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I’m a firm believer in that idea that we never stop growing, working, or improving ourselves. No matter what goals we are working towards in our life, no matter how far we have come, and no matter how we define success, there is never an end to becoming a better version of yourself.
It can be tiring working on improving yourself day in and day out. Trust me, I know, I get it. The fact of the matter is that in order to become better we have to be willing to put in the hard work to get there. Some days will be easier than most, and some days will be harder than expected. However, it’s all a part of the process. The discipline of tirelessly working on bettering ourselves will always pay off in the end.
We just have to have the determination to make it so.
What is personal development?
To put it simply personal development is a way to assess your skills, set goals, and do everything you can under the sun to reach your full potential. It’s an uphill climb that can take years for you to achieve, and even once you’ve achieved it you never really stop reaching higher. Undergoing personal development is a lifelong process, and you will find yourself in this space of bettering yourself, many, many times throughout your life.
Why do I need personal development?
Maybe you do, maybe don’t, but one thing that is for sure is that fact that most of us want to be better than we were the day before. Heck, I want to be better than I was an hour ago. While working on your personal development can be a very personal thing, it’s something that everyone can relate to. We all want to be better in some way. Sometimes the best way we can better ourselves is by sharing our journey with others, finding common ground, and making connections that will help us along that journey.
While I could list a thousand reasons why you need to engage in personal development, I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going to share with you my top three reasons why.
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- When we don’t grow, we can’t blossom
No one wants to be that ugly weed that couldn’t grow to its full potential, because no one cared enough to help it do so. Don’t put limits on your ability to blossom. With a little bit of water, a healthy bed of soil, and plenty of sunshine we can reach our full potential and exceed that limit a little bit every day.
- Life happens and we learn to see things differently
You are not the same person you were yesterday. I learned the hard way that a part of growing means letting go of the person that you use to be. All it will do it weigh you down if you keep trying to be someone that you’re not, future and past. Live in the moment and take the punches as they come. It’s the only way we learn to keep moving forward.
- It’s fulfilling
There is no better feeling in the world than knowing that you complete yourself. It has taken me years to understand this, and it’s taking me a little bit longer than I would like to admit to feel this way. However, it’s true. Sometimes bettering yourself can be a lonely road, but I promise you it’s one worth walking. You hold all the pieces needed to complete the puzzle that you are, you just have to make the commitment to put it together, and hold it together no matter what life throws at you.
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Help me get started please!
While choosing to work on your personal development is a decision that you have to make all on your own, it doesn’t mean that you have do it all on your own. Over the years I have come to learn that some of the best ways that we can better ourselves is by making and maintaining valuable connections in our life, and learning from the experiences of others what we do and do not want a reflection of our lives to be when it’s all said and done.
So, in honor of this lesson I’m going to share with you 8 amazing books that can help you get started on the right foot!
1. Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis
No one has life figured out, not even the most successful people on the face of this Earth. The truth is that there are no shortcuts to getting to the top. In order to get to the top, we have to sweat the sweat that needs to be sweated to get there. It’s like climbing a mountain or hiking the longest trail, you have to go through the hard journey in order to appreciate the beautiful view from the top.
This book exposes twenty of the best lies and misconceptions that all too often hold us back form living our best life. Rachel believes that these are lies that we tell ourselves over and over again, and they are lies that we don’t need to hear anymore. In this book you will find practical strategies to move past these lies, and instead become the joyous, confident person that you were meant to be.
2. Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis
One of the biggest lessons I have learned on my journey of personal development is that you have to stop apologizing for who you are. We all make mistakes, we will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and my level of success does not equal anybody else’s level of success (vice versa), so we have to stop comparing ourselves to others on all domains of life!
This book will encourage you to start living your life to its full potential! It’s time to stop defining who you are in the eyes of others and instead start defining yourself through the eyes of your own. Rachel will help you learn how to stop talking yourself out of chasing your dreams, the excuses we all need to let go of NOW, positive behaviors to adopt, and the skills needed to help us continuously grow. On top of all of that your confidence level will go through the roof! I can’t wait to get a hold of this book.
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3. The Ultimate Guide to Crystals & Stones: A Practical Path to Personal Power, Self-Development, and Healing by Uma Silbey
Crystals and stones may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s reasonably understandable. What I love about this book is the stance it has on the focus of healing from the inside out. In this book you will learn the power of crystals & stones, and how to use them to better your life and yourself. This can be done by channeling the power from crystals & stones to empower yourself, direct your thoughts, energize your body, and unleash a lifelong power of creativity and positive energy. You will learn how to do all of that in this book.
4. Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life by Gary John Bishop
“Here’s what you’ve forgotten: You’re a fu*king miracle of being” – Gary John Bishop
I love, love, love the approach of this book! The fact of the matter is that we do get in our own way more than we all would like to admit. We have the power to turn that negative voice in our head on and off, and when it’s on we have all the power in the world to let those negative thoughts prevent us from thriving in life. In this book you will adopt the tools and advice needed to help you truly unfu*k yourself.
5. How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life by Lilly Singh
Love, love, love Lilly and this book! I seriously read it all the time and feel more and more empowered every time I do to manifest my dreams. In this book Lilly shares with the world the lessons that she learned that helped her get to the top, and provides you with the tools she used do it. Remember, there are no shortcuts to get to the top. According to Lilly in order to dominate the world you have to put in real effort, dedication, and determination. And Lilly is going to help you get there.
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6. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
This is another great book! Everyone I know loves it and here’s why. It’s the perfect self-help book that is sure to help you improve your life. This book will help you identify the ways in which you are self-sabotaging yourself from getting everything that you want out of life, and you will be given the tools needed to help you stop doing it.
“By the end of You Are a Badass, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.” – overview of the book
7. Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling
I’m excited to get my hands on this book. Yes, she’s a celebrity and from the outside we may think she’s living her best life already. While that may or may not be true, we can’t knock the hustle it took to get her where she is today, let alone her own journey of personal development she had to undergo to even get there in the first place. To sum up this book perfectly Mindy talks about her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in life. Something we all can relate to, especially in adulthood.
8. Becoming by Michelle Obama
I have yet to get my hands on this book but I’m so excited to. We know her as our former First Lady but there’s so much more to this woman than what meets the eye. This book is a memoir where Michelle shares with us stories and experiences that have helped shape her into the woman that she is today. There will only ever be one you, and this memoir, as well as Michelle herself, proves that statement to be true. Are you ready to start defining the expectations placed upon you? If so, then you need this book in your life.
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Life is a journey that is meant to teach us lessons, break our hearts, crush our dreams, push us done and help us get right back up again. Sometimes we can do it by ourselves, but a lot of the time we are going to need a little bit of help. I’ve found the strength, encouragement, and inspiration to continue to better myself everyday in every way that I possibly can through some of these books, and I hope that they do the same for you.
What are some of your go to tools/resources/pieces of advice for personal development?
Interested in learning more about wellness and how it can have a positive impact on your life? If so, sign up today for the free Live Well Health and Wellness Email Course where I’ll teach you how to create a personal and effective wellness routine for your everyday living.
-Xo
Kimora