7 Personal Development Books To Read in 2021

2020 was a remarkable year of challenges and with every hurdle we encountered, there was the opportunity for self-growth. As we step in 2021, I urge you to continue the search for meaning, seek peace, and commit to creating internal lasting change where it's needed most. I suggest starting with some serious personal development reading. There are many books and teachings that have impacted my life, but these 7 books have been profoundly significant in my personal evolution. They have changed the way I think about myself, others, and my life experience. They have propelled me to take meaningful action in order to create my best life and to help my clients do the same. Even during these wildly uncertain times, the philosophies and tools I have adopted continue to serve and ground me. These are widely considered classics in the human philosophy, personal growth, and self-improvement genres and I hope you gain as much from them as I have. Wishing you health, growth, peace, and fulfillment... this year and all the ones that follow.

1. Shambala by Chogyam Trungpa

"The classic guide to enlightened living that first presented the Buddhist path of the warrior to a Western audience.

There is a basic human wisdom that can help solve the world’s problems... It’s what Chögyam Trungpa called the sacred path of the warrior. The sacred warrior conquers the world not through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge. The warrior discovers the basic goodness of human life and radiates that goodness out into the world for the peace and sanity of others." -- Book Description

2. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

"In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love." -- Book Description

“This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.” — Oprah Winfrey

3. The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell

"Joseph Campbell, arguably the greatest mythologist of the twentieth century, was certainly one of our greatest storytellers. This masterfully crafted book interweaves conversations between Campbell and some of the people he inspired, including poet Robert Bly, anthropologist Angeles Arrien, filmmaker David Kennard, Doors drummer John Densmore, psychiatric pioneer Stanislov Grof, Nobel Laureate Roger Guillemen and others. Campbell reflects on subjects ranging from the origins and functions of myth, the role of the artist, and the need for ritual to the ordeals of love and romance. With poetry and humor, Campbell recounts his own quest and conveys the excitement of his lifelong exploration of our mythic traditions, what he called “the one great story of mankind.”

4. The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander

"Discover the twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity and a sense of possibility into all of your endeavors in this bestselling guide from the author of Pathways to Possibility. Presenting twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. The Art of Possibility... combines the authors' harmoniously interwoven perspectives [to] provide a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of life. The Zanders invite us to become passionate communicators, leaders, and performers whose lives radiate possibility into the world." - Book Description

5. The Essential Rumi by Jalal al-Din Rumi (Author), Coleman Barks (Translator), John Moyne (Translator)

One of the wisest men to have lived, albeit arguably, is Rumi. Exploring the literary works of Rumi's work has been called "literary diplomacy" by NPR, "sensual, celebratory, and pensive" by Spirituality and Practice, philosophy, poetry, and "...truly divine madness" by writer Huston Smith. As the most widely read poet in the world, Rumi provides transcendent insight into love, loss, connection, struggle, self-awareness, God, violence, and the human experience.

6. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

"Who are you? When you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive it really is... The Untethered Soul, spiritual teacher Michael Singer explores the question of who we are and arrives at the conclusion that our identity is to be found in our consciousness, the fact of our ability to observe ourselves, and the world around us. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization." - Book Description

7. The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck

"Confronting and solving problems is a painful process which most of us attempt to avoid. Avoiding resolution results in greater pain and an inability to grow both mentally and spiritually. Drawing heavily on his own professional experience, Dr. M. Scott Peck, a psychiatrist, suggests ways in which facing our difficulties - and suffering through the changes - can enable us to reach a higher level of self-understanding... This is a book that can show you how to embrace reality and yet achieve serenity and a richer existence." -- Book Description

#lifestyle #books #wisdom #selfimprovement #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #selfawareness #mindfulness #consciousness #kindle #audible #audiobooks #read #readmore #mustread #theroadlesstraveled #rumi #essentialrumi #theuntetheredsoul #michaelsinger #artofpossibility #pathwaystopossibility #josephcampbell #theherosjourney #josephcampbell #oprahwinfrey #thefouragreements #donmiguelruiz #shambala #2021 #bookstoread #newyear #newyearsresolution