5 Revolutionary Books that Changed My Life in One Day
It seems as though we are all looking for the answers to our deepest questions and difficulties in life. Whether that be in regards to mental health, self love, happiness, or finances, books are wondrous in their ability to guide us towards enlightenment.
I am no different, I too am always looking for the next book that will revolutionize my life. The following is a list of five books that have changed my life for the better.
- Laziness Does Not Exist By Dr. Devon Price
As I have gotten older, I have had an increasingly crushing sense of down time equals wasted time. Actively shaming myself for stopping for moment for rest, my late teens and twenties were strife with exhaustion, burn out, and packed schedules in the hope of “producing enough.” Dr. Price’s book Laziness Does Not Exist dives deeps into the origins of the word, why it was created and how it allows capitalism to manipulate us, while also dispellings the belief that rest is a moral failing.
This book is a warm hug of self compassion and love — it gave me full permission to take care of myself and not hang my self worth on whether or not I posted a YouTube video, blog article, worked 40 hours that week in my full time job, write my novel, and teach in my part time job on the side. I actually took a nap for the first time in five years —it had me asking Alexa “what is a sleep in the middle of the afternoon called?”
2. The Body Keeps Score by Bessel A. Van Der Kolk
While I had experienced enough trauma to last a lifetime in my childhood, the sexual assault I survived in 2015 led to a mess of physical symptoms that I had no idea were related to the event. While the nightmares, avoidance, and social anxiety I developed made sense to me, I didn’t understand why my body was revolting.
For years I experienced chronic Bell’s palsy, heart palpitations, digestion issues, migraines, as well as a weakened immune system and chronic bronchitis. Not to mention clenching my jaw so tight during the day that I cracked a tooth one day during an undergrad class! The Body Keeps Score gave me not only a deeper understanding of how the body stores and responds to trauma, but also validated my emotional experiences. If anything, I feel more in-tune and self-compassionate towards both my physical and emotional health, especially after trauma or stress.
3. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Calling all Creatives!
Do you feel stuck or stagnant in your artistic work?
Feeling unmotivated?
Feeling scared to pursue the project of your dreams?
Experiencing writers block?
Or maybe you don’t feel “good enough” to complete the project. Like someone more qualified should bring that piece of artwork to life?
Look no further, this is your book. Plus, it’s a workbook so it’s forces you to take actionable steps and focus on progressing week to week. It’s fantastic, just trust me on this!
4. When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner
*Religious References
After being raised in the Christian church, I had an internalized belief that bad things happen to bad people. That bad things happen as a punishment when you are bad. However, as a child who was terrified of disappointing anyone or breaking a rule, I could not comprehend how I could deserve so much trauma and pain. What had I done wrong?
Kushner’s book explores the philosophical implications of the Western representation of God and explores alternative explanations through personal stories. Anyone who was gaslit or shamed for their trauma through theological and religious methods may find this one especially healing. I found great comfort in this one.
5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Shame has been my first, middle, and last name for most of my life. While I was aware of this, I didn’t know how to rectify this self-hatred which led to years and years of intolerance for my emotions. This book gave me clear and concrete actions to transform my shame into actionable guilt, to acknowledge my inherent value as a human, as well as learning to acknowledge and sit with my emotions. If anything, Brene’s conversation regarding “should” versus “could” is life changing and I think you would get your money’s worth from that alone.
