30kg. The luggage allowance you get while travelling from Asia to Bulgaria.

We need to make choices every day.

My mom would always be shocked by the number of books I carry with me, everywhere I go.

I buy them. I read them. I carry them around the globe with me. You can find them in my hand luggage. Some of them in my main luggage.

Of course, we live in a tech world, I own an E-book reader but I am super old-school. I like to touch the book, underline my favourite parts, put a note and revisit when I feel the need to.

Each of these books had a huge impact on me. They either made me a better person or resonated with me at a deeper level.

When reading those books, I felt a switch in me. I read many other books, I don’t remember. I think that if you can find one takeaway from a book, that you remember, it’s an awesome book.

Those are the ones, I always go to.  They made me felt like a character in someone’s else story.  And if you look for a great book, I am happy to share

I made my list with 10 books with a huge impact and captivating stories. There is no order of importance. I grouped some keywords and got my favourite quotes from them.

1. Shoe Dog  by Phil Knight
   
   keywords: Nike, inspiration, autobiography, business lessons
   
   The story behind creating Nike, all the challenges Phil Knight went through. A story about a kid who loved running. At 24, after backpacking around the world, he decided to take the path and start his own business. Autobiography filled with many obstacles and motivation for “leaving a mark on the world”.

   And what’s THIS?

   That’s a swoosh.

   The hell’s a swoosh?

   The answer flew out of me: It’s the sound of someone going past you.

   “I’d tell men and women in their mid-twenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.”
   ― Phil Knight, Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

2. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
   
   keywords:  consciousness, awareness, self-growth, inner-energy, going beyond, openness, death
   
   I am pretty sure, it was recommended on a podcast. It’s a spiritual and very intense book. If you are not open-minded and you are not asking yourself “Who I am”, you are not ready for it and you might not like it. I loved it. The moment I finished it, I went straight to the book store and got it for a friend.“In case you haven’t noticed, you have a mental dialogue going on inside your head that never stops. It just keeps going and going. Have you ever wondered why it talks in there? How does it decide what to say and when to say it? How much of what it says turns out to be true? How much of what it says is even important? And if right now you are hearing, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any voice inside my head!”–that’s the voice we’re talking about. If you’re smart, you’ll take the time to step back, examine this voice, and get to know it better. The problem is, you’re too close to be objective. You have to step way back and watch it converse.” – Michael A. SingerSo many good takeaways from this one!
3. The road less travelled Timeless Edition: A new psychology of Love, Traditional Values and spiritual growth by  M. Scott Peck
   
   keywords: love, risk, discipline, action, self-growth, pain
   
   A deeply insightful book.  Dr M. Scott Peck is a psychiatrist, who believes that Discipline, Love, Religion and Grace are the four elements for a fulfilled life.“We cannot be a source for strength unless we nurture our own strength.”
   ― M. Scott Peck
4. 5 love languages by Gary Chapman
   
   
   keywords: commitment. relationshipA book I read when I was still in high school. It opened my eyes and gave me the secret sauce on having long-lasting relationships.  Gives you awareness on where you should put the work. Maybe, by far the book I gifted the most.
5. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
   
   
   keywords: ego, true self, happiness, detachment, suffering, peaceFor Echart Tolle, there must be a special category in the bookstores. Life-changing books. The first time I came across him, was when I was reading The Power of Now. It was so hard to read. I don’t think I was ready for it. A new Earth is also, not an easy read. You have to make pauses to fully consume the 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.”― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
6. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide To Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
   
   
   keywords: personal freedom, growthRuiz tells us that our life is based on strict rules impressed upon us by parents, schools, religions, influencers. We learn what is considered normal.
   “Whatever happens around you, don’t take it personally… Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.”― Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
7. Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World by Cal Newport
   
   keywords: master hard things, focus, routine, rituals,  concentrationHigh-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)I used to think productivity is in multitasking. Doing many things all at once and being everywhere. A lie sold to us. Now, I am aware of the meaning of concentration on one single task for the interrupted amount of time.  A helpful book on focus, integrating good habits and overcoming the desire for distraction.
8. Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
   
   keywords: athlete, the best, passionate anti-sport book, champion
   When I read autobiographies I get the feeling I live 100 lives instead of one. After I read Shoe Dog, I stayed away from autobiographies, because the bar was high now.  Andre Agassi didn’t disappoint. His life story is mind-blowing.
   Open, tells the real story of How to be good at something you hate.Shows the misery of tennis, the insights of the loneliest game, the talented kid that dropped out of school at 14, the struggle, the triumph and how he found love. A  life story bigger than tennis.“Life will throw everything but the kitchen sink in your path, and then it will throw the kitchen sink. It’s your job to avoid the obstacles. If you let them stop you or distract you, you’re not doing your job, and failing to do your job will cause regrets that paralyze you more than a bad back.”
   ― Andre Agassi, Open“Even if it’s not your ideal life, you can always choose it. No matter what your life is, choosing it changes everything.”
   ― Andre Agassi, Open
9.  Give And Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant
   I am a huge fan of Adam Grant. He is an American psychologist doing researches on success.
   Separating people in 3 groups: givers, matchers and takers.
   Givers – are people who tend to help and are generous in their life.
   Matchers – have the mentality of “I help you now, you own me one”
   Takers believe the world is a competitive place and will look for their well being first.The book gives a refreshing new perspective on leadership and management.“Success doesn’t measure a human being, effort does.”
   ― Adam M. Grant, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
10. The Power Of A Positive No: Save The Deal Save The Relationship And Still Say No by William Ury
    
    A very practical book!
    Every day we are faced with decisions. And sometimes our answer is No.
    No – to commitments, family, friends or anything that doesn’t align with our principles.
    Learning How to put boundaries, say No and speak for yourself is harder than it sounds. Especially a lot of women are facing this.
    The book improved my communication skills, my negotiation and taught me how to say No without hurting other people’s feelings and destroying friendships
    I just stole 5 minutes and 50 seconds of your life. The amount of time you needed to read this article. You will never get those minutes back, think about it next time when you are perplexed between reading a book or watching another tv series.For my Bulgarian friends check the book we did : За бавното живеене и насладата от живота : https://www.ozone.bg/product/za-bavnoto-zhiveene-i-nasladata-ot-zhivota/