Books are getting to be quite expensive these days and especially if you are an avid reader like me, the cost can be signficant. I kick myself for not investing in Amazon when it was just a fledging company – I should have stock, I buy so much from them.

I read a lot of books in different genres and as I was going through some of my bookcases this weekend, I started thinking of what are the books that I go back and re-read in various moments in my life. What are the books that I have read that have been so much more worth the time and money because of their impact on my life?

The only thing worse than not reading a book in the last ninety days is – not reading a book in the last ninety days and thinking that it doesn’t matter. – Jim Rohn

I’ve come up with a list of 6 books that have made an impact on either my financial life or in changing my mindset. Here they are, in no particular order:

#1 The Power of Focus: How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets with Absolute Certainty by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt

This is the book that I read over and over again whenever I find myself not sure of what I need to do to take positive action in my life. The book is geared a little towards business people, but the information inside is applicable to anyone who wants to gain focus and clarity in their lives. The Action Steps at the end of each chapter are more than worth the cost of the book.

I can’t recommend this book enough. I bought it years ago and I can say that it has made the most impact on my mindset in believing that there are certain strategies that successful people follow. Having those strategies clearly stated in the book and then following the Action Steps can impact your life as well.

 #2 Smart Women Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Creating a Rich Future by David Bach

I’ve written about this book before and can’t recommend it enough, particularly if you are a woman who knows that you are worth more than what you are making now. David lays out very clearly the steps that will aid you on your path to financial freedom.

This was the book that directly caused a $20 000 increase in my salary. I had to leave the position I had at the time to do it, but without reading David’s book and believing that I was worth more than what I was making, I would still be in that dead-end position that I had. I believe David also coined the phrase ‘Latte Factor” which basically says to see where you are spending your money and see if it is costing you more than a Latte. Buying a coffee (Latte) every weekday morning can add up signicantly over the course of year – money that can be better spent towards your financial success.

Another nugget of wisdom that made a huge impact on my life was where David said that the people you work with are not your friends – they are your colleagues or co-workers. If you are staying at a dead-end job with low pay because of your ‘friends’ at work, then that’s a mindset that needs to be changed. Go apply for a new position with more money and make new ‘friends’ at the new position. It’s true. I left the position that wasn’t paying me what I was worth, even though it was hard to leave people that I believed were my friends. And, you know what? The people who were truly my friends at the old position continued to be my friends, but making almost $1000 (net) per month in my chequing account more than made up for those ‘friends’ that were in my life because we conveniently worked at the same company.

#3 What Do I Do Now: Dr. Foster’s 30 Laws of Great Decision Making by Dr. Charles Foster

I just wrote about this book and gave you a taste of some of the laws in this book in my article How To Make Better Decisions That Move You Forward In Life so I won’t go into too much detail here. I picked up and first read this book during a difficult time in my life. I didn’t know which way to turn and what to do. You could say that I was in the ‘analysis paralysis’ stage where I had tons of information but couldn’t make a decision. I kept second-guessing myself and trying to convince myself that I was making the right (and safe) choice with what to do with my life. Reading about the 30 Laws and how successful people have a strategy they follow to make better decisions in their lives was eye-opening. I didn’t know that there was a framework in making good decisions.

One of the nuggets of wisdom in the book, besides the ones I have already talked about in the previous article, was the idea of asking yourself at the end of each day whether you had a good day or a bad day. Then you were to put an ‘X’ on the calendar for bad days. If you ended up with more than seven ‘X’s in a row, then you were to make a decision and act on that decision. It’s no use continually having bad days without doing something constructive to correct them. Another nuggest offered was his suggestiont that if you were trying to decide between two choices live for one week as if you chose Choice A. Then live for one week as if you chose Choice B. This also made a huge impact on me because at the end of the two weeks it became clear which was the right choice for me. Having lived with the choice and acting as if I had already made the decision, trained my brain to go into action and solution mode. It was enough to get me out of the analysis  paralysis stage and move on with my life.

#4 What Should I Do with My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question by Po Bronson

Reading this book about how people who were successful and yet somehow got the courage to change their lives and do what they wanted to do, rather than what society told them they must do, also made a huge impact on me. The book provides tons of examples of real-life people who found the courage to change their lives. There are stories of corporate men and women who gave it all up to do what they always wanted to do with their lives. There are other stories of people who were young and lost and not sure what to do with their lives, but they overcame the fear and confusion to find meaningful lives to lead.

I really liked reading about how other people are mixed up, too, and yet were able to find the strength to fix wasn’t working in their lives. It’s an inspiring read because as you are reading the book, you realize that we all are on the same journey – to find the deeper meaning to why we are here and what we have to offer.

#5 Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Dr. Susan Jeffers

Along with the ‘Power of Focus’, this book has made the most impact on my life. Reading about how everyone has certain fears but they don’t let those fears stop them from discovering what they want to do with their lives and moving through the fears was eye-opening to me.

I’ve read this book over and over again during my life when I am letting fear come between what I want to do in my life and taking the necessary action to move forward in my life despite the fear that I’m feeling. The title says it all - Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway’. That’s what succesful people do – they do what they need to do, despite feeling afraid. Did you know that there are famous singers like Barbra Streisand who actually throw up before they sing because they are so scared to go out on stage before their audiences? But, that doesn’t stop them from doing what they want to do in their lives. Everyone on the planet is scared of something. It’s knowing that you are not letting that fear rule your life and make decisions for you, that separate the successful people from the unsuccessful people.

#6 No Opportunity Wasted: Creating a List for Life by Phil Keoghan and Warren Berger

This might seem like a weird book to include in this list, but No Opportunity Wasted has also made a huge impact on my life. Phil Keoghan, for those who don’t know is the host of ‘The Amazing Race” television series. The premise behind the book is to list what you want to do in your life and then go through each one to see what is stopping you. It also strongly points out that we can take nothing for granted in our lives. If you have always wanted to trek Machu Picchu don’t think that you will be able to do it ’someday’. What if they close down the place to tourists? It’s a World Heritage Site and is currently being trampled by so many people wanting to visit the Inca ruins. What if this was on your 101 Things To Do Before I Die list and you it was no longer accepting tourists? You wouldn’t be able to experience it.

Or what if your dream is being able to swim with dolphins. You’ve always wanted to be able to swim with the majestic creatures and yet you are afraid of flying. You will need to overcome your fears in order to experience what you’ve always wanted to experience. The book provides great examples of people overcoming what they perceive to be huge obstacles in their lives in order to have No Opportunity Wasted. Nothing in life is guaranteed so do it NOW.

These books are just a small sample of books that I could have wrote about. There are so many other books that have also made me think and challenged me to become a better person and to find meaning in my life.

I would answer the question Are Books Worth The Money?  with a resounding Yes, they are!

All of the books listed above can be found at Amazon or at your local library. Please consider checking them out and letting me know if they had an impact on your life.

Now it’s your turn. What one or two books have you read that have made a difference in your life? What nugget of wisdom have you read that impacted you the most?  I’m always looking for some great books to read, so share yours by leaving a comment. Thanks!

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Tagged as: fear, Focus, Life, Making Decisions, NOW