5 Books That Helped Me Develop a Growth Mindset
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ― Paulo Coelho
I was fortunate enough to have grandparents that read me bedtime stories when I was a little kid. This love for books naturally stayed with me as I embraced adulthood. Well, the stories I read now might be different, but they often carry the same conclusions and solutions. Love, be kind, do good, forgive, be brave, and so on.
Books can…
help us understand who we are and what we want to achieve
make us better at things, like doing our chores or friendships
take us on adventures across the world from the comfort of the living room
give us insights about the topics that we really care about
show us different perspectives and expose us to other cultures
And just like anything in life, there’s a right time for a book to enter your mind space.
So if you are looking to develop & nurture a growth mindset, here are the 5 books that helped me advance my empathetic thinking and become more present in every aspect of my life.
‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho
No book has had such an impact to the way I perceive and experience my life like ‘The Alchemist’. I carry it with me wherever I go as a source of infinite wisdom. The truths that are intertwined in this little story are so universal, yet so easy to forget. But once you truly discover the power of their meaning, there’s no going back — you’re in it for the long run.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
Why: When you discover your calling — your purpose — in life, it doesn’t matter how crazy it might appear it first, it’s yours and yours only. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from truly living.
‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma
As humans we are constantly evolving and learning how to be better at things. One of the aspects that defines us is that we are social creatures, yet we are not always given the right advice on how to approach relationships.
We learn about the social part of life through observations. We watch movies, we observe our parents, or look at how our colleagues and friends do things, which we then start copying and inserting some of their skills or habits into our behaviour.
‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ is a great reminder of the little things that make our brief existence more special and how to approach life with more intention and kindness, including the relationship with oneself.
“Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.”
Why: If there was a guide on how to continuously bring the best version of yourself in any situation, this book would certainly make the cut in the table of content. Learn how to create a more meaningful life, starting today.
‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle
We are all just trying to find where in life we belong and how to fit in with what we know. Some people will continue to expand their knowledge until the day they die and others might settle within the comfort zone of the truths that suit them. Either way, we are all living in and sharing the same realm of existence.
What we sometimes perceive as gigantic problems are really minor setbacks that are expanding only in our mindset. To shift your attitude even a tiny bit could be the starting point towards a more permanent transformation.
This is a book as essential and complicated as the story of the universe. Its main message that the answer to any and all of your problems is acceptance.
“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time — past and future — the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”
Why: There’s only one thing you can do at any given point in time — to live in the present moment and accept it as it is, without judgement, if you want to truly be healthy, successful and joyful.
‘Heal Your Body’ by Louise Hay
Our mental health affects our physical health and vice versa. When we ignore the early symptoms of internal struggle, they manifest in external problems. In other words, if your body is suffering, you will most certainly find a root cause of the pain in your attitude towards life.
It took me some time to understand the importance of this book, but it now works as a huge reminder to look after my overall wellbeing: physical but also mental and spiritual.
“I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.”
Why: Using positive affirmations — mantras — can help you direct your energy in the right direction. Looking after your mental wellbeing has never been more important than in today’s age of constant information and distractions.
‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat’ by Oliver Sacks
Every person has a unique story, but not everyone has a chance to tell theirs. If you pay attention to the conversation, you might pick up on some clues. But ultimately you might never know what the person in front of you is going through.
Oliver Sacks goes on a metaphysical quest into the mind to give us an idea of how much our life is affected by what’s happening in our brain. Yet the only way to discover what the future has in store for you is to let life happen.
Reading this book helped me develop a more open-minded thinking, which meant infusing my analytical approach with more empathy in order to see beyond what’s in front of me and not simply accept, or worse — assume, the obvious. Essentially, this is a book about understanding the deepest levels of being human.
“If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self — himself — he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it.”
Why: Real communication starts when you stop assuming and start actively participating in the exchange. Asking plenty of questions is not just for the kids.
There’s a curious and innovative creator in each of us.
We must remember to love the process, even when it gets messy, especially when it gets messy, because I can tell you that the road to a well-lived, meaningful and successful life is bound to get messy at times!
We wouldn’t be able to appreciate the good things in life without a bunch of bad things happening from time to time.
A growth mindset will always help you see the bigger picture, no matter the circumstances and challenges, so that you can navigate with ease to the next phase with the right people beside you. ✨
