“A book is a device to ignite the imagination.” – Alan Bennett

For the majority of my life, I never thought of books in this way. When I was a kid reading books seemed like a tedious chore. When I was an adolescent reading felt like homework. And when I was a young adult reading seemed nothing more than leisure. But now I finally see books for what they really are. Books are tools that can teach you new lessons, introduce you to foreign concepts, and alter your perspective. Books can change you.

Over the last year, as I have indulged in self-help, motivational and even spiritual books they have taken on this new meaning to me. And now my appetite for these types of books is insatiable and I have started to consume them rapidly. Thanks to modern tools such as Amazon Audible I have been able to double my reading consumption despite my busy city lifestyle. I’m now able to listen to books while I’m commuting, biking or even flying.

With this newfound tool I have been able to ignite my imagination that had been dormant for so long. This spark in my imagination has been what’s led me to start this blog, come up with my first business idea, and reconsider my life direction. With this post I want to give you a peek at the top six books that have ignited this fire within me. These are the books that have made me focus on my dreams. These are the books I turn to when I have doubts. And these are the books that I hope will inspire you to blaze your own path…

Note: Use the link below to get two FREE books and a 30 day trial with Amazon Audible!  It’s my favorite way to read!

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

The 6 Most Influential Books I’ve Read This Year:

1. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

In this #1 New York Time bestseller, Tim questions the traditional corporate America mindset of the 9-5 and challenges the norm of deferring your life until retirement. He argues that we should spend the best years of our lives doing what matters to us rather than working on something that has no meaning at all.  He then gives you a step-by-step guide through his own experiences on how to reshape your life and discover a more fulfilling lifestyle. Whether your goal is to escape the rat race by creating other sources of income, experience luxurious world travel at a low cost, or simply just live more and work less, Tim provides the answers. This book has had the single biggest influence on me out of any on this list and has been the major reason I’ve flipped my career direction on its head. If there is one book to read on this list this is it!

2. The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holliday

Renowned by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Belichick, this book will serve as a source of inspiration and a guide on perseverance for you. It centers on the topic of stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring adversity and pain by developing resilience.  In essence, stoics turn every obstacle they face into an opportunity to get stronger. Holliday walks his readers through examples of stoics from history including the likes of Steve Jobs, John Rockefeller, and Amelia Earhart. What I loved about this book is that it made a 2000-year-old philosophical concept easily digestible and relatable. A straightforward yet powerful read, this book will teach you to embrace the obstacles in your life and help you understand that, as Marcus Aurelius put it, “what stands in the way becomes the way.”

3. What I Know For Sure by Oprah

Narrated by Oprah herself through the Amazon Audible version, this book walks you through her invaluable life lessons. She shares stories from all parts of her life that reveal her insecurities, her failures and how she was able to overcome them all through resilience and gratitude. She proves to be candid, witty, and uplifting all at once. The general theme of the book is that she identifies the unchanging truths in her life, or “what (she) knows for sure,” that have helped her find success and, more importantly, happiness in her own life. All of her lessons are relatable and her practices can be easily replicated. The book has helped me embrace gratitude in my own life and will help you do the same.

4. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

Vagabonding is, as its subtitle describes, “an uncommon guide to the art of long-term world travel.” A vagabond is a person who wanders the world without a home or job. Potts, a major travel advocate and long-time vagabonder, teaches you everything from how to finance your travels, adjust to a permanent life abroad and the process of re-acclimating back into everyday life. If you’re considering solo travel or going on a long-term trip this is a MUST READ. It will teach you how to escape the tourist shackles we wear when we go abroad and how to properly adapt to your newfound environment. Travel advocates and adventurers behold the travel bible!

5. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Given to me by my Dad, who declared after reading a few of my blog posts that I was “ready for it,” The Power of Now is a spiritual journey into the depths of your mind. It will teach you how to find inner peace in every moment of your life by ignoring the psychological tricks of the mind and by living in the present moment. Tolle claims that by existing in the “now” you will find that your worries and problems go away. All that matters is the present and you can either accept it or take action to change it. That is all. It has kept me calm over these hectic times in my life and taught me how to actively monitor my thoughts. If you’re ready to have your mind stretched and perspective shifted then I highly recommend this book.

6. The Law of Attraction by Ether & Jerry Hicks

Referenced in one of my first ever blog posts, From A Boozy Brunch to A Meditative Awakening, The Law of Attraction was the beginning of the shift in my career and life direction. Equally as spiritual and otherworldly as The Power of Now, this book will open your eyes to the lesser-known laws of the universe and the powers that govern our lives. In essence, it uncovers how all things in our lives, both wanted and unwanted, are brought to us because our mind attracts them first. Nothing is brought into our lives by accident. We manifest it all. While this might sound outlandish at first I encourage those of you who are intrigued to approach it with an open mind as it will teach you how to seek out and attract amazing things into your life.

So there you have it. There’s my list of the books that have had an immediate impact on my life in 2016. These books have bent my mind and challenged my thinking. These books have moved me into action and sent me down this new road. And these books have something in them for you too if you’re willing to give them a try.  No matter where you are in your life I guarantee that these books will add value to it.

Now, all that’s left is for you to choose where to start. Do you want to rediscover work/life balance with Tim Ferriss? Wander the world with Ralf Potts? Or perhaps discover the power of the present with Eckhart Tolle?

I encourage you to take me up on one of these book recommendations and discover for yourself what its like to ignite your imagination once again and see the world anew.

Note: Use the link below to get two FREE books and a 30 day trial with Amazon Audible!  It’s my favorite way to read!

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks 

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