5 books that changed my life

For as long as I can remember, I have been a bookworm. My fondest childhood memories are going to the library with my parents each week, or getting to pick a book of my own when the book fair came to my school. In the speech he gave on my wedding day, my dad said that the way he remembered me as a kid was hanging out the bottom of my bed, straining to read my book by the tiny bit of light coming in from the landing, long after I should have been asleep.

My appetite for books has been no less voracious in adulthood. I still stay up past my bedtime trying to squeeze in another chapter, and I am never happier than when browsing in a bookshop. I love how reading someone else’s words can make me feel seen or heard, or can introduce me to new ideas and perspectives that I’ve never considered.

The thousands of books I’ve read have undoubtedly shaped the person I am today, so I thought I’d share with you 5 books that have significantly changed my life. Here goes…

Untamed: Stop Pleasing, Start Living - Glennon Doyle

I can still remember the first time I read this book. It was the early days of lockdown, and I’d been running my business full time for about 3 or 4 months. As the news around Covid continued to roll in, I found myself full of fear and doubt - had I been daft to leave my safe, corporate career behind? Should I be looking for another steady job instead of taking this wild gamble on building something from scratch?

Glennon’s words gave me the courage to keep going, to keep creating a life on my own terms, to let go of all of the “shoulds”. I’m forever grateful that this book landed on my mat at the exact time I needed it most, and I’m grateful for all of the wisdom I’ve taken from it since (I reckon this is the most re-read book on my shelf!). It also gave me a phrase that I use in my coaching conversations so often that any clients reading this will certainly recognise it: “there’s no such thing as one way liberation”.

If you’re looking for a permission slip to stop people-pleasing and start embracing the most beautiful and true version of your life, this is it.  

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead - Brené Brown

When I think about my career inspirations, Brené Brown has got to be right up there. I love the way she weaves science and storytelling together to deliver maximum impact, and Daring Greatly is a perfect example of that skill in action. I first read this book probably 7 or 8 years ago, and it drastically changed how I thought about my life. I had spent so long striving to achieve ego-based goals and make my life appear perfect, but it wasn’t making me any happier, and Daring Greatly helped me to understand why.

It gave me the courage to accept that I needed to make some changes in my life, and it helped me to see that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. This is another book I’ve read multiple times, and I take something new away from it every time. If you’re tired of trying to maintain a facade of perfection and you’re ready to drop the armour, this is the book for you.

The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin

I’ll be honest: this isn’t my favourite book on happiness, and it isn’t my favourite of Gretchen Rubin’s books, but the reason why it’s on this list is because it truly did change my life. You see, before I read this book around 10 years ago, I had no idea that happiness was something you could work on. I thought you were either happy or you weren’t, and I was utterly unaware that there were things you could do to change that.

That might sound funny given that my job now is all about helping people to live their most joyful lives, whatever that means to them, but a decade ago, I’d never heard of positive psychology or gratitude. This book planted a seed that would take a little while to bed in and start sprouting, but without it, who knows if I’d be where I am today!

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy - Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant

This book was published during my hardest year, when I was in the depths of grief and PTSD following a traumatic bereavement, and I often thank my lucky stars that it was. Because I truly do credit Option B with helping me to process my experience and navigate my way out of a truly terrible time.

The premise behind this book is simple: when option A is no longer available, we owe it to ourselves and others to kick the shit out of option B. It’s packed with tools to help you do that, and interesting research about finding strength in the face of adversity. I recommend it to everyone who is navigating a difficult time, and I am eternally grateful to the authors for helping me to make the most of my option B.

Choose Joy: Relieve Burnout, Focus on Your Happiness, and Infuse More Joy into Your Everyday Life - Sophie Cliff

And of course, on a list of books that changed my life, I had to include my own! Writing a book has been a dream of mine since those early days spent scouring the shelves of the library, and it never stops feeling like an absolute thrill to walk into Waterstones and see a book with my name on the spine sitting next to some of the titles on this list. 

Choose Joy has changed my life in a few ways - it’s opened up new possibilities for my business, and allowed me to connect with so many wonderful people. But I think most importantly, it’s been proof for me that no matter how lofty or ambitious your dreams might be, if you give them the energy they need, you can make them a reality. And that is a game-changer!

I’d really love to know if there’s a book that has changed your life in some way? Let me know in the comments below.

P.S. These links are affiliate links. What that means is that if you purchase any of these books using my link, I receive a small kickback from Bookshop, but the price you pay is never any different!