I live my life by books. When I was hired at my only corporate job as an executive assistant all those years ago, the first thing I did was go to the library and borrow a book on how to be a good assistant (ok… I’m a nerd). As I have grown as a leader and entrepreneur, I have continued to rely on books to provide guidance, wisdom, and new insights into the work that I do.

Many books have come and gone, but there are four that I work with on a weekly (if not daily) basis. By that, I mean that I open each of these books at least once a week. They sit on my meditation chair (though they are mostly not about meditation) and are the first things I touch in the morning after brushing my teeth.

I want to share them with you because they have been such powerful allies in what is sometimes chaos and uncertainty that can come with forging your own way in the world. I hope you have the chance to read them. Please share your insights with me if you do! I’d love to hear it.

The Success Principles

by Jack Canfield

This book is a tome. It took me a long time to read through it, but not because of its size (I’ve had clients finish it in a single evening). Canfield, yes, the Chicken Soup for the Soul guy, breaks down into small chunks the advice and wisdom he has gathered through countless successes and mentorships. Each section, often no longer than a paragraph, packs a whollop. I like to fully digest what I am reading, and that is why it took me so long to read his book initially. I would read a section, and then spend a week or two processing it.

Because of its format, one doesn’t have to read it in order. I regularly crack it open and absorb a section for a boost in confidence, clarity, and motivation. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Heal Your Body

by Louise Hay

I honestly can’t remember how I came across this book. I think a friend recommended it, prompting the purchase. But I don’t use it quite the way Hay suggests.

The book is formatted with ailments and counter-affirmations — that is, an affirmation to open one’s spirit where Hay has identified a correlated issue in the body. 

Instead, I highlighted all the affirmations that correspond to any aliment I experience, then let go of the aliment section of the book. This created a customized affirmation regimen for me. Each morning, I read the affirmations I’ve highlighted. I have noticed a massive upswing in confidence, clarity, and energy as a result of this practice. Here is a how-to if you’d like to use the book like I do.

CoCreating At It’s Best

by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Esther Hicks

I found this book in a Little Free Library and immediately felt drawn by its wisdom. I personally don’t know the author’s work very well, though I’ve heard of them. It was their words, their conversation, that caught me.

I read through it cover to cover in one weekend. It gave me a sense of place, affirmed how small we are as humans, and allowed me a bit of peace. These days I open to a random page and simply read. Sometimes I’ll do a Lectio Divina practice with a small section, reading it for both clarity and meaning. 

It’s All Well & Good

by Beth Moses

This little book has been a complete surprise and one of the most useful books I’ve ever received. I also found it in a Little Free Library. It was the loving inscription that someone had written in the front cover that moved me to take it home.

Dear Somebody —
I hope you find this at just the right moment, which is always.
You deserve the best in life.
Remember, you and the stars share the same atoms.
Much love, xo

Well, if that isn’t the sweetest thing I’ve ever read from a stranger. So I took it home. I thought I’d be reading a little book of wisdom, but this book isn’t meant to be read cover to cover. Instead, the table of contents identifies ailments, concerns, and feelings (or, as my coach would say, ‘sensations’) one is experiencing and recommends a series of pages containing exercises to help. Some exercises are literally that — a child’s pose, a leg massage, a neck roll. But most are meditations, affirmations, and little reminders that while we may be small in this vast world, we are still powerful. I use this book regularly, but especially when I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the big leaps I’m taking.

I hope you have the chance to explore these precious tomes. Let me know if you do!