Self-help books are laughed at by many supposedly savvy go-getters because of the apparent stigma attached to the idea of needing help and not being able to figure things out on your own. But, to shut down or frown upon the notion of a person seeking help from a book seems a little close-minded, doesn't it? After all, if when we can't talk to someone about the issues which are tearing us apart from the inside on a daily basis, why should we be made fun of for turning to written words of inspiration?
That being said, it is my personal opinion that religion and politics stay out of the self-help business because the help-seekers among us, although somewhat vulnerable to the promises of self-improvement, can see right through the core ideas of any book or audio-visual program and they are evaluated accordingly. In other words, no 'one book' will answer all questions for everybody and the help-seekers will take away the ideas from various sources that appeal to them and discard the rest.
Here is my list of four very important self-help books and a couple of audio programs as well:
1) "Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow: Discovering Your Right Livelihood" - Marsha Sinetar
A great book with simple case studies illustrating the point of the book, which is: if you want to find out what is right for you to pursue as a livelihood, don't worry so much about going broke because the money you need to sustain yourself will catch up to you.
This is not a get-rich-quick book! In fact, it's about enjoying what you do for work and replacing what you don't enjoy doing. Very inspiring read!
2) "Think and Grow Rich" - Napoleon Hill
The book may be dated and there are a few references to 'The Creator', but in all fairness, the recurring theme of 'Infinite Intelligence' makes up for any religious bents. There are a lot of really great ideas in this book including 'The Six Ghosts of Fear' and how to overcome them, as well as plenty of inspiring stories of perseverance and courage to follow up on the ideas we get in our heads.
The word 'rich' is in the title, but I think the title should have been 'Think and Grow Enriched' because it helped enrich my own life. A timeless classic that might help you become a millionaire (or, nowadays, a billionaire?). Whatever the case, it is well worth buying a copy to read and re-read.
3) "Speedwealth" - T. Harv Eker
This book is about making money running your own business and becoming a millionaire within three years. I've had it for one, so we'll see. No, seriously, aside from the millionaire stuff, it has a way of getting into your head and changing the way you think about money and success. It goes way beyond the money-making formula and goes into ideas about changing your entire attitude with statements like 'model a proven winner' and 'practice whatever you want to be in the future, now'.
Weighing in at only 74 pages, this little book is filled with gold!
4) "How to Win Friends and Influence People" - Dale Carnegie
There's a reason why books like this will not go away and that is because they are very powerful in their simplicity. Some of the examples within seem obvious, but it is the obvious stuff that flies out the window for many of us when we get into a negative mindset.
This has everything from 'how to handle people' to 'you can't win an argument' and describes ways to bite your tongue (gently) when someone else is clearly wrong in a social situation. Every leader should be assigned to read this book.
5) A short, inspiring video - "The Strangest Secret in the World" - Earl Nightingale
In this video, the concept of success is not being a million-billionaire or anything like it (although it could lead to that). Earl's definition of success is: 'the progressive realization of a worthy ideal', which should make some people feel better about their chosen paths in life. See it below:
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