Must-Read Books to Bring More Fulfilment, Order, and Positivity Into Your Life

by Desert Citizen

"Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think" - Buddha

bestseller book list goodreads to inspire positive mindset personal development books

Reading is essential if you want to live a fulfilling and successful life. It will expose you to new ideas and ways of thinking, and will give you access to diverse wisdom. No matter how you grew up or what you practice today, the knowledge you absorb from books can serve as a way to add new perspective to sustain you in times of uncertainty or motivate you while working towards a goal.

Here we discuss some of our favorite books to help spark ideas and creative thought and aid you in creating a better, more fulfilling life filled with positivity, order, and joy.

Ikigai by Hecor Garcia Puigcerver

Ikagai The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life Hector Garcia

According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning.

Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Mari Kondo

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international bestseller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home - and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman

A top performance expert reveals the secret behind many top athletes and executives: creating a heroic alter ego to activate when the chips are down. There's only one person in the way of you untapping your potential: You. There's also one person who can move you out of the way so you can perform at your peak.

In The Alter Ego Effect, Herman shows you how to activate the Heroic Self already nested inside of each of us, through countless stories from salespeople, executives, entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs, creatives and historical figures.

Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel

One of the world’s most respected voices on erotic intelligence, Esther Perel offers a bold, provocative new take on intimacy and sex. Mating in Captivity invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home.

“Today, we turn to one person to provide what an entire village once did: a sense of grounding, meaning, and continuity. At the same time, we expect our committed relationships to be romantic as well as emotionally and sexually fulfilling. Is it any wonder that so many relationships crumble under the weight of it all?” ― Esther Perel

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. It is not a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.

By forcing us to apply a more selective criteria for what is essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy—instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.

Judgement Detox by Gabrielle Bernstein

Judgement - both being judged and judging others - is at the core of our discomfort and the root of many of our life blocks. When we judge others, we get a quick hit of self-righteousness. Judgement can get us through when we feel hurt, insecure, or vulnerable. But inevitably this feeling of righteousness fades and judgement causes our energy to weaken and our thoughts to darken.

Gabby Bernstein shares the process she used to liberate herself - a six-step interactive program that calls on spiritual principles from A Course in Miracles, Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and other metaphysical and healing teachings. When you follow the process and become willing to let go, judgement, pain and suffering will begin to dissolve.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, you will already be holding the world in a different container—more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav

The Seat of the Soul encourages you to become the authority in your own life. It will change the way you see the world, interact with other people, and understand your own actions and motivations. Gary Zukav takes you on a penetrating exploration of the new phase humanity has entered: we are evolving from a species that understands power as the ability to manipulate and control—external power—into a species that understands power as the alignment of the personality with the soul--authentic power. Our evolution requires each of us to make the values of the soul our own: harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life. Using his scientist’s eye and philosopher’s heart, Zukav shows us how to participate fully in this evolution, enlivening our everyday activities and all of our relationships with meaning and purpose.

A Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful.

Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles" by Marianne Williamson

In this megaselling spiritual guide, author and philosopher Marianne Williamson shares her reflections on A Course in Miracles and her insights on the application of love in the search for inner peace. She reveals how? We each can become a miracle worker through the expression of love. Whether our psychic pain is in the area of relationships, career, or health, Marianne Williamson shows us how by practicing love we can make our own lives more fulfilling while creating a more peaceful and loving world for our children.

Craving more insightful books to bring positivity into your life? Check out our list of Spiritual Books That Will Will Shift Your Mind. You won't be disappointed!

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