Five Books That May Change Your Life

Individual Counseling Insights From Westlake Village-Based Patricia McTague-Loft

Whether you’re a busy professional or an overworked mom, you would probably love to have enough free time to relax with a good book. Reading a great novel or a captivating mystery is a wonderful way to explore a whole new world. But there’s more to reading than getting away from it all — it’s also still the best way to learn and deepen your knowledge of a subject.

Parents might want to learn how to be a better parent or partner. Professionals, on the other hand, also probably admit that reading the right books can be the surest path to a more successful career. With that in mind, a recent article by Sandra Wu in Blinkist Magazine gives good advice for both self-improvement and career advancement.

Insights From Experts

Wu offers a list of five books that top the most-read list for self-improvement and enhanced prodctivity.

Thirteen Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, by Amy Morin. Psychotherapist Morin takes a look at the flip side of the coin when it comes to dealing with adversity. Yes, there are many things you can and should do in a difficult situation but, equally important, there are actions to avoid. She delves into that aspect based on insights she has gained through years of counseling.

Less Doing, More Living, by Ari Meisel. Efficiency expert and Ted Talk lecturer Meisel focuses in part on advances in technology to help you get more done in less time. That, in turn, lets you indulge in your passions beyond work. Not a bad plan. Better yet, he goes beyond technology to help you work more efficiently.

How Will You Measure Your Life, by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth and Karen Dillon. Although renowned as an innovator, Christensen joins his co-authors in stepping back to examine what truly forms the basis of a fulfilled life.

Finding your Element, by Ken Robinson. Robinson’s previous book, The Element, developed the idea that you discover self-fulfillment by nurturing both your inherent talents and passions and finding where they intersect. This follow-up book attempts to answer the natural question, How do I know precisely what my talents and passions are?

Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman. Goleman explores why so many high IQ people do not achieve what is normally recognized as success. The answer, he asserts, lies in a person’s “emotional intelligence.” Written 25 years ago, this book lays the groundwork for understanding more books written by both Goleman and others who have elaborated on the topic.