Is there any meaning to life?
If you've found yourself facing these questions, take heart. It means you're waking up to the unspeakable beauty, magic and wisdom you so deeply yearn for. You're waking up to the part of you that knows there's supposed to be something more to all of this.
Don't be afraid of such questions. They'll help you live into wondrous and transformative answers.
No one else can give you the answers to these questions, however here are 4 books that will help you explore and define for yourself what life is all about.
6 Books To Help You Discover What Life is About For You
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
About the book: “A wake-up call for the entire planet . . . [A New Earth] helps us to stop creating our own suffering and obsessing over the past and what the future might be, and to put ourselves in the now.” —Oprah Winfrey
Why this book? Most attempts to talk about the meaning of life get lost in vague theory or overly practical mindset advice. This book gets right to the heart of the issue: transcending our ego-based state of consciousness to discover our soul's true purpose for being here. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
About the book: Bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering.
Why this book? Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?
About the book: This book addresses life's most fundamental questions from a refreshingly open perspective rooted in the Christian faith. Whether you see God as Lord Father or as The Source of All That Is, this book has some real gems in it.
Why this book? While I do not agree with everything posited in this book, I do believe that deepening my connection to God and conversing with Mother Father God daily has dramatically enhanced my life, my sense of purpose, and the amount of grace and happiness I experience daily. This book helps you forge that connection.
Life, Love, Laughter: Celebrating Your Existence
From the book: "Life in itself is not meaningful... Meaning has to be created in life; meaning is not given already. You are given freedom, you are given creativity, you are given life. All the essential ingredients of meaning are given, but meaning is not given, meaning has to be created by you."
Why this book? This book is a wonderful introduction to the spiritual perspective on life and the enormous part love and laughter play in not only our personal joy, but our ability to be of service to others and create meaning for our life. Osho helps remind us that we are here to awaken the divine spark of God that is within us. A good balancing perspective that pairs well with the above Purpose Driven Life.
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow
About the book: In the more than thirty years since she co-founded Omega Institute - now the world's largest center for spiritual retreat and personal growth - Elizabeth Lesser has been an intimate witness to the ways in which people weather change and transition. In a beautifully crafted blend of moving stories, humorous insights, practical guidance, and personal memoir, she offers tools to help us make the choice we all face in times of challenge: Will we be broken down and defeated, or broken open and transformed?
Why this book? I absolutely cherish this book. It's like Eat, Pray, Love {also highly recommended} but a bit more soulful and deeply moving for anyone seeking to make sense of trauma, difficulties and the emotional pain that never seems to retreat or heal. I particularly appreciate Lesser's sensitivity and willingness to delve into her own brokenness and the overall vulnerability and terror that comes with acknowledging the ways we break ~ yet at the same time she presents the unyielding courage and power of the human spirit so that you are left feeling uplifted, hopeful and deeply moved by the end of the book.
From the book: "Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of those he treated in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose."
Why this book? There are few other books out there that so directly tackle the questions, "What is life about? What is the meaning of life?" Frankl's treatment of these questions is thoughtful, intelligent and sensitive. His memories of his time in the holocaust camps is also riveting and eye-opening. If you want to get right down to the heart of your search for meaning in your own life, and in life in general, we would be hard pressed to find a better book than this.
Is there a book you recommend for exploring life's meaning and what your life is for?
Share your recommendation in the comments below!
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