A
while ago, I made a video on the five books everyone should read. And it seems like you
guys have loved it. Everyone talks about that you should be reading
50, 60, or a hundred books a year, but the truth is, you don't need to read that many
books.
Because most books are useless, especially when it comes to self-development, and I am
not just throwing words. At some point in my life, I was super obsessed with self-help
books that I have read every self-help book that I came across.
But that doesn't mean that every self-help book is useless; in fact, some of them were
so powerful that they had a significant impact on my life. And if you don't have the time
or isn't a big fan of books, I want to share them with you, the ones that you have to read
because they would make a difference in your life.
Most of what these books teach suppose to be taught by your parents, teachers back in
high school, or professors at your university. But unfortunately they do not.
I still read books, but not as many as I use to in the past, because when you read an entire
300 pages book, and there is not a single new idea, you feel like you have wasted so
much time.
So let me share with you the books that would actually teach you something valuable.
1. The 50th law By Robert Greene This is one of the books that had one of the
most significant impacts on my life, and there is a strong reason behind it. You see, unlike
every other self-help book, this book teaches you how to be fearless.
How not to be afraid to be different, to stand up for yourself, to take risks and make bold
decisions. The book is based on the life of Curtis Jackson
a.k.a 50 cent. The life of some rapper might not interest
you, and that's what I thought in the beginning.
There was every reason for 50 cent's life to go wrong. But it didn't. He never met his
dad, and his mom was shot when he was 8. He was living with his grandparents in a house
with 28 siblings. He was left with no other option but to sell drugs to make ends meet
like his mother. Got arrested at high school for drug possession. He tried his best to
make it into the music industry but when he was 25, car pulled up alongside Jackson and
guy pulled a gun and shot him 9 times. on the hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest and left
cheek. Its a miracle that he survived in the first place. Besides that, he tried to get
out of drugs and make into the music, but now with his left cheek being shot, he couldnt
rap. Any other person would have given up at this
point because the shot through his cheek left him with a permanently swollen tongue.
But not fifty wasn’t ready to give up . He decided to gather his energy and fight back.
Now that he has faced death, there is nothing left for him to be afraid of.
failure, disappointment, whatever If you want to develop that kind of fearless
approach to life, you must make certain changes in life that Robert Greene suggests in this
book.
Nobody is born into this world fearless! We all come out, crying, screaming. As we grow
up, we are afraid of darkness. We are afraid to be left alone. We are afraid to be different,
we are afraid of our parents (at least when we are kids )we have to either develop the
character of fearlessness or stay where we are, where the society wants us to be.
2. influence by Robert Cialdini
There are a lot of books written on the art of dealing with people. Even Robert Greene
has a book on that which is 48 laws of power, and I actually suggested it in the previews
video. However, it gives a bit darker perspective on human behavior, and in many ways, it's
true, but the book Influence by Robert Cialdini gives an entirely different perspective.
It's more about the science behind making people say Yes to whatever you want them.
It might seem like people are smart, and they usually base their decisions on science and
logic, but the reality is quite different. Humans are mostly emotional, and their actions
are often irrational. And it's normal because we face so many decisions
and we consume so much information every single day that we need some sort of shortcuts to
make the decision process faster. We are guided by these shortcuts, the moment
you understand these shortcuts, you can make almost anyone say yes. You can convince them
to be your friend, help you out, or if you are a salesman, you can get them to buy as
much as you want and then get that big fat commission at the end of the month.
3. the richest man in Babylon From my experience, almost everyone wants
to be rich, even those who say they don't. I know that I will get a lot of hate for saying
this, but that's what I have realized. And That's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean,
money is a resource that enables you to do a lot of things, a lot of good things.
Of course, the most popular advice is - just work hard. Hard work always pays off; to be
honest, it doesn't unless it's also smart, and thats why you need to read the richest
man in Babylon by Samuel Clason. Once Upon a time in ancient Babylon, there
was a very rich man named (Arcak); in fact, he was the richest man on the land. Two of
his childhood friends approached him to ask him how he managed to become so wealthy when
they have been working so hard but barely fed their families. He replied that the secret
is simple, you must not spend all that you earn but save apart from it and invest, and
overtime, your wealth accumulates, and you get rich. It's as simple as that.
Arcak saved enough money to lend it to a shield maker who paid interest on Arcad's loan, thus
growing his wealth. These principles might be simple, but most
people do not embrace them, which is why it's critical to read this book, page to page,
to make these principles a fundamental part of your life.
Without any exaggeration at all, the greatest financial habit you will ever learn is the
ability to save money. It sounds so simple, and yet it's so difficult. Think about how
much you have earned in your entire life and now ask yourself, how much of that left in
your hands?
4. flow Most people are dissatisfied with their daily
routine, and often, it's their jobs to blame. What makes things much worse is that their
leisure time is spent recovering from their work in the laziest way possible.
What do you do when you get back home, watch TV, have some drinks, pull out that cigarette
if you smoke, or maybe just play video games. But that shouldn't be the case. Work can be
something that reduces stress, gives your life purpose, and makes you happy overall.
And that's what Csikszentmihalyi Mihaly calls the state of flow.
Its when you are not motivated by external factors such as money or recognition. The
work itself brings you so much joy that it takes your entire attention and pushes you
to do it regardless of the outcome.
That's the state that what made Newton come up with the modern principles of physics,
Einstein to develop the theory of relativity.
Its extremely difficult to reach that stage in the modern age because we have so many
drugs, alcohol to distract us. And the saddest part is, if you do not experience the state
of flow in your life, you are wasting your time. And that's what makes this book is so
important to read. He explains how exactly you can reach that state.
5. 12 rules for life
I came across this book last year, and to be honest, it surprised me. It doesn't say
anything revolutionary, but if you know anything about Jordan Peterson, he advocates for responsibility.
His perspective on life is that responsibility gives meaning to our lives. Whether you agree
with that or not, life is pretty purposeless when there is nothing to bare on your shoulders.
However, the little rules he suggests to follow do make our lives much better, such as setting
your house in perfect order before you criticize someone else or compare yourself to someone
who you were yesterday and not to who someone else is today.
They seem so simple that everyone just knows them, but the matter of the fact is, people
are living miserable lives because they are not following these rules.
Look around, everyone is criticizing everyone else, but if you give a closer look into their
lives, you will find out that they probably should focus on their lives first before pointing
fingers.
It was challenging to make this list because there were so many books that I wanted to
include, at least a few more books, but I had to keep this list as short as possible.
There is no point in reading a lot of books; you just have to read the right books, the
books that will give you maximum benefit, that will help you to make your life meaningful.
Let me know what books you would recommend to everyone to read. I am curious to see what
you would suggest. In anyways, make sure you give this video
a big thumbs up if you have enjoyed, And of course, you subscribe and hit that bell button
beside it. Thanks for watching and until next time.