Books that help you grow!
Here is my personal book list which I’ve read over the years. These books have been of great help to me, and I strive to apply their principles in my life as much as possible.
Some of them I read (or listen to, as I’m a fan of audiobooks!) again and again to help make positive changes in my everyday life.
These books will help you improve yourself and look after your mental and physical health. They will encourage you to develop new strategies, implement great new habits, and admire the authors who have successfully turned their lives around.
Inspiration is a powerful motivator for me and can be for you as well – if you let it.
Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
For many of us this book is eye-opening. We are always considered weak when showing fear. I grew up being afraid of so many things.
This book has helped me so much to be at peace with fear and becoming unstoppable in my goals nevertheless.
This book teaches that to have fear is fine. Embrace it, don't dodge it. Then, walk through the fire anyway and realize how much you’ve grown.
Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath
Find out what your strengths are so you can focus on spending your days what you do best. You cannot necessarily be anything (let’s be realistic, I’ll never be able to become an astronaut, ha ha).
But you can be a lot better than you are at this point, here, today once you know your strengths and weaknesses.
I find that we spend most of our time just functioning at what is expected of us, which only leaves very little time to focus on what we’re truly good at.
Seeing it in writing after you take the test, really helps to stay on track to achieve your goals by developing the courage to move forward in – yet – unknown territory.
You Can Create An Exceptional Life by Louise Hay
A fabulous book for the 40+. It is about how to age gracefully and develop and keep positivity. It is also a close up view of Louise Hay's inspirational life and how she always stayed positive. It includes lots of practical examples.
Don’t sweat the small stuff by Richard Carlson
Read about how to “choose your battles wisely”; to “remind yourself that when you die, your 'in' box won't be empty"; and "Make peace with imperfection".
It is so important for us to learn to live in the present moment, let others have the glory at times, lower your tolerance to stress, trust your intuitions & to live each day as it might be your last.
My brother passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the young age of 44 back in 2011. I received one phone call and my life was changed forever.
This death of a loved one has completely transformed me that I select what is important and what isn’t any longer.
If you’re upset about something, stop for a moment and ask yourself, if it is still important in a month, 6 months or a year. If the answer is no, why get upset about it today?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
I started reading this book after I went through a tough time in my life. My business was being sued by a crazy customer and this book helped to ground me and give me a new perspective.
In the end, of course, everything turned out fabulous for me.
The frivolous law suit and this this book helped me to open up a second business which was even more successful and fulfilling than the first!
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki
I was hooked right away when I first started listening to the audiobook on my way to work every day back in 2001 when I started my first business.
Kiyosaki reads his bestseller well, very entertaining and shocking because growing up I'd always thought that going to school, attending uni, working hard, and saving for retirement was the only way to succeed.
My parents never taught me about the significance of making money, and schools never teach it either.
I learned so much, and I wish I had known all this while growing up. But it is never too late, and I can use what I've learned to make better decisions for my future, and my family.
"Rich Dad Poor Dad" to this day is a fantastic guide to financial empowerment. If you want to learn how to manage your money and take control of your economic future this is the book for you. It's a timeless classic that continues to have a positive impact on people's lives.
Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
I’ve been following Ali’s YouTube Channel for quite some time. Personal growth, transformation of individuals and business success stories fascinate me.
Especially since nobody believed in my first business idea and friends and family laughed and doubted that my business would prosper. Well, it did!
To listen to Ali, how he first started out becoming a doctor at Cambridge and in his final year decided to start a YouTube Channel on psychology.
He quickly realized that people want to know about productivity, creativity, success and happiness. His channel grew exponentially and he quit his job at the hospital and creates content full-time now.
His book is a great guide to becoming more productive and time efficient.
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
I listened to the first version of The Success Principles back in 2009 on the way to work and had to pull over several times and laugh so hard.
With a great sense of humor, he created one of the best and most complete resources for success & life. You will not be able to put this book down and refer to it afterwards frequently.
The second edition includes "Success in the Digital Age", which is also a fantastic resource.
You can heal your life by Louise Hay
The message is quite simple: Love yourself, always. No matter what happens.
Your life will change dramatically. I bought the Audio-CD also in 2001 when I was in the process of opening my first business. Louise reads it herself and her voice is beautiful and kind.
You can literally hear that she wants you to love yourself and be successful at whatever you may choose to do with your life. To this day, before I go to sleep, I say to myself “All is well in this world” and hear her voice in my head. The best way to end each day.
Reading this comprehensive and gentle book, I found myself in a whole other dimension of self-love.
Her words and her voice are like medicine and are lingering in my head and heart months after listening this book. Her collection of meditation books & audios and affirmation cards is very useful.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
This is a timeless book about nurturing your creativity. It changes your life because you cannot keep writing about the same things over and over again without wanting to improve them. Brilliant technique to come up with ideas to get where you want to go – and it all happens naturally.
It's a twelve-week class that you can do alone or in a group. The main activities are to write three free writing pages every morning and once a week have a play date.
The “morning pages” are one of the easiest and most effective way to pay attention to where you’re at every day and create a flow to become what you want to be.
Treat yourself to a beautiful note book and a fountain pen and start writing every morning. I do!
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
This a powerful, practical book about letting go of what drains your energy and reclaiming your peace.
It changes your life because you simply cannot keep controlling, fixing, or managing other people without eventually exhausting yourself. This book helps you see—clearly and compassionately—where you’ve been giving away your power and how to take it back without guilt or drama.
The core idea is beautifully simple: Let them. Let people think what they think. Let them act how they act. Let them be who they are—while you stay focused on your own values, choices, and direction. That shift alone creates instant emotional freedom.
Rather than offering complicated theories, Mel Robbins gives you a mindset you can apply immediately to relationships, work, family dynamics, and everyday stress. The result is clarity, confidence, and a deep sense of calm that comes from no longer fighting reality.
Let Them is one of those books you’ll catch yourself thinking about during the day—especially in moments when you’re tempted to overexplain, overgive, or overreact. Each time, the message brings you back to yourself.
If you’re ready to stop carrying what isn’t yours and start living with more ease, self-trust, and emotional independence, this book is a game changer. Simple words. Massive relief.
Last but definitely not least:
The Harry Potter Series
Yes, you are reading correctly! I’ve been a huge “Potterhead” since the beginning, when I picked up the first book at my local book store many years ago and was wondering what all the hype was about.
I had no intention on buying it, hah, a children’s book... at my age! So I sat down in a squishy armchair at the bookstore – “just to take a peek”.
Next thing I knew, one of the staff tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to leave because they were closing. I had almost read the entire book without noticing how time had passed.
Not too long ago, I got my momma her own set in German (she always resisted because she’s an adult!) for her 89th birthday. She reluctantly started reading, mainly to get me off her back.
After two chapters she was hooked and amazed at the amount of back story and detail of characters which all came together over series of seven books.
The reason I do recommend it is not only because I’m a fan, but also because I want you to experience the passion of JK Rowling, who at the time of writing the first book was a single mom who wrote in a café in Edinburgh.
She didn’t have two dimes, sorry - pennies, to rub together and was turned down by many publishers. But she believed in her story, kept going and look at her now!
Her life and determination and love of writing & inventing a whole new world is very inspiring for all of us. It can be of great help to you: if you let it!
And seeing the writer now in interviews about her detective stories Cormoran Strike, she’s yet created another fantastic series under a pseudonym “Robert Galbraith”. Again, the attention to detail and development of the characters is exhilarating.
I do not want to be a writer of novels, an actor, a musician, a banker, nor get involved in many other professions. But I encourage you to pay attention to the joy, creativity, determination and craftsmanship of others and let it rub off on you!
Success stories like this one will establish in your mind that it is possible for you to reach your goals as well. It has for me.
The Joy Reset by June Jones
Feeling overwhelmed? Stuck? Drained? It’s time for a reset.
In The Joy Reset: Break Free from Overwhelm and Reclaim Your Power, life coach and entrepreneur June Jones gives you a straight-talking, uplifting roadmap to cut through the noise, reclaim your energy, and create a life you love.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about one powerful truth: you can start again, right now.
Through 16 transformative chapters, you’ll learn how to:
Stop waiting for “someday” and start living now
Break free from comparison, self-doubt, and burnout
Rebuild trust with yourself and set powerful boundaries
Find presence, peace, and real joy in everyday life
This is your reset button. One gentle step at a time, you’ll rise stronger, clearer, and more joyful than ever before.
Being a Ravenclaw
Tip.
If you’re on a budget and don’t want to buy the books, rather than not reading it at all, consider getting a library card?
Or: Why not download the free audio books from your local library and listen to them on the way to work, to your shopping or to the gym? You can get a whole lot of valuable help that way by creating this wonderful new habit.