5 Books that Changed my Life as Millennials

‘Books are a uniquely portable magic’

People always say that the more books you read the more educated you become. I happen to believe that the statement is true. Despite this, I always find it difficult to make time to read books. It feels like there is always something else I need to do before opening a book and let alone finishing it. But 3 years ago, I started to fell in love with self-help book. For some reason, when I read self-help book, I can actually make time for it. This past 3 years I have read about 30 self-help books, and from there I’m going to share the top 5 books that changed my life as millennials.

#1 Light is the New Black

‘Light is the New Black’ is the first self-help book that I read. I remember when I first read it 3 years ago, I was not in a very good place. I was confused with my life, and at that time, things that I thought would work out, didn’t work out the way I expected it. I felt like I was attached to many things that didn’t serve me. I was forcing myself too hard to do things that deep down I knew was not right. This book came to me at the right time, because basically that was what the book about.

The book reminds me that I need to let go of ‘attachment’ and ‘surrender’ to the universe (or whatever things you believe in, like: the source/the god, etc). There are things beyond our control, that sometimes, we need to let go, especially things that no longer serve us. If things are meant to be, we do not need to force it. The book also reminds me what my ‘true call’ is, how to answer my calling and stop ignoring it. Because deep down, we all know what our calling is, we just tend to ignore it as so often, our calling seems impossible to reach. Light is the New Black reminds us that listening to our calling will lead us to our happiest life.

#2 You are a Badass

The second book that changed my life is ‘You are a Badass’. If you haven’t read this book, you must read it now. This book is very convenience to carry around because of the size of the book, and that’s a massive plus point for me. But that’s not why this book changed my life. The writer, Jen Sincero, she is very empowering. When she puts things to word, things that I thought was complicated, become very simple.

Again, I was not in the right place when I read this book. It was summer 2018, and I was not happy at all, to the point that summer feels like a depressing time. But this book in a way, managed to save my mindset. If ‘Light is the New Black’ helped me to let go of attachment and surrender, ‘You are a Badass’ reminds me that I can, and should, take control of my life.

#3 The Power of Now

I remember I read this book when I first move to Newcastle 2 years ago. After getting through that ‘depressed’ summer time, I moved to Newcastle to start a new life. I was already in the right mindset but still healing. Again, this book came to me at the right time. From feeling depressed, I started to feel anxious because I was excited to start the new chapter and want everything to work out best. This book reminds me to focus on the present moment, because it’s all we have.

Thinking too much about the future won’t do anything, because it has not happened yet. This book is good for an over-thinker, because it helps us to understand that there is nothing to worry about. The future has not happened yet, and the past has already happened — and there is nothing we can do about both situation. The only thing that we have control is the present moment, which is why the book is called ‘The Power of Now’. We will be surprised how our life will change when we started to live in the present moment.

#4 Big Magic

‘Big Magic’ is a great book if you are looking for inspiration/a push to do something you are inspired to do, but too afraid to do. This book, again, is very empowering. I would say I like Elizabeth Gilbert, because of her ‘Eat Pray Love’, of course — who doesn’t? The way she writes is just very inspiring. I read ‘Big Magic’ when I was flying for 16 hours (I know right, very long flight). The book reminds me that we should not give up when we get rejections, because every successful human being have had rejections in their life.

Let’s say we want to write, but we are too afraid to start because we do not want to get rejections, or let’s say we have written everything, and sent it to 100 publishers and get rejections over and over again. Then, we started to feel like a failure. ‘Big Magic’ reminds us that there is a power in what we create and what we aspire to be. Just because it has not reached what we dream of, does not mean that it won’t. Even though we get rejected 1000 times, there is still magic in what we create. And because of that, eventually, what we create will manifest itself beyond our imagination.

#5 The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck

Another book that changed my life is, of course, last but not least, ‘The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck’ — this books is just brilliant. It sold out everywhere, and honestly I have not met anyone that have not heard the book, and when they say they have not read it, I always wonder, what are you waiting for? Ironically, I read this book in another long flight (yeah another 16 hours flight!). The book reminds us that sometimes, we think too much or care too much about things that have so little impact, or even not at all, in our life. This is another great book for someone who tends to over-think things, because it teaches us to, just like the title, to not give a f*ck.

There was one chapter on his book about death, the writer talks about his friend that suddenly died jumping out of a cliff (or a river I don’t really remember), but what I remember he says ‘… and then we all die’. This just stuck with my head over the years, because every time I started to think too much or worried what other things about me — it reminds me to stop worrying and just enjoy what we have because nothing last forever right? Honestly, this book makes me careless (in a good way), not caring about what other things and started to do whatever I like. It helps me to become my self and live my life to the fullest. I mean in the end, we all will die. So right now, might as well just enjoy what we have, stop worrying, and start living our life to the fullest.