Getting into the spotlight as a blogger writing monthly long pieces on different life matters, Mark Manson is now the author of three world acclaimed books. But, its most popular title remains also his first, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. It is reaction to the self-help industry and what Manson sees as a culture of mindless positivity that isn’t practical or helpful for most people.

His book uses the author’s personal experiences to illustrate how the struggles in our lives give meaning to our existence at the same time offering valuable lessons. Manson says that getting meaning from our life experiences is more important than the constant pursuit of happiness most self-help books encourage.

Psychologist Angela Duckworth shows her readers that the secret to succes is something called grit. She describes grit as passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals. Sharing her life experiences from a very early age, she concludes it was what she went through as a child that made her understand the power of grit in following her dreams. Duckworth sees grit as a skill that can be developed, a growing mindset all of us can benefit from. She also says that, in the long run, grit is what determines success, not talent. Success, she adds, can be also determined by how well you deal with failure.

Even if this book is about ultra-running and ultra-athletes, stating that every human being has the ability to run long distances because we are designed to do so, Born to run is more than a book about running and that is why it became a worldwide hit. McDougall shares his story on how he discovered ultra-running when he thought he is not made for this.

He stated that only by pushing our limits and overcoming our fears we can learn more about who we are and what we can do. He even goes to Mexico, where he meets the Ta rahumara tribe of ultra-runners, whose lives are centered around running. They run in sandals and despite the heat and mountainous terrain, they can run more than 100 kilometers a day.

Miguel Ruiz says that limiting beliefs are what give us a hard time, robbing us of joy and creating needless suffering. So, he reveals the sources of these limiting beliefs, encouraging us to be aware of when they become present in our lives so we can acknowledge them and not give into their consuming energy. Thus, The Four Agreements is a source of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives, so we can experience freedom, happiness and love.

Although these rules seem easy to follow when we read about them, it can be challenging putting them into practice.

These four rules are:

1. Be impeccable with your word;

2. Don’t take anything personally;

3. Don’t make assumptions;

4. Always do your best.

Before becoming the First Lady of USA, Michelle Obama grew up and lived in a little Chicago apartment and studied at Princeton and Harvard. Her book, which became a worldwide bestseller, is her personal story of hardwork, family and being the most powerful lady in the world. Her thoughts on different aspects of her life make her relatable to the reader.

She states that while there is always an easy way out of every difficult situation. To be successful means to put the hard work in and to push our limits, no matter what other people think about our efforts. Michelle Obama is the kind of person that pushes through every situation, never gives up and she encourages us to go for our goals no matter what, because most goals worth pursuing will always seem out of reach at first.