Whenever you read a good book, and gain some new insight, somewhere in the world, a door of opportunity opens for you. But if you only read what everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking. And you can only achieve what everyone else is achieving. In today’s video, I’ll share with you 8 books that will drive you to go from a broke and average life to a rich and fulfilling life. You’ll be compelled to achieve what most people can only dream of. Before we get to it be sure to subscribe to After School Africa for more insightful videos like this.
1. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Many people I know and have read about who went from nothing to create wealth attribute their life-altering moments to reading Rich Dad Poor Dad. After reading this book, I bought 3 extra copies and gave one to my sister and two to close friends. Before we lost her, she already had real estate properties, life insurance and other investments just from working as a contract staff in a commercial bank. This book will help you develop the mindset and financial knowledge you need to build a life of wealth and freedom.
In this book, Kiyosaki successfully analyzed and compared the habits of his poor biological dad, who was highly educated, yet poor; and his other dad who was a dropout but became a self-made multimillionaire. The focus follows what are termed the different “quadrants” of the different classes of people in society and how you can elevate yourself to the Investor quadrant which leads to wealth.
The book solidified my belief that it was possible to succeed as a young person without a regular job. Some common advice in the book includes; ‘work to learn, don’t work for money’, ‘Poor people play not to lose, rich people play to win’ This book is a must-read if you want to start crafting a path to wealth while you are young.
2. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
This book deals with the author’s experience living in Nazi concentration camps. The author explained how the daily struggles of camp life affected the mental state of its inmates. The core of the author’s philosophy is that a man’s deepest desire is to find meaning in his life, and if he can find that meaning, he can survive anything. Frankl found meaning in his experiences in the concentration camp by deciding that he was going to use his suffering as an opportunity to make himself a better person. Instead of becoming apathetic and accepting that he was doomed like his fellow inmates, he chose to embrace his suffering.
According to Frankl, while a man’s destiny in life is certainly affected by the circumstances in which he finds himself, he is ultimately free to choose his own path in life. Even in the worst situation possible, man always has the freedom to choose his attitude towards life. This one is a life-changing book.
3. The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
This is another easy to read a book that I found particularly instructive when I read it ever 10 years ago. The Richest Man In Babylon gives common-sense financial advice which you can apply today, told through tales and parables from the times of ancient Babylon.
Originally published in 1926, the advice in this book is still as sound as it was almost a century ago. The Babylonian merchants discovered many of the basic principles behind wealth, such as saving a small part of your income each month, investing it wisely, learning how to lend money instead of borrowing it and how to protect your wealth. Three major lessons; live below your means; learn how to be lucky by working hard, and avoid debt.
4. The Millionaire Fastlane by M.J.DeMarco
The conventional path to wealth relies on working really hard while you are young so you will have enough money set aside when you are old to relax and enjoy it. That can be a long time to wait! What if you could create a product or a business that is self-sustaining? Then you will be generating income even when you’re not actually working.
Most people never achieve successful financial status because the conventional roads to wealth don’t work. If you feel like you’re wasting time at a job you hate, are dreaming of founding your own enterprise, or want to become financially successful but don’t know where to start, The Millionaire Fastlane is for you.
5. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
If you think your knowledge is all you need to be successful, this book will thwart that belief. According to Carnegie, only 15 percent of financial success could be attributed to professional knowledge. Instead, he ascribed financial success primarily to, “the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people.” This book will teach you how to accomplish just that. The author details the six ways to make people like you, the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment, and the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking. One of the richest men in the world, Warren Buffet, claims the book changed his life as a young man.
6. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Habit is what differentiates rich people from average people. This book is written on Covey’s belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions and habits.
If you want to take steps to change your habits or need some extra motivation, then check out this book. The 7 Habits will help you to aim for what you value the most and then, put those values into action in your daily life. It is a book that would spur you from being lazy to more productive and thoughtful as a person
7. Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon.
Pablo Picasso is often quoted as saying: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Whether he did say that or not, it’s an extremely valuable insight, for anyone interested in developing their ability to think creatively. Picasso didn’t literally steal other painters’ work. He merely imitated his favorite artists a lot. Why does it make sense for artists to imitate one another? That’s what Steal Like An Artist is about. This book will encourage you to not worry about being original and focus on getting started. However, this does not encourage or support putting your name on other peoples’ work.
Especially when you’re starting out, it’ll be hard to come up with ideas and how to do things. But you can always start with re-building what someone else has done. Part of being ambitious is modeling yourself after those you’d like to be like. You learn by imitating other people’s knowledge. This book is a manifesto for any young, creative person looking to make his mark.
8. The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday
Have you ever wondered why the solutions to our friends’ problems are sometimes so obvious to us, yet they can’t see them? The reason why is perspective. Our initial reaction when we run into an obstacle is always emotional. We get frustrated, angry and think there’s no way to solve this problem.
However, when we look at other peoples’ problems, we perceive them objectively. That’s what allows us to see a lot clearer, react accordingly and give much better advice on how to tackle them. One of the key lessons from, ‘The Obstacle is the Way’ is to imagine you are advising yourself as a friend to keep an objective perspective. Imagine what an enlightened, all-knowing person would do. This book will help you analyze your financial and life situation objectively. You may just discover a commercial opportunity in the challenge you are currently facing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “If you encounter a man of rare intellect, you should ask him what books he reads”. Which of these books will you read next? Tell us about it in the comments section below. If you are yet to subscribe to After School Africa channel, now is a good time to subscribe. Until next time, YOUR SUCCESS MATTERS.
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