New reads // for positive thinking, happiness and mindfulness

Hello peoples! These are some of the wonderful new books I received for Christmas that I absolutely cannot wait to read, having just finished some other similar and wonderful books!

• The Miracle of Mindfullness, The Classic Guide to Meditation by the World's Most Revered Master // Thich Nhat Hanh
• How to Practice the Way to a Meaningful Life // HH Dalai Lama*
• The Art of Thinkng Clearly // Rolf Dobelli
• Discover Your Destiny with the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari // Robin Sharma

I have recently finished the two of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari books by Robin Sharma, including the first (The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari) and the second, The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari) which were absolutely fabulous and I kind of feel as though I should write a separate post about them... I also read the famous Alchemist by Brazillian author Paulo Coelho which was so fabulous and unique!

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari tells the tale of a hot shot lawyer who was making a fortune and spending his earnings on his expensive party life style when he made it out of the office late at night, much to the detriment of his relationships, health and inner happiness. Consequently, during a stressful court case, the lawyer, Julian Mantle suffered a heart attack in the middle of the court room and had the realisation that he was running himself and his life into the ground. Following this he embarks on a journey and upon his return visits a friend of his from his law days to share everything he has discovered and how he made a miraculous turn around of his life from what it was before. The entire book is based around this discussion with his friend and is totally gripping. The most wonderful thing about this book, is that it doesn't merely say 'mind over matter' like many books of this kind but it gives you ways, in every chapter, of turning your own life around, or simply making the most of life and everything it has to offer. It realises that people have busy lives and cannot dedicate 12 hours a day to self-improvement, so it gives you ways around that. 

The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is similar but equally as captivating having read the first. In fact, I think I even preferred this one. In this novel, the book actually documents the travels of Jonathan Landry, a lost relative of Julian Mantle who is going through a similar crisis within his own life being stuck in a job he dislikes which causes him great stress and having ruined his marriage and put a strain on his relationship with his son. Much to his initial distress, Jonathan is sent around the world by Julian, collecting life-saving letters for a reason that he does not know. Throughout the book, you see Jonathan meet extraordinary and inspiring people and see and experience wonderful things - you see his character grow and develop on the journey and eventually discover if he can turn his life around. It's a heart warming story that leaves you inspired.

Now, neither of these books are particularly profound, and I do not claim they will change your life, but they are heart warming and inspiring and will hopefully give you your daily dose of inspiration to pursue a happy life.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is incredible! It almost feels silly to review this book, as there must be tens of thousands of reviews out there. The book is so unique that it's impossible describe without just urging you to read it yourself. Similarly to the above mentioned, The Alchemist is a fable, following the journey of a young man on his attempt to follow his destiny and how the the universe as one, described in this book as 'the soul of the world', works and conspires to help those seeking their destiny. It shows how the boy comes to understand the soul of the world, and his place within it. One of my favourite quotes from the book (though there are many) is 'the boy remembered... that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn' as the young man found the strength to continue through tough times knowing that he will eventually find what he needs. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is so unique and wonderful that no review will ever do justice the magic encapsulated within this masterpiece. If you read one book this year - make it this one.  

* I have begun with this book as after reading several stories, I'm after some simple teachings from none other than HH Dalai Lama himself.