Books have an uncanny ability to change the way we think, act, and view the world. They’re not just sources of entertainment or knowledge; they can be catalysts for profound personal growth, even when they don’t fit neatly into the “self-help” category.
Here, I’d like to share how three books, from vastly different genres, have shaped my life.
The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck: The Start of My Growth Journey
The first book that truly shifted my perspective on life was M. Scott Peck’s *The Road Less Traveled*. This was the first “self-help” book I encountered, and it came into my life when I was 19—a time when I was grappling with the complexities of adulthood. The line that struck me most was:
“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult.”
At that age, this blew my mind. Like many young people, I had a sense of entitlement, a belief that being a “good person” should somehow guarantee an easy life. But Peck’s words challenged this notion. They pushed me to confront the reality that life is inherently difficult, and that accepting this truth is the first step to transcending it. This was the beginning of my growth journey, a shift from expecting life to be easy to understanding that the challenges we face are what shape us.
Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice: The Healing Power of Art
The next book that influenced me might seem like an unusual choice—Anne Rice’s *Tale of the Body Thief*. This book is part of her Vampire Chronicles series, and it might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to life-changing literature. Yet, it contains a profound message about the healing power of art.
In the story, Lestat, a vampire who temporarily becomes human, meets a nurse who tells him about how she used to play the piano brilliantly. She gave up music to “do God’s work” as a nurse. Lestat, with his eternal perspective, challenges her to consider whether music might heal people just as much, if not more, than her work as a nurse.
This idea got under my skin and made me reconsider my own path. At the time, I was working in theatre and contemplating a career shift to something more traditionally associated with “helping people.” But Rice’s narrative made me pause and think about the preventative power of the arts—the idea that engaging with music, theatre, and other forms of art could be just as crucial to well-being as conventional medicine. This led me to integrate stand-up comedy into my personal development work, using humour as a tool for healing and growth.
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle: Synchronicity and Spiritual Insight
Finally, Eckhart Tolle’s *A New Earth* played a pivotal role in my life as I was transitioning from the life I had built in San Francisco to my next chapter. By then, I was already writing my own books, and *A New Earth* felt like it arrived at exactly the right moment.
In the foreword, Tolle explains that he had to leave London to write this book and went to San Francisco. Coincidentally, I had done the same thing—left my home to live in San Francisco, where the seeds of my own book, *You Do Know: Learning to Act on Intuition Instantly*, were planted. A conversation with a librarian at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) even led to the title of my book, long before it was published. I later discovered that this very librarian had edited *A New Earth*. The synchronicity of these events was mind-blowing and reaffirmed my belief in the power of intuition and spiritual connection.
While many people rave about Tolle’s *The Power of Now*, I found *A New Earth* to be a more profound and resonant work. It spoke to the evolution of human consciousness and the role we each play in creating a better world. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.
These books, spanning self-help, fiction, and spirituality, have all played significant roles in shaping my life. They’ve taught me about the nature of life’s challenges, the healing power of art, and the importance of intuition and spiritual growth. What’s fascinating is that none of these books were prescribed to me as solutions to a problem. They were simply stories and ideas that resonated with me at different stages of my life, offering insights that continue to influence my journey.
The right book at the right time can open doors to new ways of thinking, helping you grow into the person you’re meant to be.
