“The books I read opened my mind up to the possibilities inside of me.” – Mirabelle Morah
I’ve read so many books, having majored in literature. It was a bitter-sweet torture reading and analyzing so many novels for different courses. Today I’m listing 6 books that I remember changing my mind about something and here they are.
But before I go on, I wasn’t the kid who had a lot of confidence — perhaps this confidence grew in my late teenage years and the books I read truly opened up my mind to the possibilities inside of me.
- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie: I read this and on my 2nd reading it hit me that wow. Literature really is a tool for raising awareness about the ills in our society. Several years after first reading this novel, I decided to write my undergraduate thesis, analysing and using Purple Hibiscus to reference domestic violence in Nigeria every day. I can’t wait to work on a project with Adichie!
- The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity by Catherine Ponder: I needed to fix my mindset regarding money. I wanted to learn how to be wealthy, to build and keep wealth. I thought this book was going to tell me how to make money and all the math that goes into it. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. It surprised me and took another path, using biblical and everyday principles. To date, I still practice these principles. Another book similar to this is “You Your Money & God: Biblical Standards for relating to money ” by Tony Aleogena Raphael
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho de Souza / The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason / Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach: These are 3 different books and stories and they are so potent! If you remember these lessons and run with them, they’ll keep you grounded. The Alchemist taught me about following your path and enjoying the journey no matter how tough it gets. The Richest Man in Babylon taught me about investing my money, reserving that 10% and seeking trusted advice. Jonathan Livingston Seagull reminded me that “the trick is to believe you’ve already arrived”. To see me as already achieving something, to stay humble, practice consistently, and keep going when I know I should, even though others think I’m crazy.
- Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg: I read the revised edition and the best part of the book for me was the section on negotiating. In 2020 I was tired of a certain contract I had and it was wearing me out but I was too scared to review it and renegotiate fees. After reading Lean In, I gathered some strength and liver to negotiate even though I was very scared. The tips from this book were very useful and they worked.
Let me know the books that have also been life-changing for you.