There’s a reason why reading is among the first things we’re taught to do. Whether you’re an avid reader or an infrequent reader, there’s no denying that books have the power to teach us new skills, change our perspective, and completely transform our lives. A good book can help you master your finances, start a business, find or maintain healthy relationships, improve your health, and achieve your goals. If you’re looking to change your life in 2023, here are 8 influential books that will help you do just that!

1. Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab

The ability to say no to yourself is a gift. If you can resist your urges, change your habits, and say yes to only what you deem truly meaningful, you’ll be practicing healthy self-boundaries. It’s your responsibility to care for yourself without excuses.

If you find yourself fastening everyone else’s metaphorical oxygen mask before your own, you my friend may have an issue with setting boundaries. Without healthy boundaries, your life may feel unmanageable and exhausting. In Set Boundaries, Find Peace, Nedra helps you recognize the value of saying “no” and why doing so allows you to say “yes” to yourself more often.  Find peace and freedom by learning how to choose yourself first.

2. Undistracted by Bob Goff

“Where should I start?” Here’s my answer: It doesn’t matter. Here, there, down the street, under the bridge, in Singapore, on ice skates, or in a hot-air balloon. The people who live wildly purposeful and joy-filled lives act first and ask questions later. They know that concocting a master plan can really be just a distraction in disguise.”

If any book can kick you into gear, its Undistracted by Bob Goff. In Undistracted, Bob helps you regain your focus and restore your faith by showing you how to embrace failure and become laser-focused on your goals.  With his profound wisdom and no-nonsense mentality, Bob Goff helps readers acknowledge and eliminate distractions that keep them from living their best lives. 

3. How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self by Dr. Nicole Pera

“To truly actualize change, you have to engage in the work of making new choices every day. In order to achieve mental wellness, you must begin by being an active daily participant in your own healing.”

How to Do the Work is the next best thing to therapy. Written by clinical psychologist  Dr. Nicole Pera, How to Do the Work helps you dive deep into the world of self-discovery and self-healing. This powerful book addresses healing trauma (big and small).  The recently released interactive companion workbook, How to Meet Yourself is full of exercises that helps readers acknowledge and heal from their trauma.

4. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

Fear is the cause of every problem. It’s the root of all prejudices and the negative emotions of anger, jealousy, and possessiveness. If you had no fear, you’d be perfectly happy living in this world. Nothing would bother you. You’d be willing to face everything and everyone because you wouldn’t have fear inside of you that could cause you a disturbance.The purpose of spiritual evolution is to remove the blockages that cause you fear.”

Fear is a natural emotion, but it has its way of seeping into our minds and sabotaging our lives.  The Untethered Soul teaches you how to detach from negative emotions and experiences to live a more fulfilling and harmonious life. 

5. 369 Manifestation Journal by Berni Johnson

Journaling can be a powerful tool for clearing your mind and prioritizing self-care. This journal combines your mindful writing practices with the magic of 369 manifestation to create a whole new way to envision the life you want.

Manifestation has been a buzzword since it rose to popularity on Tiktok. And whether you believe in manifestation or not, it’s proven that repetition, goal-setting, and positive thinking are all essential in achieving success. In the 369 Manifestation Journal, you get to put this into practice with exercises and writing prompts that help you envision and create the life you want. Change takes time, but this 52-week guide is here to keep you focused and inspired along the way. 

6. I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

“This book isn’t about telling you to stop buying lattes. Instead, it’s about being able to actually spend more on the things you love by not spending money on all the knucklehead things you don’t care about.”

If you’re like me ( and let’s be honest, most millennials, a book on managing your finances is an absolute need.  In I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Ramit provides expert and realistic advice on spending, saving, and investing your money. He breaks down how to reduce your debt, increase your income, and make your money work for you.  

7.What Do You Want Out of Life?: A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters by Valerie Tiberius

What Do You Want Out of Life? is a bold question, but Valerie Tiberius’ new book was written to help us find answers. In her soon to be released book, Valerie helps readers figure out the complicated journey that we know as life. Life is many things, but for most of us… what we want out of it isn’t always crystal clear. In her new book, philosophy professor Valerie Tiberius helps us take inventory of ourselves to figure out what it is that we actually want.  

8. You Will Find Your People by Lane Moore

If you’ve read Lane Moore’s first book, How to be Alone, you know how cathartic her writing can be for those of us who have yet found our “place” or our “people”. In her upcoming sequel, You Will Find Your People, Lane addresses the difficulties of finding meaningful adult friendships.  Whether you’re learning to embrace your solitude (as illustrated in How to be Alone) or you’re looking for a solid friend group, Lane has a way of always making you feel seen and heard. 

Change isn’t easy, but it can occur in many ways. Just like people, places, and experiences, books have the ability to change our lives. There are numerous books that have the power to change your life, but these 8 influential books are a great place to start.

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