7 books that changed my life

1. As a Man Thinketh

This book explores the incredible power that thoughts possess. And it taught me to be aware and careful about what I think about, as the thoughts you and I consistently think about eventually expresses itself in our actions, which then translate into our character, circumstances, and our eventual life outcome.

2. Atomic Habits

The core idea of this book is how small, consistent changes compound into incredible results over the long term. And how you and I don’t rise to the level of the goals we’ve set for ourselves, but fall to the level of the systems we have in our lives. This book helped me view habits with a much greater appreciation and as an area of focus in my life. The practical insights and tips in this book on how to develop the habits I want and eliminate the habits I don’t want have really encouraged me and helped me in my personal development. It taught me that "Success is the product of daily habits — not once-in-a-lifetime transformation."

3. Rich Dad Poor Dad 

This book is told through the author's POV and contrasts two mindsets about money, work, and life. One is through the author’s “poor dad” (highly educated, good-paying job, slightly above average net worth), who is the author's actual father, and two, the “rich dad” (entrepreneur, investor, wealthy), who is his friend's father. The book delves into the diverging lessons that these two dads share with the author and how those lessons have shaped their lives, and ultimately, where they ended up financially. This book was an eye-opener for me and was my financial literacy 101. It changed how I viewed earning money and building wealth. It taught me that financial freedom comes from financial education and owning assets, not just earning a paycheck. It made it clear to me the difference between what an actual asset is and what an actual liability is. Along with providing many insightful tips and practical advice on the mindset and actions that need to be taken to become financially independent.

4. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

This is probably the most down-to-earth self-help book I have ever read. Mixed with the author's sense of humor and stories, it argues that happiness doesn’t come from constant positivity or chasing success, but from embracing struggle and responsibility. And it reinforced for me the idea that living a good life is choosing to care deeply about the few things that truly matter and letting go of everything else.

5. The Alchemist

 

This book is about a young Shepherd who gets these recurring dreams about treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. Encouraged by a mysterious king, he decides to go on a journey to find this treasure that he keeps dreaming about. Along the way, he faces loss, doubt, and temptation to settle for comfort. However, in the end, he perseveres on his journey and discovers that the treasure he was searching for was closer to home than he expected. The main takeaway I got from this book is that if you want to find your true purpose and fulfill your ultimate destiny, you must listen to your inner voice, step outside your comfort zone, pursue your dream, and embrace all of life’s challenges that come your way.

6. The Millionaire Fastlane 

This book introduces the idea that there are three financial paths in life.

1. The Sidewalk: Driven by instant gratification. Living paycheck to paycheck, spending everything you earn (and often more) just to look rich, which results in a life of financial fragility.
2. The Slowlane: The path most of us are on, which involves getting a good job, saving, and investing in the stock market for decades, where if we do well enough, we may retire in 30-40 years.
3. The Fastlane: the path where you can significantly increase your rate of wealth creation by becoming an entrepreneur and builder of businesses by creating products and services that can scale and serve millions of people. The key takeaway that stuck with me being to make millions, you have to impact millions.

7. The Bible

Not a book but a library of books that contains history, story-driven narrative, human psychology, truth, life lessons, finance lessons, spirituality, wisdom, poetry, prophecy, etc. No other book has continually provided me with as much insight when reading it, day after day, year after year, as the Bible has. Reading it and then experimenting with the lessons and promises have changed my life and have helped me see reality more clearly.