If I Were to Read Only One Book
There are many benefits of reading. It not only improves knowledge and vocabulary, but also boosts brain functions. Intellectuals are well read, reading also improves cognitive emotional stimulation. Reading habit is more important for students as it improves memory.
Dealing with teenage children is a challenging task. For quite some time I’ve been persuading my daughter to read books. She has all the time in the world for Insta, FB, and her stupid songs, but for books.
After some heated arguments, she agreed to read, but one book. If it is meaningful and engaging, she will pick up the next book. I have read over 500 books counting only the good ones. Yet, it was a dilemma to pick one book and hand it to her.
Picking one book to read is a tough ask. It seems like a question asked by a person stranded in the middle of a desert. Which way to go?
Like the four directions, there are four quadrants of our life. The Purpose, Money, Self-awareness, and Karma or action. Only when these four quadrants are complete, your life is a complete circle of success.
Purpose of Life
What is the purpose of life? This question has bothered the poor and the rich. Only a few great souls like Buddha found the true purpose of life. If you are also looking for a purpose in life, here are four books to choose from.
1. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
To know about life, start with the history of mankind. It gives the road map of where things began, what we did and where are we heading. Life has its means and ways, it need not have a purpose. Only humans seek purposeless purpose.
Our existence traces back 70,000 years when we were like any other mammal on earth. Today the mere question of purpose has transformed us into the most dominant species on the planet.
The turning point was these four lessons.
· The power to imagine
· The power to cooperate
· The ability to solve problems
· Discovery and scientific research
2. As a Man Thinketh by James Allan
The book was published in 1906. It is a herald of the modern self-help movement. This book follows the footprints of old Hindu scriptures — the Upanishads. ‘What you think, that you become.’
Here are the top four lessons the book teaches.
· Ability to manage, control and direct your thoughts in the right direction. The author describes the mind as a garden. If no useful seeds are sown useless weeds grow there.
· Become a master of your circumstances. One must learn to use his creative power to let circumstances grow in one’s favor.
· You achieve with sacrifice. All achievements are proportional to actions and sacrifices.
· Thoughts must have a purpose. If we pay attention, we find a majority of our thoughts are vague. Thoughts must have a purpose and the ability to see failure as a pathway to success.
3. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
The story is about a rich and successful lawyer Julien Mantel. He has acquired all materialistic things but lacked mental satisfaction. At the age of 50, he suffers a heart attack, and his faceoff with death leads to self-realization. He sells everything including his red Ferrari and moves to the Himalayas.
His teacher, a Zen monk gives him seven valuable lessons in the form of seven symbols.
Garden — mind,
Lighthouse — the purpose of life,
Sumo wrestler — self,
Red cable — discipline,
Golden watch — time,
Rose — humanity and
Diamond path — little joys of life.
Top four lessons.
· Any amount of wealth or luxury will not give you a satisfying life.
· Your thoughts are the most powerful source within you. Keep them under check.
· Happiness lies in the little joys of life.
· We have limited time on this earth what we do is up to us.
4. A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
This book is a true account of the author’s experiences in the Auschwitz concentration camp in WW II. It shows the miserable condition of people in concentration camps. Yet, the importance of life can never be undermined.
This book persuades you to find meaning in all folds of life. Happiness or suffering, life itself is the most defining reason. If you have a strong why in your life, then define it and overcome the challenge.
· You cannot pursue happiness; it is a state of mind.
· With money only your experiences change. In a bicycle or a Ferrari, only your experience of ride and comfort changes. The happiness quotient remains constant.
· You cannot change the stimulus but you can always change your response. Situations will never be in your control, but your response is always in your control.
· Everything can be taken away from you, except the freedom to choose.
Wealth
Is money the root cause of all evil? Lack of money is the root cause of all evil. Money must be good enough to keep you on track with life. If you are not able to pay your bills or eat a decent meal you struggle to earn a living. Money is important but is it everything? Here are the top four picks to know about wealth.
1. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Even before I mentioned money, most readers would have thought about this book. It has been a bible for decades to understand money. I read this book 15 years ago, and even today every lesson is relevant.
If you are a beginner who wants to understand money, this is the book! There is a comparison between the author’s twin dads. First is the real dad; hardworking, well-educated, and having a stable job referred to as — Poor Dad. The second is the author’s imaginary dad who is a school dropout but has accrued wealth.
Here are the four takeaways.
· Rich don’t work for money; money works for them
· Assets are things whose value increases with time
· It is important to have a side income along with your job
· People who create wealth are continuously learning.
2. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
The book tells us anything and everything about money. Being rich is what people have to show off. It is the same trap into which many people fall. Earning millions to spend is different from earning millions for a purpose.
Wealth is money minus showing off; it is money that doesn’t come at the cost of your valuable time. Here are the valuable four lessons from this book.
· Staying wealthy is different from getting wealthy. It is easy to earn money but difficult to grow that money. In the US, a study was conducted on a group of individuals who won lottery tickets. The result showed more than 90 percent lost all their money within one year.
· Controlling your time is the biggest wealth. No investment is worth losing your sleep. If you don’t have time for yourself, you don’t have happiness.
· Live below your means. This lesson is important for youngsters in their twenties. It is more important to be happy than to chase happiness.
· Save as much as you can. Savings are means to sail you through in rough tide.
3. The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles
Published in 1910 this book has changed millions of lives. It has been a source of inspiration for other authors as well like Rhonda Byrne who authored — The Secret. There are rules of riches. Wealth is not linked to intelligence, special abilities, or talent. Nature gives the same opportunity to all.
The top four lessons are: -
· Create a thought to get rich. Expansion is the fact of nature and the first principle of wealth creation. This programs your brain to achieve what you want.
· Plenty is the law of nature. Wishing for more is not a sin, it is a means of creating wealth in nature. But always remember, nature has enough for everyone’s needs, but not for everyone’s greed.
· Practice gratitude. Gratitude in every situation makes you strong, compassionate, and creative. It is one of the best methods to find peace along with wealth.
· Focus on creation, not competition. This is the only way riches will come to you. Use your willpower for yourself. Don’t work against your will or anyone else. Protect your mind from negativity and negative people.
4. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
This is one of the most talked about books to date. The book was written after interviewing over 500 rich and successful people. This book also centers around the idea of mental visualization for success.
The most notable lessons are: -
· All achievements begin with a burning desire. The ancient Hindu text — ‘The Shiva Samhita’ also talks about the seven secrets of success. The first secret revealed is ‘Firm determination’ which arises out of burning desire. If you have a burning desire, you will achieve your goal.
· Autosuggestion. No thought can enter the subconscious mind without autosuggestion. Think about what you want to do again and again.
· Lack of decision is the main cause of failure. Decisions arise out of commitment and determination. Lack of decision is due to procrastination and fear of failure.
· Knowledge is power. Knowing something about everything may be good. Yet, knowing everything about something is better. Specialized knowledge is very important to monetize your knowledge.
Self-awareness
As our life progresses, our brain never stops adapting, growing, and learning. Self-awareness helps discover the same areas of life in different ways. It connects your wisdom to spirituality. More important it builds your emotional intelligence and the power to see things the way they are.
1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
I am sure most of us would have read this book. If you haven’t then this book has sold over 150 million copies and translated into more than 67 languages. The statistics speak about the book. Apart from the message, the best part is the plot. The simple idea behind the story is about listening to your heart, this idea makes you believe in life. The idea of the conspiring universe for your desires has been repeated in many movies in various ways.
Here are four top lessons: -
· Recognize the good things in life by listening to your heart.
· Life is interesting when you have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, try something new.
· Everyone learns his lessons in his ways. Learn every day and become a better person than you are.
· Live in the present. It is a practical way to be happy.
2. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga
Reading this book will change your life. Based on the Adlerian concept, the book teaches you the fundamentals of life. The book is in the form of questions and answers which is the best part of the book. Some questions may be controversial, but hard-hitting.
Here are the greatest four lessons: -
· We are free to choose the meaning of our experiences. There is no trauma, whatever we go through is an experience.
· Our emotions are tools to justify our actions. The emotional quotient is always predominant when we make decisions. Only the wise use their intellect while taking decisions.
· Every problem is linked to interpersonal relationships. Relations play an important role in shaping a personality. Relationships not only with others but with ourselves as well. If you don’t treat yourself with love and respect, you are likely to hate others.
· Others’ opinion does not matter. Develop courage which makes us indifferent to what people think about us.
3. Mindset by Dr Carol S Dweck
This book offers a view to understanding our mindset and how we can change it. Our beliefs shape our mindsets into two distinct categories.
· Fixed Mindset
This type of mindset creates an urgency to prove our intelligence and personality. This type of mindset focuses only on two results — success or failure.
· Growth Mindset
With this mindset, one can achieve anything. It focuses on proper efforts, strategies, and cooperation. With proper efforts, a growth mindset can be developed. Here are four ways to do it.
Ø Don’t waste energy convincing people
Ø Never hide your weaknesses
Ø Avoid people who hurt your self-esteem
Ø Make your way
· A fixed mindset needs to be proven while a growth mindset can only be developed by the right thought process.
· A fixed mindset focuses on judging. It evaluates every piece of information. People with a growth mindset are aware of the situation, but they are not judgmental.
4. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Every minute you spend worrying about the future or regretting the past is a minute lost. This book gives a valuable reality in present. Everything happens in the present moment and we must value it.
· All life is a series of present moments
· Any pain you feel results from resisting the things you can’t change
· You can free yourself from pain by observing your mind
· Listen to your thoughts. Don’t give in to it, be an observer.
Karma
Karma means action. Unless you act and put efforts in the right direction nothing will happen. Karma is the fundamental force inside us that we use to do good or bad. Equating karma to fate is a misconception. However, fate generates out of one’s karma.
Here are four books that help us to act.
1. 12 Rules of Life by Jordan B Peterson
The book gives us 12 rules of life. All these rules are practical acts to incorporate for a successful and happy life. However, we look at the most powerful four rules that make this book special.
· The first rule is what Indian sage Patanjali had advocated in the book of Yoga. Discipline and honesty are the basis for positivity. Take responsibility for your actions, and be honest, positive, and confident.
· Don’t compare yourself to others; all individuals are unique. But, do compare yourself to what you were yesterday.
· Successful people make sacrifices, unsuccessful people don’t.
· Take care of yourself, love yourself, and respect yourself. Treat yourself like you treat someone whom you love the most.
2. Seven habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey
This is the most influential business book of the twentieth century. The lessons given in this book are an important guide for success. Anyone liking for success must follow these seven principles. Here are the four key takeaways: -
· Be Proactive. The basic principle of karma, take charge and act. It also focuses on changing what one can change. Also, stop complaining about what you cannot change. This is the principle of personal vision that sets the ball rolling.
· Put first things first. All pending tasks cannot be important. We tend to waste time and energy on the least important tasks. Learn to align your priorities in a set order with principles of personal management.
· Think win-win. Winning does not mean the other person losing. Create a win-win situation where no one is at a loss. It is a good way to build interpersonal leadership.
· Sharpen the saw. Learning is a continuous process and we must upgrade. It deals with the principle of balanced self-renewal for upcoming challenges.
3. Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy
There is an old saying to eat a live frog each morning for satisfaction. There isn’t enough time for everything and there never will be. This book teaches how to focus on important tasks. It gives 21 practical ways to get the greatest done in the least time.
Here are four important lessons.
· Apply the 20/80 rule. Plan each day and apply the 20/80 rule to everything you do. Only 20 percent of your tasks will get you 80 percent results. Focus on them
· Practice creative procrastination. Examine all activities based on the current situation. Select at least one activity and abandon it.
· Focus on KRAs. Identify the key result areas of your work. Make a habit of doing this analysis. This decision alone will change your life.
· Prepare before you begin. Clean up your desk and feel effective. The cleaner and neater the environment more effective you will be.
4. Atomic Habits by James Clear
This book tells us that determination, motivation and positive thinking are all lies. The only truth that shapes our life is our habits. Habits are a result of small changes that we make in our life. These little changes make a big difference after some time.
Here are the key lessons: -
· Forget about setting your goals and targets, instead set habits.
· Changes will take time; nothing will happen overnight.
· The most effective way to change your habit is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you want to become.
· Four processes to change a habit
Ø Make it obvious
Ø Make it attractive
Ø Make it easy, and
Ø Make it satisfying.
It is a tough task of picking one book. Like all four quadrants are important, I recommend these four books to begin. Three from each quadrant have been eliminated after due care.
Purpose of life — A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
The book cannot be neglected since it is based on real events that the author himself has experienced. The author was a neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, and holocaust survivor. The message in the book is convincing. If there is meaning in life there must be suffering. Both are inevitable.
Wealth — The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
The book successfully distinguishes between getting rich and creating wealth. Although other books in the league also do the same, this book deals with the intricacies of personal finance. It focuses on your behavior with money.
Self-awareness — The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga
This book hits you hard and breaks the pattern of your thinking. The truth is that courage to be happy is linked with the courage to be disliked. A more important question is why people should like you.
Karma — Atomic Habits by James Clear
If one still insists on one book to start, I recommend Atomic Habits. If reading is difficult for you make it a habit. This book will practically help you.
If there are other books that you have read and recommend, please do share them in the comments section.
