Since I finished college a couple years ago, I finally have time to read more for fun like I’ve always wanted to! Last year I read some life changing books, and these five had the most impact on my life. Now I’m passing them along because I know they’ll change your life too. Read on to discover what they are!

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

You’ve probably heard of Gary Chapman’s famous love languages before–words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Although this book is written for married couples, its principles can be applied to any relationship. It opened my eyes to the the power of learning to speak people’s “love languages,” and the importance of loving people intentionally in order to build healthy relationships.

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey is a financial advisor. His Total Money Makeover method is famous for helping thousands of people get out of debt and build wealth. After reading this book I can now proudly say that I have a budget that I’m actually sticking to! This book is great for anyone of any age, and I recommend it to everyone who wants to get serious about their money.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy by Marie Kondo

These two books have had a HUGE impact on me! I read them back in January 2016, but the concepts stuck with me and changed my thinking throughout that entire year. (2019 update: reread both of these books in 2018 and they were twice as impactful the second time!!)

Marie Kondo’s method of cleaning out and tidying your entire life (the KonMari method) are so seemingly simple, yet they completely and unexpectedly transformed my perspective on life. The idea is to only keep things that truly spark joy and get rid of everything else. Although the author herself is quite extreme in her minimalism (and has some different spiritual beliefs than me), her perspective was refreshing and her books seriously changed my life!

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

This autobiography is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Corrie Ten Boom was a Christian living in Holland during World War II. She saved hundreds of Jews’ lives during the Holocaust, and is famous for hiding people in a secret room in her house. Eventually she was caught and survived a year in Nazi concentration camps.

This book brought me to tears multiple times, and I looked forward to coming home and reading it every night. My own insignificant worries were put into perspective when I compared them to what Corrie had to experience. Through her steadfast faith, God moved so powerfully to impact so many. Now her house in Haarlem, Netherlands is a museum open to the public. Visiting it someday is definitely on my bucket list!

I hope you add these life changing books to your list and that they impact you as much as they did me. Any life changing books you would recommend? Leave a comment and let me know!

Xo,

Becka

P.S. – 3 goal setting tips, and an unexpected lesson I learned from substitute teaching.