5 Books to read for peace of mind
5 Books to read for peace of mind
“A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company, by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.”
I overthink.
When i cannot control our 108574 thoughts anymore — i get overwhelmed, and the anxiety creeps in. Reading and meditation have been highly effective in preventing my mind from wandering.
When i can’t meditate, I pick up an old book and start reading it. I prefer reading what I have already read to practice the wisdom I am familiar with to avoid making new connections in my brain.
Over the years, I have compiled the list of books that I keep going back to when I need instant calm or a break lowkey anxiety.
The Bhagavad Gita
I have been the most popular Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, on and off for the last 3–4 years. It is a small part of the epic Mahabharata that covers the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.
Arjuna shares his confusion with Krishna about fighting against his brothers, and then the saga of wisdom begins where Krishna answers all his questions about life. Their conversation is beyond religious connotation and covers almost all areas of life. It’s the particle guide on how to live, which still makes sense in the 21st century.
Every time I pick, I feel instant calm and everything that’s been troubling me feels insignificant in front of the cosmic and spiritual world.
When you learn what’s happening to you is a lesson, you stop taking things personally. You flow with life, and Krishna’s words remind you to believe in the power more significant than you.
Often I don’t even read the entire chapter; I flip through the pages and randomly read a verse in Sanskrit and its connotation in English. One paragraph in itself feels like a complete course on being mindful and living in the moment. Ever since I figured out this scripture's power, I have been reading it whenever I feel overwhelmed or can’t stop my mind from wandering.
It’s another way of meditation when you can’t seem to focus.
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires — that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still — can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.
— Bhagavad Gita 2.70
Zen and the Art of Happiness by Chris Prentiss
Zen and the Art of Happiness is a book that explains the ancient wisdom of Zen philosophy to achieve fulfillment and happiness in life. Chris breaks the concept of Chinese philosophy into ten chapters covering Taoism, the universe's language, mindful happiness, and building your life philosophy.
Before this book, I knew anything about Zen philosophy and Tao Ching's concept; I was a stress machine. After implementing the learnings from the book, I started being mindful of every action and reaction.
The author talks about how everything that happens to us is the best outcome, and we choose to decide how we feel about it.
This book forces you to present and enjoy life as it comes and the power of being here and now.
I pick this book once in a while; it reminds me to calm down and reminds me not to fret about things that aren’t under my control. It contains many nuggets from ancient Chinese philosophy in simple terms that even my monkey mind seems to understand.
“What determines each person’s state of happiness or unhappiness is not the event itself, but what the event means to that person.”
― Chris Prentiss
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American writer widely known for The Prophet.
The book explains life and other significant parts of lives — like love, failure, wisdom in the form of a fable. These verses are filled with knowledge and explain the true meaning of life, which are not religious.
The verses are profound and thought-provoking. They make us ponder about life and how life can be. The Prophet's best part is every time you read about a section from the book, you find a different meaning.
The first time I read The Prophet, I found it too philosophical to relate to my life and how can I when I was only 23. When I picked up this book again after five years, it made sense, and I could relate to what Gibran was trying to depict the complicated emotions of life through simple words.
The meaning also allows you to have your theory about love, marriage, career, and other essential facets of life. I keep going back to his book because the meaning keeps changing, making me look at life from another perspective.
“When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
— Khalil Gibran
Real Magic By Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
I picked up Real Magic By Dr. Wayne Dyer in a second-hand book store four years back. The book looked very old, and I was skeptical about buying it. But, since I had heard a lot about Dr. Dyer, I decided to buy it anyway.
It seemed like a spiritual or new age philosophy book, but it’s a book on building a positive mindset and building our lives around it.
We don’t understand our thoughts, and our beliefs drive our actions, and if the root of those beliefs and opinions is lack, our lives move on in the principle of fear and scarcity.
When we’re feeling anxious and lost, picking up a positive thought can help us stop thousands of negative reviews.
The above books I mentioned talk about flowing with life, but what do you do when you want to be in control? You pick this book.
Whenever I feel like nothing is going on according to my plan, I go back to this book and understand how I still control my life — through the system working in my mind. It makes me believe in myself and reminds me that I have full control over my life, and I am only a decision away from a completely different life.
“We can choose to function at a lower level of awareness and simply exist, caring for our possessions, eating, drinking, sleeping and managing in the world as pawns of the elements, or we can soar to new and higher levels of awareness allowing ourselves to transcend our environment and literally create a world of our own — a world of real magic.”
— Wayne W. Dyer
Pretty Woman by Fern Michaels
Pretty Woman is one of a few fiction books I love rereading. The story of Rosie Gardener restarting her life after a failed marriage and losing her best friend is inspiring and refreshing.
The way she takes control of life by pursuing a healthy lifestyle and resuming her business shows a silver lining for her obstacles.
When we’re too anxious and unable to understand principles or philosophy to calm down, a story like this serves as a reminder that no matter how messed up it is, you can always come out of any situation if you’re willing to.
Sometimes, you need a character you can relate to and not any theory, and when I pick up this fiction. Luckily, even after reading it multiple times, I haven’t felt bored by reading this one.
The plot has impressive ups and downs, which keeps the reader on the hook. Even though I have read this novel 3–4 times, I still find it interesting every time I browse it. Some books take to a happy place, and this book is that for me.
When we focus and get into the flow of reading a book we love, our mind automatically calms down.
The best part about being a reader is you can travel through infinities, space, and time. If you pick a book that speaks to you, you can control your wandering mind. Re-reading works best when you're anxious and looking for a moment of peace.
“A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.”
— Charles Baudelaire
I hope this list inspires you to create your very own list to go back to find peace :)
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