1. POWER OF NOW: I read this book 2 years ago in the summertime, and it really inspired me to try some sort of spiritual practice because it gives direct instructions on how to improve your life. I feel like this book is like my version of the bible..because it combines the best of every religion with a special emphasis on Buddhism. Actually, this book introduced me to the concept and teachings of Buddhism and I find that it fits very relevantly to my needs in everyday life. The biggest lesson of the book is that the PRESENT moment is the most important, and it should never be used as a means to an end. For example, many spiritual teachers or motivational speakers tell you to "look forward to the future" "live in the future of success and never stop going" and that to me is why people suffer and stress so much. I think people are taught to reach for the future since they are young, for example how parents want their kids to aspire toward Ivy League universities and olympians to dedicate years of training for a gold medal. This book isn't saying to NOT HAVE GOALS..but rather to not get attached to the end outcome. This is because no event or person can bring eternal satisfaction, but many people still look for the "grass that's greener on the other side" while ignoring the "little garden" they have in front of them.

I ALWAYS tell my friends coming to me with trouble on their love life, lack of excitement in life, or just overall going through difficult times to read this book or other ones he wrote. But unfortunately people brush it off and never read it...but if anyone that reads this post ends up getting a copy please read it!! It is definitely so life changing and tells us how our "thoughts" or mental process affect the rest of our physical health and can lead to long term illnesses. I occasionally still relate back to this book when life gets too hectic or there's too much "mental noise" as it serves as a reminder of how to find true happiness and peace in life.


3. Why Men Love Bitches: This book taught me to stand up for myself and most of all keep my dignity as a girl! Although sometimes I still slip and over exert efforts that go to waste ...I'm slowly learning the teachings of this book. The author tells woman that they should not go out of their way to give men "their all" or "give them everything they got" right off the bat. For example, why cook men a 3 course dinner when all they did is cook you up some instant macaroni? Why show up to their door at their request of "well you see me now or not in a long time?" Why drop your priorities and focus on school/work when relationships turn bad? This book shows why men do not appreciate this kind of attachment, especially when women don't have the self respect to say NO. After all..


Many people think "bitch" in respect to dating terms mean the women is snobby, high maintenance, demanding or non affectionate. However, this book says "bitch" is a girl who is sweet but doesn't let men push her around. She has her own morals and life priorities. She will not drop everything for a man and will not give her time and energy up easily. I think girls will like this book because it's like motivational girl talk! After this book, I constantly remind myself that "men drama" is no longer necessarily if they do not benefit me in any way whatsoever.



4. The Secret: I read this book since high school and saw the film for it as well. This book changed my life as well as "the power of now" because it taught me to take active control of my life. Before, my thoughts were always on auto-pilot and if I was in a bad mood- I accepted it and felt worse and worse. However, this book made me conscious of my thoughts and how they ultimately shape reality in the long term. I know now that life is really in your hands, and thoughts you hold repetitively in your mind really do come true in the long run. Maybe its the placebo effect, or maybe its mind power. But I love this book because it inspires me to change my thought frequency and always stay positive as well as keep the best mindset possible for good things to happen.