These Books Recalibrated How I See The World

Impactful reads to rewire your brain.

Every once in a while we come across a book that completely rewires our brain and changes how we look at the world.

I recently had the privilege to read a few books like that.

These books helped me work on my mindset and changed how I look at my life and the opportunities that come my way. They helped me become a little bit more audacious with my goals and taught me what consistency looks like and the rewards it can reap.

In this post, I’d like to share five such books with you.

If you’re feeling lost in life, or that your current approach to living isn’t giving you great results, these books are for you.

Read them with an open mind and a ready heart. The transformation they can bring about in your life is momentous, only if you’re willing to implement the learnings.

Mindset by Carol Dweck

It doesn’t matter what you’re facing in life, your future will be determined by your mindset. 

This powerful realization occurred to me as I read Mindset by Carol Dweck. The book challenges the notion that a human’s abilities are limited. Through regular practice and dedication, your mindset can shift as well as your life. 

But note that the mindset comes first if you’re planning to do something extraordinary. This book helped me get rid of the fixed mindset and many limiting beliefs. My external reality changed and I felt aligned with my life. 

You can do that too.

Now I can broadly classify every person I meet into two categories, fixed mindset and growth mindset. 

How to recognize which category you fall in? 

If you think your intelligence and abilities are limited and you don’t even dare to dream big, it’s a sign of a fixed mindset. If you’re scared to take risks and always try to play safe, you’re limiting your potential and hampering your growth. Another characteristic of a fixed mindset is if you feel threatened by everyone who’s succeeding in their lives.

A person with a growth mindset believes in their abilities to learn anything through practice and perspective. They don’t fear failure but embrace it as a learning. They take inspiration from the successful people in their field. They continuously challenge themselves to grow and make every possible effort to reach their goals.

A concept from Mindset I’ve practiced applying in my life is using the word ‘yet’. Instead of saying “I don’t know XYZ”, I say “I don’t know XYZ yet”. The second one is a powerful statement that opens up the possibility of growth and improvement. It’s a small mindset shift you can start with.

Mindset is not only helpful in personal growth, but is also helpful for parents, teachers, and coaches to foster a growth mindset in children. The book focuses on praising hard work and effort rather than praising intelligence. It’s effective to say “You’ve worked hard for this” to encourage a growth mindset.

My favorite quotes from Mindset by Carol Dweck

“No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”

“Picture your brain forming new connections as you meet the challenge and learn. Keep on going.”

“I don’t mind losing as long as I see improvement or I feel I’ve done as well as I possibly could.”