What's your favorite self-development book and why?

Feeling Good by David D Burns. It gave me tools to manage my negative thoughts and emotions which I carry with me to this day.

 

Siddartha by Hermann Hesse. It's just a great read.

 

A Buddhist scripture, the Dhammapada. It contains verses related to stoicism and it is very helpful.

One of my main reasons why I got addicted to consuming porn was because of bitterness since my parents are always comparing me to others (Singapore has a pretty competitive culture, here's a old movie trailer which pretty much sums things up in a nutshell: ) and I used porn as a coping mechanism to numb the pain. Things kinda spiralled into an addiction.

Verses 3-5 of the Dhammapada clearly explains what bitterness is and it helped to me overcome my bitterness.

Here's a pdf I found online:

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/scrndhamma.pdf


I also found a youtube playlist explaining every verse in the Dhammapada.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF755B81CBBCA7B59

 

The Breakthrough Sermon by Bodhidharma

Because he can almost put into words a wisdom that is beyond words.

 

Zen mind, beginner's mind by Shunryū Suzuki

That is my second favorite it's a short book and easy to read. Bodhidharma can be a little hard to understand if you are not use to non dual, Buddhist emptiness kind of reads.

Suzuki is quite simple and you can apply it to anything you do in life.
It teaches you to live life as it is, to just breath, from going to searching success to just enjoying the road. To transcend good and bad. And the key is simply follow your breath. You by nature know what is right. You just have to connect to that basic pure nature we all have.

Also he says enlightment is being seated meditating following your breath that is quite profound even do it sounds stupid or simplistic.

And he explains it very easily, the chapters are 1 or 2 pages long, but really deep even they are short and simple you have to be really open and having self-awareness to understand it, I re-read it over and over again and always catch something new. You can say he is a bodhidharma for dummies. I love him.

 

No, the chapters some are 1 or 2 pages long.

 

Great thread @Retentionman you made remember books. Ohh books one of my greatests friends and masters.

 

Meditations by marcus aurelious because he is a BOSSSS

 

"Can't hurt me" -(David Goggins)
It's an autobiography about a navy seal. How he grew up, his life before the seals, his struggle going through buds three times to eventually go on to become a navy seal. The dude is a mad man, truly inspiring!

"The Bible" - (God)
A love story about the God who saves the human race from the slavery of sin and death. In the climax of the story, God becomes man without ceasing to be God, true God and true Man. Jesus Christ then sacrifices himself on the wood of the cross for the sanctification of the human race. Another epic story!

 

Gorilla Mindset by Mike Cernovich.

 

Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. I think it's probably the best book on how to change self-image.

 

The book of proverbs in the Bible , it’s easy to understand, I’m not involved with Christianity as much but that book always inspires me

 

Mastering Your Hidden Self - By Segi King

I don't even know where to start with this book. It is pretty spiritual and new age.

It is based on the ancient belief of Huna. Which in a nutshell:

• IKE– The world is what you think it is.
• KALA– There are no limits, everything is possible.
• MAKIA – Energy flows where attention goes.
• MANAWA – Now is the moment of power.
• ALOHA – To love is to be happy.
• MANA – Power comes from within.
• PONO – Effectiveness is the measure of truth.

But yeah, to the casual observer that will all mean nothing.

But if we take the concept of IKE. If I believe I do succeed at NoFap, 100%, then I probably will. If I believe I will fail, I probably will. Also, if I don't believe something about myself 100%, how can I expect someone else to. OK, that is probably more to do with dating. If I don't believe I am attractive, well no-one else will either.

But basically, it is a combination of Law Of Attraction, Power Of Now and other stuff. Also has some pretty cool meditation exercises for positivity.

 

That sounds like an awesome book. I also believe in all the principles you mentioned. Thanks for sharing, I'll check this one out.