Is there anything better than sitting outside on a warm, sunny day with a great book?
It’s one of life’s ultimate simple pleasures. Getting away from a screen, slowing down enough to focus on an author’s words, enriching our lives through an imaginary world, or absorbing life-changing information.
We’re major bookworms here at DotConnect. We love all kinds of genres, from epic fantasy novels to classics to nonfiction reads.
But we particularly love self-help, mindset, work strategy, and mental health books. This is because we’re pretty much addicted to personal development, and to feeding our minds and spirits with information to help us understand and transform ourselves in all of the best possible ways.
What’s more, we don’t limit ourselves to growing only in our personal lives. We’ve bridged the personal and the professional, so we show up at work as our authentic selves, are honest about our growth, and are always actively working to create a conscious environment on the job.
To keep ourselves in the habit of raising our consciousness, we all regularly read enlightening information. Raising your consciousness is a lifelong process, so it’s important to make contemplative practices a habit. That’s fine because there is nothing more satisfying than leveling up only to level up again. It’s a continuous evolution.
Are you interested in raising your consciousness? We’ve got a few of our top reads for personal and professional development that are just waiting for you to pick up. They changed how we work here at Dot, and we know they’ll be game changers for you too.
Book #1: Linchpin by Seth Godin
It’s no secret that we have always admired the work and the writing of thought leader, author, and former business executive, Seth Godin. We share his nuggets of wisdom on social media all the time, and our founder, Dom, has completed his Alt MBA program!
His book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, is all about how you can frame your career and your mindset to position yourself for success in an ever-changing and challenging professional world. It’s designed to help you cement your status and reputation as a changemaker, an artist, and a person who thinks creatively and solves problems without being asked.
The definition of linchpin is the piece that keeps a wheel rotating in place on an axis. Wheels literally cannot turn without linchpins — the wheel would come off its axle and fall to the ground.
Becoming a linchpin means being indispensable — someone who teams and industries can’t continue to move and grow without.
Instead of being a worker bee who takes orders and executes them, a linchpin actively improves the places they work. They’re artists of life — people who bring passion into all that they do. They make things better wherever they go. They’re innovative and unafraid to think outside the box.
Being a linchpin also takes courage: the courage to deviate from the norm, to stand out, take risks, and challenge the status quo. This is all done in the spirit of service, which colleagues and peers will greatly admire.
Another great aspect of the book is that it’s encouraging and accessible. While becoming a linchpin may seem like a little too much pressure, Godin approaches the topic in an encouraging way.
Want to check out his insights? Here’s a little preview:
“What makes someone an artist? I don't think it has anything to do with a paintbrush [...] An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artist takes it personally [...] Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn't matter. The intent does. Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.”
Book #2: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza
Does it ever feel like you’re not in control of the way you think, feel, behave, and react to life circumstances?
Do you have deeply ingrained habitual reactions, like becoming irritated at certain triggers, worrying about certain situations, or struggling with uncomfortable emotions like fear, shame, or anger?
Change can feel daunting when you notice that you continue to have the same habitual reactions again and again, even when you’ve set the intention not to do so. When the results are the same — usually negative — why would you continue to engage in the thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that contribute to them? Sometimes it can feel like a mystery.
In his book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza, a Doctor of Chiropractic with an extensive research background covering topics in neuroscience and psychology, shows you exactly how to put a stop to unwanted thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.
He explains that, while it sometimes may seem like you have a predetermined destiny, were dealt an unlucky hand, or have specific character traits that can’t be changed, you actually have the power to radically and permanently alter your life course.
In this book, Dr. Joe Dispenza lays out practical tools, techniques, and mindset shifts that will help you take control of your life. He also emphasizes that you have to get ahead of your own reactions so that you can get your head above water to avoid drowning in emotional reactions that have you stuck in long-held patterns.
One key thought from Breaking the Habit of Yourself is that:
“When feelings become the means of thinking, or if we cannot think greater than how we feel, we can never change. To change is to think greater than how we feel. To change is to act greater than the familiar feelings of the memorized self.”
But it takes commitment. Because when you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get the same exact results. Don’t sit there and wish for happiness to arrive at some later date. Happiness is created in the now, primarily by how you choose to think, what you choose to believe, and how committed you are to catching your mind replaying the same old tapes.
One fascinating thought in this book is how he explains that the ability to transform patterns is rooted in neuroscience. Shifting your focus and thinking differently creates new neural pathways, which change the structure of your brain, a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity.
We highly recommend this book to anyone who is feeling a little lost in their thoughts and who is looking for a new sense of direction to help realize their true potential!
Book #3: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle is famous for his book The Power of Now, which transformed lives around the world by awakening people to the present moment. He introduced readers with his take on the ancient concept of the ego.
The ego is the part of us that’s primarily concerned with safety and survival, which is great for protecting you on your walk home at night but not great for when you’re concerned about other people’s opinions, trying out a new skill, or entering a new relationship. It keeps you safe and in the known, however the unknown is often where happiness lies.
The destructive voice of the ego keeps us from fully inhabiting the present moment, which is where all of our power is. The present moment is where we can create the future by awakening to what is there instead of projecting past failures and disappointments onto the present moment.
A New Earth goes a step beyond that, describing how this ego-driven behavior has created an ego-driven world. Tolle critiques this way of living, offering a new way of living in which we dissolve concepts of “us” and “them,” of “good” and “bad,” which is the foundation for conflict and self-centeredness.
Despite its larger scale, Tolle still gives people the practical inspiration they need to drop rigid labels about who we are, open our minds, and free ourselves from worrying about the future and regretting the past. Here’s a preview of the wisdom he shares in this book:
“Give up defining yourself — to yourself or to others. You won't die. You will come to life. And don't be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it's their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don't be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.”
Tolle’s vision is to live in a world where a more enlightened way of being is the norm.
And we can’t help but be a fan because we’re doing that in a smaller way here at DotConnect. While we can’t change the world, and we don’t take ourselves that seriously, we can still create a ripple effect of change. We’d like to think that we’re doing good that way, that we’re inspiring our communities to elevate their consciousness too.
This book is for anyone looking to clear their mind of negative thoughts and, in the process of doing so, find inner peace and happiness.
How to Make the Most of Self-Help Studies
Now that we’ve given you our top picks let’s look at how to make the most of what you’re reading. Because time is precious, and you’re not reading personal development books for pure entertainment, right?
First, we recommend pacing yourself. Consistency is critical to truly absorbing and applying information. Even just a few minutes a day is helpful, or you can go for a chapter a week.
One hack we love is to set the bar really low when it comes to goals. So just tell yourself that you’ll read three minutes a day. That’s doable, right? A low bar like that means you won’t feel so much resistance or overwhelm, and you’ll be more likely to do it. Plus, once you’ve read for a few minutes, chances are you’ll want to keep going!
Secondly, remember to apply what you learn! That’s another reason to go slow. It’s much better to do a chapter a week and try applying what you’ve learned every week than blast through the book so you can get to another one. That’s information overload.
Don’t just consume content. Use the tips, tricks, and mindset shifts on a regular basis. Think about what you learn as a part of a tool kit you can dip into regularly when an uncomfortable situation arises or an old pattern emerges. Experiment and see which ones work and don’t. You don’t have to agree with everything. Find out what you believe in yourself.
Lastly, learning with others is an excellent idea. Remember, more minds are better than one. Check out groups online or ask a friend to be your reading buddy. Check-in regularly to discuss what you’ve learned. Practice new techniques with each other. And support each other.
Raise Your Consciousness With Us at DotConnect
Committing to consciousness is such a worthy goal and one that we very much support here at DotConnect. We would love to see more people stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility for their lives, their growth, and their happiness. But it isn’t always a straight path.
Change is challenging, but it’s made easier with the right crew and environment that’s ready to lift you up.
Everyone needs support, and that’s why we’ve fostered a community of awareness here at Dot. We hope that by serving as an example, those in our communities will be inspired to make important shifts too.
At DotConnect, we want to help you create a community that will truly bring your dream to life. So if you’re a business owner, leader, or entrepreneur seeking the right recruits, we’d love to be your ally. We’ll draw on our network of gifted and committed professionals to find exactly what you need.
Connecting the dots is what we do. Just ask companies like Beautycounter, Samsung NEXT, and Zendesk.
If you’re on the hunt for a stimulating and supportive new job, we’ve got you! Our unique approach to recruiting means we’ll get to know you, your wants and needs, your gifts and talents.