I received a great tip this morning on a catch-up call with someone in my network. His name is Josh McLean. He is an author, podcaster, and all-around amazing human.
We were talking about ways to stay motivated and remind ourselves about what we're doing and why we're doing it. One of the things that he shared with me is that he keeps a stack of 5 books on his desk that are written by people he admires. These are books that he turns to, again and again, books he finds himself underlining passages and rereading chapters.
If you're like me and you love to read, you'll find that every time you return to a book, you're going to see it slightly differently because you have changed since the last time you read the book.
I wanted to share with you the 5 books that I've chosen to inspire me right now that are on my desk. I think this is a really cool idea because let's face it -- if we're in front of the screen all day long, it's easy sometimes to get off track and find our minds wandering. If we can quickly look at the spine of the book and see that name, even pull the book out of the pile, and turn to a random page and read what someone else wrote, it can center us, it can anchor us and it can also remind us, Yeah, I got this!
Especially in times when you feel like pulling your hair out, or throwing your laptop across the room. So let's be honest, who hasn't felt that lately?
My 5 Books Right Now
These are the 5 books that I have chosen for this segment of my life. It'll change because I have a huge library. But when I started thinking about what really matters to me right now, these are the books that called me.
They're in no particular order.
I'm going to start with one of the classics: Walden by Henry David Thoreau, a phenomenal book. It reminds me of how important getting out in nature is to mental health and to being a human being. It also reminds me of minimalism -- we really don't need as much of the stuff as we say we do.
The second book of the 5 books I have read numerous times and find extremely inspiring is Raymond Holliwell’s, Working with the Law. If you're not familiar with universal law, this is an amazing overview of the laws. There are 11 of them that he goes into depth about. I have dog-eared highlighted, read this many times. And again, when I'm starting to feel off track, I go, okay. Universal Law is going to bring me back. Awesome, awesome book.
Third on the list is this little gem is Do the Work by Steven Pressfield, who happens to be one of my literary heroes and mentors. It's a slim book, but it is a biggie. I can turn to any page in this and it'll hit me right between the eyes and get me right back on track. I highly recommend this one.
Fourth on the list is one that I was introduced to this last spring. It's called Playing Big by Tara Mohr. Excellent advice, great exercises. Again, I can turn to any page in here and be reminded of my purpose, my path and what really matters.
Last but not least, Reflections on the Art of Living -- a Joseph Campbell Companion. It was actually compiled by someone who worked closely with Joseph Campbell, but everything in here is from his teachings, his writings, his lectures when he was a professor. This is a grounding and also universally appealing book for anyone who is thinking about meaning.
These are the 5 books that I have on my desk right now. I invite you to do what Josh encouraged me to do this morning, which is to find the 5 books that will help anchor you, inspire you, motivate you, keep you moving forward.
At the end of the day, isn’t that all we're looking for?
What 5 books inspire you? Would love to know the ones you've put on your desk! Share in the comments below.
