The top 10 self-help books to learn about mindfulness and spiritual growth
Intro
These self-help and mindfulness books will change your life. I know they did mine. I learned from an early age to turn to books to find the wisdom I craved—it’s what inspired me to create these courses. And once I found these self-help and mindfulness books in my mid-20s, my self-growth flew to a whole new level.
I really dove into my personal and spiritual development in 2021, when I was hitting a rock bottom in my life and studying a lot on spirituality and wellness in order to heal myself. I had spent most of my adolescence and 20s lost, depressed, and making bad choices. But I also knew that there was a way to be happier, and I wanted to learn everything I could about how to do that. These book recommendations will teach you how to think and expand your awareness about what life is, as well as who I am and who I can become.
Whether you’re feeling lost or just craving some powerful inspiration and motivation from the top thought leaders in the world, these self-help books are just what you need. I hope these books help support you on your own journey to self-growth and actualization.
You CAN be happy. You can be fulfilled. You can be the person you’ve always dreamed of being. There’s a better way to live, and these books will teach you how. It all starts with
Now, let’s get to the good stuff—the book list:
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
If I could only recommend ONE book to you, it would be this. Hands down, The Power of Now wins. Talk about a life-changer; this single book completely changed who I am and how I think. Which sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Reading this book is when I really first began to understand meditation and made the commitment to start my own practice. Eckhart Tolle is a world-renowned spiritual leader, and in this book he teaches how to find enlightenment through becoming more fully present in the NOW. I definitely recommend reading a hard copy of this book instead of getting an audiobook because you’ll want to really focus and give this book the mindful presence it teaches about. I’m normally a big audiobook fan, but trust me, you’ll want your full attention for this and the other books on this list!
Stay Woke by Justin Michael Williams
He is my top recommendation for learning meditation, because he teaches in a way that is real, accessible, and inclusive—his message is that through our own spiritual growth and personal development, we can go on to change the world. And the best way to access all his wisdom is in his incredible book, Stay Woke. It teaches all the essentials of meditation and mindfulness in a modern, fresh way I’ve never seen before in the spiritual space, but is sorely needed. As the title says: it’s A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us. Also, you definitely need the hard copy of this book, too, because it’s more of a workbook, really, with spaces for you to practice exercises and reflect.
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
I’m going to give you a little (non) spoiler. What ARE The Four Agreements? Well, they are:
- Be impeccable with your word.
- Don’t take anything personally.
- Don’t make assumptions.
- Always do your best.
This must-read book by Don Miguel Ruiz is short, but incredibly powerful. If you really follow these four simple-yet-complex life rules, which the book explores in detail, your entire way of approaching life will change. This quick read teaches you how to stop self-limiting beliefs and needless suffering.
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
Specifically, Brené is a researcher and professor, focusing for over 20 years on the study of courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy in a very data-driven, realistic way that’s also full of profound wisdom and heart. All of her books are must-reads (The Gifts of Imperfection), but if you could only pick one, the recommendation is to read Daring Greatly to get a solid full scope of her teachings. This self-help book will make you rethink vulnerability as Brené proves that it’s the real source of courage, as well as the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. After all, mindfulness is not just about checking your thoughts—it’s about tapping into your heart to show up as the fullest version of yourself, and that requires brave, authentic vulnerability.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson
I love a self-help and personal growth book that keeps it REAL. And it doesn’t get realer than Mark Manson‘s no-bullshit bestseller, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. It’s an incredibly entertaining read while also delivering some major truthbombs. Mark is an OG blogger, providing “life advice that doesn’t suck.” His work is always full of heavily-researched science and data to back his hilarious and intelligent writing style. In the book, Mark explains how to stop trying to be positive all the time in order to actually be happy, and how to let go of stress you don’t really need. There are only so many things we can give a fuck about, so we need to figure out which ones really matter. It’s an approach to mindfulness that tells it like it is—life is sometimes really messed up and shit happens. But we control how we react to it all in order to free ourselves.
The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
This book is all about how to make the shift from fear to faith. It goes down a deeper spiritual path than the rest on this list, showing you how to trust the Universe (or God, or whatever you call life’s Higher Power). It takes mindfulness to the next level—by teaching you how to step out of your own way and call in an energetic frequency of faith to co-create your best life. The Universe Has Your Back is one of the most impactful books you can read by Gabby and will help you to learn how to clearly listen to your intuition.
Man’s Search For Meaning by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl
Dr. Viktor Frankl was a Jewish professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Vienna Medical School—and during WWII, he was imprisoned for three years in Auschwitz, Dachau, and other concentration camps. Talk about someone who can impart some DEEP wisdom on how to get through the most painful of circumstances. Because of his experience as a psychiatrist, Dr. Frankl was able to observe and analyze the various ways his fellow prisoners reacted to their shared horrific experiences. He noticed that some were able to endure more easily than others, and that choosing to transform and find meaning in the suffering was often at the core. From this, Frankl developed his theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for “meaning”): that the primary human drive is not pleasure, but rather the discovery and pursuit of meaning. Man’s Search For Meaning is a slim book, but every line is dripping with wisdom; my copy is very heavily underlined, and yours will be, too. It’s heavy but powerfully inspiring.
The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
Dr. Edith (“Edie”) Eva Eger was also imprisoned at Auschwitz at the same time as Viktor Frankl. However, while he was already a psychiatrist and an adult at that time, Edith was only a 16 year old girl. Her unique perspective on the experience is the perfect accompaniment to Man’s Search For Meaning (I read it right after) because she had to take those traumatic young years and figure out how to heal all on her own. She explains that the way through this traumatic time in her life was by realizing that while we can’t always control what happens to us, we are always in control of how we react. We have the CHOICE of how we will interpret and respond to the events. Edith chose to remain hopeful even in the darkest of possible circumstances, and it allowed her to continue forward and become an incredibly influential teacher and psychologist herself—Viktor Frankl even became her mentor years after the Holocaust. Edith is now in her 90s and continuing to thrive, radiating positivity and wisdom. She is a stunning force to learn from, and The Choice is one of those books that will change you—because if she could survive, despite the worst of tragedies, then we can tap into the power of our minds to overcome our own obstacles, too.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Chances are, you’ve heard of Untamed. It became a huge bestseller in 2020, and for good reason. Glennon Doyle is a radical feminist, activist, and human—radical in that she does not hold back in speaking the truth and shining a light on all the ways life and society tries to imprison us. While this memoir speaks especially to the experience of being a woman, and how to find empowerment despite all the messaging trying to limit our expression, everyone should read this. This book explores how joy and inner peace can be found once you start trusting your own intuition, self-worth, and strength in life. It will teach you how to stop abandoning yourself, embrace who you really are, and realize your true power.
You Are The Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza
You Are The Placebo take a more scientific approach in analyzing the power of our thoughts and mindfulness, using the latest discoveries from neuroscience and quantum physics to teach a spiritually profound practice. It’s all about how your thoughts create your reality—literally. The title “you are the placebo” means that your thoughts can either support your physical health, or harm you. Your body is always listening to what’s going on in your mind. There’s immense power behind your beliefs. Dr. Joe Dispenza discovered this during his own incredible healing journey. After being hit by a car while on his bike, Joe’s spine was shattered, and he was told he would be forever paralyzed. He spent weeks doing intense meditation to focus on healing his body, visualizing the end result of health he desired. And you guessed it—it worked, and he went on to share this wisdom with his own patients in his chiropractic practice and beyond.