can improve our present lives by changing the way we look at it and the perspective we have towards it. One of my favorite things about this book (similar to the others) is that it goes beyond ‘general’ advice and provides us with practical steps of how to put the theories mentioned in the book into action.

Internationally Famous // Honorable mentions …

The books listed below are also amazing but I feel most of you have probably heard of them before because they are so popular. With that said, I didn’t want to leave them out of the list. These books are popular for a reason. They are creme of the crop in their genre.

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Pale

“Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture… Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.”

-Norman V. Pale

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

-Napoleon Hill

…and there you have it! I hope you enjoyed the list :). Next week we’re back to our regular scheduled programming of stock investing education and conversations. Figured a little break from talking stocks 24/7 wouldn’t hurt. Let me know if you read or will read any of the books mentioned in the three-part series. I always love hearing from you!

Have a GREAT day and cheers to profits!
Mabel ❤$

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