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Because there is a Big Difference Between Living and Merely Existing!

Abhishek Shah
4 min readNov 26, 2016

You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you yourself don’t know it, all of that doesn’t even matter. Every second that you spend on doubting your worth, every moment that you use to criticize yourself; is a second of your life wasted, is a moment of your life thrown away. It’s not like you have forever, so don’t waste any of your seconds, don’t throw even one of your moments away.

You only live once, and life is tragically short. It’s easy to look at people who are happy and assume they don’t understand your pain. The older you get, the more you realize that happiness takes work. People who smile in public have been through every bit as much as people who cry, frown, scream, etc. They just have the courage and strength to smile through it anyway. So how do you ensure you’re living life to the fullest? Well some books do have this answer.

There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book. And although it might seem like there are too many books to read and not enough time — I think we all can agree that the books that are life changing are relatively few compared to the number of books out there.

I read a lot of books. Fiction, non-fiction, personal development, business. And I can honestly say that these are the ones that have changed my life. Nothing more, nothing less.

I think these books should be taught in colleges. I think you should view them all together as required reading to learn how to live.

Because these are the books that have taught me how. To live. To love. To be.

1. Finding your own North Star Martha Beck

You have to read this because: This will be your guide through life as you go through the change cycle.

2. What Should I Do with My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question Po Bronson

You have to read this because: It will make you rethink your vocations and priorities and make you start on the path to finding your true place in the world.

3. The Fire Starter SessionsDanielle LaPorte

You have to read this because: You need it to better understand yourself and what you are here on earth to do. You can’t afford to miss a beautiful author who writes so well.

4. Loving What IsByron Katie

You have to read this because: This book will teach you how to change your negative thoughts.

5. Spirit Junkie Gabrielle Bernstein

You have to read this because: This book will introduce you to spirituality.

6. Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy LivesWayne Muller

You have to read this because: You have to learn how to relax.

7. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World Dalai Lama

You have to read this because: Two great spiritual masters share their own hard-won wisdom about living with joy even in the face of adversity.

8. Life Lessons from a Total FailureM J Dougherty

You have to read this because: None of us have all the right answers. Certainly not on the first try. But what we do have are experiences, mentors, friends, family, and even enemies from which we learn.

9. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works — A True Story Dan Harris

You have to read this because: The book takes readers on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America’s spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives.

10. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome LifeJen Sincero

You have to read this because: 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.

11. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Mark Manson

You have to read this because: There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter!

Want to share this beautiful quote from Roy T. Bennett, “If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.”

Go Live Life & do check out ThugStart.com

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Abhishek Shah

Nomad | Early Stage Investor | Wannabe Anthropologist | Technology Evangelist | Curious, Inquisitive & Experimental Entrepreneur