Time is what we have in abundance at this time when most of us are confined inside the comforts of our homes. Time that we can either waste by lying down or use by doing anything productive such as reading books. Books are true wonders – they transport readers to different worlds, they activate imaginations, they enlighten minds, they educate, they inspire, they motivate. To retain hope, find inspiration, and build confidence, here are five book recommendations for you:

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

This faith-based book already sold over 32 million copies. It is like a daily devotional book, but instead of 365 days, readers journey with it for 40 days. This is highly recommended especially for those who experience existential crises, and for those who just choose to aimlessly survive. This book affirms the importance of having a relationship with the Creator. Most importantly, it helps one to discover the purpose of human existence here on Earth. Personally, this book aligned my faith to the true foundation. It also reminded me why I am here on earth, why I do what I do, and the things that I need to fulfill. This is indeed a transformative book.

The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

“The one thing” that made this book a New York Times bestseller is definitely the practicality and applicability of its contents that breeds immediate results. In an age when anyone can assume many roles and responsibilities, the risk of getting caught in between and in confusion is high. This book will help one how to have less negativity and more productivity. In my experience, this book helped me to focus on one thing. I have discovered that when I start to focus on one thing in my career, business and other areas in my life, I began achieving things that I want. When I give my focus to one thing, I can definitely finish or accomplish the tasks/goals with undivided attention. I believe that if I try to do multiple things at the same time, I would end up unproductive, unsatisfied, or even confused because my focus is divided.

Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini.

This piece could be a gem for people whose line of work involves influencing, convincing or persuading others. It presents a different approach. It contains how one can influence, convince or persuade by changing the direction of the audience’s thinking since changing the latter’s mind is proven to be difficult. This book also has challenging terminologies that one rarely encounters but these do not make the context less understandable. Enriching your vocabulary is an added bonus when reading this book. The process contained in this book helped me in my career as a trainer and facilitator because I learned how to understand why people respond or react to a particular situation without judging them and how important it is to say certain things and take specific actions, as well as how I can harness the same ideas to master the art of persuasion. This book taught me why people are receptive to messages before they encounter them.

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.

Following the easy steps recommended in this book, one will surely find each morning a miracle. This book instructs one to have the habit of daily goal setting, meditation, and exercise. This book really helped me with my daily routine. The time I joined the Blair Singer Training Academy (BSTA), this book was introduced to me. I realized that the reason successful people get what they want is simply because of their daily routine in addition to their skills or talents. When I started the HABITS I got from this book and became consistent about it, my life became so meaningful. It makes me excited every single day. It leads me to where I wanna go and who I want to be. Life goals will surely become more achievable with the help of this book.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

The techniques to obtaining success may not have been given verbatim in this book, but one will surely realize the power of the human mind and its importance to the achievement of one’s goals. After knowing the stories of different successful people from rags to riches, from average to greatness, I got the affirmation that my belief is true – that our family background, our painful experiences, nor our hard life is not a hindrance to success. We can always achieve our goals when we anchor our life on the right mindset and the right beliefs.

Surely there are a lot of other interesting and inspiring books to read out there, but these recommended books have really resonated with me and still help me in my personal and professional life. I have experienced breakthroughs because of these books. Needless to say, the lessons that I got from these books are few of the reasons that I still keep going even when hope seems lost.

Yes, resources are highly limited at this time but time is our friend, so let us use it wisely. Boredom and hopelessness are our foes but let us not allow such to bring us down. We must help ourselves in any possible way we can. Let us overcome this challenge with new learning that will propel us further in life. Start it by reading on these book recommendations.