Here are my 3 books that I will be reading again in the first quarter of 2023 to supplement my spiritual learning and manifest my targets.
Learning should never stop. In this life, there is constant change and certain things that we should expect to be constant, like we often learn through spiritual practices. The challenge we often face is how to reconcile our physical world with our unseen desires. One thing I have learned over the past 3 years from focusing on making life simpler and more intentional is too many times we close ourselves off from the unknown of what we want in order to feel comfortable in what we feel we know enough to control.
Intentional surrender, planning just enough to let go and let something or someone else complete the process, has become key for me. When you learn to trust yourself and your worthiness to receive your wishes, you no longer need to chase or become limited to the only reality you've ever been taught about. Life can become less and less about definition through acceptance of others and more and more about acceptance of self.
If recent years have exhausted your efforts to go forward with future plans or if you got some of what you wanted but it didn't feel as great as you thought, here are some perspectives that have helped me to clarify where I've had roadblocks and how to map around them to experience lasting highs. Take the info that you need and leave the rest until the next time you reread your book(s) of choice!
"Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting"
"I place no limits and no restrictions on all that I intend to accomplish and become from here on in." Wayne Dyer
I first listened to this book by Wayne Dyer as an audio book in his own voice. I had not previously heard of his background or knew how large his following was. In simplest form, this was helpful to begin the process of tackling doubts and defining what "better" is for me. I learned that it wasn't what I was taught to chase or to become through the educational system or family traditions. This book helped me to break some cycles and evaluate my thinking, as well as helped me to take some unnecessary pressures off myself to fully embrace the moments as they are. This book also helped me to expand my mediation practices and mind/body connections.
If it is difficult for you to push your imagination to its limits and expect a little bit of magic, this book is a great start for beginning the process. Another thing I really loved about this book is it really helps to conquer fears about many aspects of life. You don't have to be a person who flows based on how everyone else is flowing or how they expect you to. Learn to develop your instincts so that you can always trust them.
"Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth"
"If you want to change the fruits, you must first have to change the roots." T. Harv Eker
Like many young black Americans born to parents who did not have many rights or access to knowledge during the 60's, I grew up not knowing a lot about the structure of American finance. My parents have never owned a home, been heavily invested in the stock market, graduated from college or were able to start their own business. They did not have anyone to pass anything down to them that they could pass along to us, including knowledge of growing stability. I watched my parents have to make choices for basic survival, not for financial growth, and I have seen so often how some people who never had to make those choices end their lives whenever they are faced with it. My parents are incredible!
When I picked up this book by T. Harv Eker, it was on a recommended list of books about learning money practices, like Rich Dad Poor Dad, which I already read years ago. This time around though, I have a kid support and owning a thriving business that services the inner human are on the checklist! This book isn't just about money habits though, it is about overhauling belief systems about how you feel about money and how you feel about people with or without money.
What I loved about this book is there were all kinds of paragraphed epiphanies for me to highlight and pages to bookmark. I recognized my damaged relationship with money and where my expectation of not having enough of it had been developed due to growing up and my first few years of adulthood. Before this book I couldn't understand why I was well-educated, hard-working, multi-talented, and still ended up with poor job opportunities or poor pay. I also attracted a lot of misfortune such as saving up money only to have
something come along and wipe it out and this book helped to explain some of that.
I need a refresher course on this book now that my income has changes and my targets have changed. Like many others, I still feel way behind compared to pre-Covid days and that I am in need of redesigning my financial structure. Have you ready this book yet? What were your takeaways and what were you able to change as a result? Haven't started it? Now is the perfect time!
"The Richest Man in Babylon"
“Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed” - George S. Clason
I am sure you have heard of this book before but if not, I'm happy to be the one to introduce it to you! This book is a great start if you want something that is extremely simplified, not too long to read, and illustrates principals through stories. This book was the one that truly got me thinking more as a producer (a seller) than just a consumer. This book gave me confidence to pursue sharing my gifts with the world in contribution rather than simply accepting what is offered, even when it doesn't serve me.
This book will help you if you want to position yourself to be a better giver and to better accept when good people give to you. It is a reminder that despite the popular belief that we should all be focused on mass consumption and acquiring as much as possible, the more important questions are "what are you offering and how well can you maintain care for what you already have. If you are struggling with being disciplined to make more money or maintain it better, George S. Clason has provided an exceptional road map that many others have built upon. This book helps to inspire gaining through understanding the "7 rules of money".
What story are you telling?
Let me encourage you that no matter where you are on your journey for personal growth in areas of knowledge, wealth, career, or personal relationships, you can change the direction any day when it becomes necessary. It is better to hold yourself accountable than to constantly have to bend to the rules of others. Don't be afraid to push yourself beyond what you've ever done or ever been! Even I have suffered setbacks and frustrations with restarting at times, but I know that those things are there to help me get better and to better prepare for the next time.
If you have never read these books before, I strongly urge you to add them to your reading list this year and begin applying them to your desired changes, even if it is slow. Slow progress is still progress!
Comment below what books you read last year that helped you with personal transformation that I should add to my list for 2023.