By Anand Swaroop
2 nd year, CSSE

Think And Grow Rich
-Napoleon Hill

This book is all about having a definite purpose. It tells us to use the power of autosuggestion; sometimes, we already know things, it comes to us automatically, and we only have to channel our focus on recognizing it. The author asks us to mix thoughts with feelings- he says positive thoughts attract positive actions. He also tells us about the power and benefits of visualization. This book basically teaches us to train and program our subconscious minds to achieve our goals and ambitions.

One of the best things about this book that makes it an “ultimate guide to success” is that it talks about the kind of passion you will need to reach your destination. It also talks about being crystal clear on what you will have to sacrifice to get what you want. Hence, it is one of the first books recommended by plenty of people trying to grow or become rich. The Thirteen Principles: Hill has divided the book into chapters individually based on a certain principle he wants to convey. He talks about how you should pursue something you love to do and have a burning desire for. The fundamental reason for this is widely known and eliminates the excuse for mediocrity.

Hill advises being around people who inspire you because you are the result of the five people you surround yourself with, and they are the ones who influence you the most. He also speaks about how writing and reading things that drive you. They impact your determination and strengthen your will to achieve. Napoleon questions the reader: he asks what value we are providing to the people and how we apply the knowledge we gain to bring more value to society. The author recalls the old saying,

“Jack of all trades and master of none.“

He establishes that specialized knowledge is far better than general knowledge. This book is a masterpiece: every point is relevant and should be considered with great detail. The book is also very subjective; the message may vary from reader to reader. However, the book’s basic message creates a pyramid of Desire- Faith- Action (Decisions). All this continues because of Persistence. The author claims that once a person has a vivid vision of where he wants to be, it produces a burning desire within him. This desire should be backed by Faith and Specialized Knowledge, creating some Action or leading to certain decisions.

It also makes the reader realize that there will be a lot of obstacles that one will have to face while achieving something- not only external but internal as well. Feelings and emotions such as fear, anxiety, indecisiveness, etc., are the main hurdles one may face. Other than this, Hill talks about the stories of many successful people, aiming to make his audience understand how these principles work when applied. Taking into account real-life situations and incidents, Hill makes his book interesting, authentic, and proof-based- straying away from baseless preaching and sparking motivation into the reader’s mind.

Think Like a Monk
-By Jay Shetty
What a book! Never before have I judged a book by its cover and ended up being so right! I wish everyone could get to read "Think like a Monk’. Well, at least in this lifetime. I wish everyone would eagerly crave to feed their minds and gulp down these beautiful insights from Jay Shetty. A man who’s so committed to making wisdom go viral. I specifically love this book for its ability to change our minds for a great cause, and as someone said, “nothing can really change in our lives if our minds don’t change” We all are lost in unknown characters of our own. We bring our professional lives in relationships or vice versa. All of us have somehow lost touch with our real selves, which is the biggest reason why we are not happy today. This book very judiciously teaches us to not strive for materialistic things available around us rather strive for success & becoming a better version of ourselves every day. Our biggest competition today is with no one but ourselves. We have to push ourselves to be better than the one who we were yesterday.

This book walks you through understanding yourself, fears, ego, the mind, etc. It helps you understand finding purpose in life and what true gratitude is. This book will help you improve your life, relationships, and service to others. If there is one book I recommend everyone to read, it would be this one. It is such an easy read, easy to understand yet incredibly intense concepts that will change your life for the better! Also, this book clearly states that for having this mindset, you don’t need to be a monk; conveniently, you can imbibe the monk mindset because it will ultimately ace your life by bringing serenity, peace & wisdom into it.

The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind
– by Joseph Murphy

This book will change how you look at and perceive things. In the entire book, Joseph Murphy focuses on the massive power of our subconscious mind, of which many of us are completely unaware. Murphy states that we have an infinite amount of energy hidden inside us that we hardly realize; why millions. of people are poignant, depressed & down in their lives, whereas many are happy & joyous. It all revolves around our beliefs and how we think things to be. It is actually made true by our subconscious mind. If we believe that we are the happiest human being on this earth, our subconscious mind will gradually make it a reality, and we might even experience miracles. Even the incurable diseases have been cured because the person believed and had complete faith that he would be fine one day.

This book brims with astonishing stories & incidents that are guaranteed to create an impact on you- inside & out. It is truly nothing but the subconscious mind that has the power to heal your mind and body. Murphy uses evidence and practical examples demonstrating the power of our subconscious mind, hence landing itself into one of my favourite books and lauding Murphy as my life coach. I recommend this book to all those experiencing a rough patch in their lives. Trust me, you will not regret buying this book.