The 7 books that changed my life.

All my life I have been passionate about reading, this started since my parents read me stories when I was little (to my sister and me) and then my sister encouraged me to continue with this passion. Nothing better than getting lost in my imagination, guided by the pages of a book.

I learned many lessons through reading. I have read so many books throughout my life that I lost count, but if one thing is certain, it is that I will never forget what they taught me. Maturing is something that goes beyond age, maturing is growing mentally and learning how to handle situations by choosing the best form of confrontation.

I personally use reading for entertainment, fun, and to keep my mind active. I like to learn through stories and novels. I have not been (so far) interested in reading personal growth or coaching books (those that give you “perspectives” on how to live your life) so my list is nothing like what many people would recommend, what I do tell you, is that if you decide to read any of these texts you will realize that reading can be interpreted differently, and it will take you to mental spaces you didn't know about.

My favorites:

1 - The Knight in Rusty Armor (Dr. Robert Fisher).

I read this in my teens and reread it a few months ago. How amazing and different our life can be if we let go of what weighs us down and realize what is really important. Not being afraid to be alone. Love more than we may need. You will never discover the unknown if you cling to the known. The enemies of courage and audacity are fear and doubt.

2 - The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho).

The battle to achieve our personal destiny can lead us through thousands of unknown paths and fill us with different sensations and emotions just to prove how ready we are to reach the goal, however, once we are in tune with the universe everything makes sense and flows in our favor. The universe conspires for us to succeed and the irony of life is that sometimes, what we are looking for, can be found right where we started, but we were not prepared to find it.

3 - The cow's to blame (Jaime Lopera Gutierrez).

Small and short stories that show us how simple life is if we own our personal values and act accordingly, of course, positively. The human being tends to complicate situations, and these stories show that everything is easier if we decide to make it so.

4 - Eleven minutes (Paulo Coelho).

Love seen through the eyes of a prostitute named Maria. Her story shows how important it is to be present and to understand that simple decisions can have a great impact. Disappointments in love and life, personal delusions, failed plans along her journey. She loses hope, but still, she gets her illusions back, let herself flow with her feelings, and understands the true meaning of love. I love how intellectual Maria is in her story.

5 - The Valkyries (Paulo Coelho).

It could be interpreted as a fictional story, but it is one of the most interesting readings I have ever done. Describing it is complicated, but the learning will always live in me. Having the courage to pursue your goal is something that not many people dare to do. Discovering that there are connections beyond what we believe is simply magical. Expand your soul and see beyond what is in your vision field.

6 - Ask Me Anything You Want (8 Book Saga) (Megan Maxwell).

I fell in love with the love story in these novels and loved how it is structured. The connection as a couple goes beyond the physical connection, it is an exchange of souls (this book reaffirmed this concept for me but in a different way). It helped me to expand and open my mind to different ways of life without judging, and accepting that everyone has their own interests and that's okay. Perseverance, respect and trust as a couple are key as well as admiration. I had a lot of fun with this saga, if you are interested in reading it, you should leave taboos aside.

7 - Una tienda en Paris - Maxim huerta.

The drastic change we can have if we dare to take control of our lives. It is interesting the connection that exists between our past and present, this is a book that may start slow, but then takes an unexpected turn and becomes an interesting adventure. That's life! (not english version available).

I have been on a challenging road full of experiences. The way I was raised says a lot about the woman I am today, but I also had a lot of help that came from literature. In books, I found values that align with who I am, and I made many decisions based on what I learned. I see life with a lot of optimism and I project my future positively, of course I have my moments of darkness in which I fail to see the light, but I always manage to breathe and move forward because those values, learnings, and teachings that books brought me, live in my subconscious and push me to keep going.

“We are responsible for everything that happens in this world. With the strength of our love, of our will, we can change our destiny and the destiny of many people.” The Valkyries.

Key.