Hi everyone!
It’s been a while since my last post and so much has happened since then. But I’ve been meaning to write this post when I finished reading a bunch of books during and before the pandemic.
Here are the four books that have made a lasting impact on me, that taught me things I wish I knew earlier in life, that have really changed my perspective.
If there were anything that helped me lead myself to a “better” life, I would say that Eckhart Tolle’s books have done just that. Reading his books have really taught me how to change the way I think, how to separate who I am from my mind and ego, and what it really means to be present. I learned that thoughts are just things that take over your mind and that you should not believe everything that you think. He also talks a lot about detaching ourselves from our physical identities, or labels that put on ourselves. Ever since I realized all this, it changed the way I perceive people, and how to relate and communicate with them. It also changed the way I see myself.
One of the many things I got out of Tolle’s books is that whenever I get lost in thoughts of problems, negativity, or anything that could stress me out, I “snap out of it” by asking myself, “what is wrong at this very moment?” And 99% of the time, nothing is. Sure, things happen in ways we would not prefer, but once you accept that they happened in the past, and you switch your focus to the now, your world seems better and you feel at peace. You’ll suddenly notice all the beauty and inspiration that surrounds you at all times, that you normally ignore or fail to notice because you’re so caught up in your stream of thoughts. I can go on and on about these books and I’m happy to discuss this with anyone who’s read them or wants to read them!
If you get the chance to read his books, you can’t read them in one sitting. It took me 6 months or so to read each book because you really need to pause and think about his teachings.
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Okay, so it sounds funny going from a super spiritual theme of books to something of money. But I think the topics of wealth and abundance are very important, as money is what makes the world go round. This book, as easy and fast it was to read, really challenged my life long beliefs about money, attaining wealth, and what living in abundance is like.
People have this idea that money is the “root of all evil” and that “rich people are assholes.” But try reading a book like this, starting your own business, and experiencing everything on the backend of a business that typical employees don’t see, and you realize that we have not been taught properly about money and the path to wealth. Did you ever hear or read about “cashflow” when you were in school? Most people have not, and I sure didn’t until I read this book.
The book can seem repetitive as Kiyosaki explains a concept over and over but through different stories. I think it is helpful though, because maybe some of the stories he shares, you connect with more than the others. In summary, Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a book about changing your mindset about money and wealth, and that is so important to have financial education.
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
A friend of mine gave me this book for my birthday, about 6 years ago when I first moved to LA. I remember telling him how hard it was to make friends out here. So for my first birthday in LA, he gave me this book. I read a few chapters of it back then, but fast forward six years later, I decided to read it again.
Carnegie explains different concepts on how to relate to people and most importantly, how to understand them. He really emphasizes that people just want to be heard and understood, which of course, is very true. And everyone’s favorite subject is themselves. Realizing these simple concepts, you can really use it to your advantage when you interact with people.
He goes over many concepts on how to deal with people, but the top things I got out of this book is that: you have to let people talk, be genuinely interested in them, never tell them that they are wrong (even if they are,) and there is no point in arguing because you can’t win. Even with just these few ways of approaching people, you will go a long way in winning people over, get them to want to work with you, buy your product, or even to just like you.
If you’re looking to level up your social life, improve your sales skills, or enhance your personal relationships, I highly recommend reading this book. Carnegie also explains his concepts through different stories but they are real life scenarios that you can totally relate to.
There are other books I have read or am currently reading, like Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Think and Grow Rich, Rich Woman, and a totally random one called How To Improve Your Psychic Ability. By the way, I have a hard time reading one book at a time, I like reading three to four books at a time, from different genres. Some days a book really sticks, and other days I just want to read something else. If you have any books to recommend, let me know!
Anyway, I hope you find this post interesting and useful. I love recommending books to people, but I find that people are not as receptive to certain ideas or knowledge until they are at a certain point in their personal development. I actually tried to read Power of Now some years back but it totally didn’t click and I didn’t finish it. Then I read it again last year after having gone through some major life lessons and transformation, then the book suddenly made sense. It was as if I had never even read this book before. Has this happened to you?
Thanks for reading!
Joan
Joan Quinto 
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