5 POWERFUL BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can"t read them." Mark Twain

Powerful books are books that have a huge impact on someone. They make a difference in your life that when you are done reading them you feel like a whole different person. Reading books is such a simple act yet so many people don’t do it.

I have had several folks ask me why I still read and where do I get the time. The simple truth is I have loved reading books since I knew what reading is, from novels to non-fiction. Books are very important in enriching your mind. They teach you things that you didn’t know. I guess that’s why some people say ’books are the doors to another world.’

I will share with you some of the powerful books I have read that have made such a huge impact on my life. They have helped me be a better person, shape my long time degrading habits, and taught me about money.

My 5 powerful books are;

Atomic Habits by James Clear

This book stresses the importance of good habits. Especially the small habits that seem irrelevant like making your bed. James Clear elucidates that an increase in 1 percent in any areas of your life every day will be more rewarding in the long run.

He also points out that habits are better changed when you focus on your identity other than the outcome. Always think of who you want to be not what you want to be. There is also the point of the habit loop. How our habits get created through four stages; cues, craving, response, and reward. Without any of the four, a habit can’t form.

The four laws of habit derived from the loop are;

1. Make it obvious

2. Make it attractive

3. Make it easy

4. Make it satisfying

James Clear expounds on these four laws more in the book.

Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

This book explains how every action and behavior we engage in is compounded every single day to something more. For example, every 50/= you spend every day on something sweet will hurt you; in a year that is 18,000. In three years it’s 54,000. Imagine what else you could have spent that money on.

The compound effect is all about making small, smart, and consistent choices that will reap big results that doing something grand and for a short while. I would say it is somewhat the same as atomic habits in that you have to be conscious of every choice you make.

The Morning Miracle by Hal Elrod

This book is all about how you spend the first minutes or an hour of your morning. How you spend your morning will determine how your day will be and how productive it will be.

Hal Elrod expounds on six things you can do in the morning to help you become a better individual and achieve your goals in the long run. He calls them S.A.V.E.R.S which stands for;

• S is for spiritual. Doing something spiritual like praying or reading the Bible
• A is affirmations. Affirming what you want every day. He helps in creating affirmations that can help you.
• V is visualizing. Spending some time visualizing what it is you want to achieve.
• E is exercise. Doing any exercise is good for your body.
• R is reading. You have to feed your mind something every morning. Read at least 10 pages of a self-help book.
• S is for scribing. In other words journaling.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

How much financial education do you have? What has school taught us about finance and investment? None. This book examines the difference between a man who works a 9-5 job and an entrepreneur that builds his business and invests. Financial education is important because it is a gateway to financial freedom. Kiyosaki opens one's mind on what is important and what isn’t when it comes to finance and working. It is told in a story of one man who had degrees and works for someone else and another that is a high school drop out that runs a business. It teaches one to learn how to make money work for them than working for money. Learn financial literacy as earlier as you can. You are also encouraged to learn about assets and liabilities and acquire the former more. When you work, work to learn and not for money. The more skills you acquire the more beneficial they will be to you.

Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

I didn't find a good cover of this book😄😄.

I must admit, the first time I picked this book I wasn’t so intrigued by it. I guess I was so focused on other things. But then later when I restarted it, I couldn’t put it down. This is a classic book that will never become useless.

Napoleon Hill teaches that the growth of wealth in someone’s life starts with a desire. You must have an intense desire to acquire whatever you want in life. Then you must have faith that you can achieve your goals and practice what is called autosuggestion which is the medium for influencing your subconscious. Nothing, good or bad, can enter your mind without auto-suggestion. You must always feed your subconscious positive thoughts and goals.

The book also lists other principles for acquiring wealth and personal satisfaction like

• Knowledge. Not the general knowledge taught in school but specialized knowledge. ’KNOWLEDGE will not attract money unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical PLANS OF ACTION, to the DEFINITE END of accumulation of money. Lack of understanding of this fact has been the source of confusion to millions of people who falsely believe that "knowledge is power." It is nothing of the sort! Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action, and directed to a definite end
• Imagination. This is where all plans are made by any human.
• Organized Planning. Have a definite plan. Be as specific as possible.
• Decision. People who make money have the habit of reaching decisions fast and being slow in changing them. The vice versa is true.
• Persistent. Henry Ford is one of the people who had great persistence in what he wanted

There is so much more in this book that I would encourage you to go and read.

Who Would I Recommend These Books To:

For anyone and everyone. Everyone has a goal they are trying to achieve. A desire they want to fulfill. A habit they want to break. Do you want to lose weight, some of these books are for you. Anyone who wants to be rich. Anyone who wants to stop smoking or drinking. Anyone and everyone, these books are for you.

Conclusion

There is so much we can learn in these books. So much power we can harness by reading them. But just reading is not enough. You must put everything you learn into work. You have to practice. Some of these books have little exercises you can do. Do them and keep practicing what you learn after you finish reading the book. And then watch the amazing results you will see in your life. It won't be fast. But it will be satisfactory and exciting when you achieve your goals.

What other books have you read that made a great impact in your life? Comment below.