5 Powerful Adult Non-Fiction Books that will your Beacon in 2022

As author Bob Goff noted, The world has never been more distracting.

In these times of struggle, uncertainty, and strive, we need to work overtime to fill our minds and heart with love and positivity. These books are a great way to kick off 2022 with a whirlwind of amazing thought leaders and words of comfort for our souls. Enjoy!

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker

No more hiding or people-pleasing up in here, sisters. No more being sidelined in your own life. It is time for us to be brave, to claim our gifts and quirks and emotions. You are set free and set up and set on fire.

NOW you can get busy doing what you were placed on this planet to do. NOW you can be honest, honest, honest about all of it, even the hard stuff, even the humiliating stuff, even the secret stuff. NOW you can walk in your convictions of faith and ask new questions unafraid. NOW you can be so free, because you are not searching for value from any source other than your own beautiful soul made piece by piece by God who adores you and is ready to get on with the business of unleashing you into this world.

In this book, I break it down into five self-reflective categories—who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect—and by working your way through them, you will learn to

own your space, ground, and gifts (they are YOURS, sister);
be strong in your relationships and lay down passive aggression, resentment, drama, and compliance;
say GUILT-FREE what you want and what you need; and
welcome spiritual curiosity and all the fantastic change that doing so creates.

You with me, beloveds? If we do this work on our own selves now, not only will we discover a life truly worth living, but we will free our daughters to rise up behind us, with spines straight, heads up, and coated in our strength.

Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy by Bob Goff

The world has never been more distracting—joy has never been more possible. You live with a massive amount of distraction:

desperate headlines
smartphone scrolling
an endless to-do list

Not to mention the nagging questions of your heart:

Am I making the right decision?
Am I with the right person?
Will my past mistakes keep me from my best future?

Through the pithy and inspiring storytelling that has endeared him to millions, New York Times bestselling author Bob Goff invites you to laugh with more gusto, dream with more confidence, and love with more intention in this disarming call to live Undistracted.

Bob’s stories are like the rumble strips on the road that make you suddenly alert to how far you have drifted from your lane. From visiting friends in San Quentin to accidentally getting into a stalker’s car at the airport to establishing Uganda’s first space program, Bob shows you the way back to an audaciously attentive life.

Your undistracted life is an adventure waiting to happen. What stories will you live with undistracted purpose and unstoppable joy?

The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit by Mel Robbins

Don’t let the title fool you. This isn’t a book about high fiving everyone else in your life. You’re already doing that. Cheering for your favorite teams. Celebrating your friends. Supporting the people you love as they go after what they want in life.

Imagine if you gave that same love and encouragement to yourself. Or even better, you made it a daily habit.

You’d be unstoppable.

In this book, Mel teaches you how to start high fiving the most important person in your life, the one who is staring back at you in the mirror: YOURSELF.

If you struggle with self-doubt (and who doesn’t?) …
If you’re tired of that nagging critic in your head (could somebody evict them already?) …
If you’re wildly successful but all you focus on is what’s going wrong (you’re not alone) …
If you’re sick of watching everybody else get ahead while you sit on the couch with your dog (don’t bring your dog into this) …

…Mel dedicates this book to you.

Using her signature science-backed wisdom, deeply personal stories, and the real-life results that The High 5 Habit is creating in people’s lives around the world (and you’ll meet a lot of them throughout this book), Mel will teach you how to make believing in yourself a habit so that you operate with the confidence that your goals and dreams demand.

The High 5 Habit is a simple yet profound tool that changes your attitude, your mindset, and your behavior. So be prepared to laugh and learn as you take steps to immediately boost your confidence, happiness, and results.

It’s time to give yourself the high fives, celebration, and support you deserve.

Pilgrimage: A Modern Seeker’s Guide by Evans Bowen. Always a traveler, author Evans Bowen has been to all 50 states, Peru, Egypt, Jordan, Europe, Thailand, Taiwan, and Cambodia. In 2014 she walked the 500 miles of the Camino to Santiago, Spain with her 20-year-old daughter, Alexandra. This 40-day pilgrimage inspired this book. Evans is also the first one to note that a pilgrimage does not have to involve a trip across a sea or a journey to a faraway place. Pilgrimages are personal, profound, spiritual, and as simple or as complex as you’d like.

“Sometimes what we need most in our lives is solitude and quiet so we can have time to listen to our heart. Pilgrimages to monasteries, ashrams, retreat centers or places of quiet feed the soul,” she added, “But you get to discover and decide which places are sacred in your life. You may feel called to a site such as the Pyramids or a great cathedral, but you can just as easily find what you are looking for in your own backyard. The main component of any place that you find sacred is the awe, wonder, peace, and healing that you experience there.”

The first part of Evans’ book was created to be a guide for the physical journey, either around the world or close to home. Evans answers the questions of why taking a pilgrimage is so meaningful and what “is” a sacred site. Included is a step by step guide to help readers take a pilgrimage from the first whisperings of a Call, preparing, the journey and integration of an experience into a life.

The second half of the book is 40 days of reflections to help readers and travelers find meaning in their journey and discovering their authentic self. Each day is written to take the reader into their heart, unfold new experiences and recognize the knowledge that brings new understanding of their life and their world.

Go Slowly, Breathe and Smile: Dharma Art by Rashani Réa with the Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh (Life lessons, Positive thinking) by Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat is a spiritual luminary, second only to the Dalai Lama, and is globally renowned and admired. His words of wisdom are centralized in finding peace in every moment; whether you’re stopped at a red light or answering a phone, mindfulness grounds you into the present moment.

Start your day with these peaceful, empowering words of wisdom. All of these words are interwoven with meditative, inspiring images of celebration. Each page is designed to increase positive thinking and improve your mental health.

Life-changing mindful meditations. Strengthen your mindset with these empowering words of wisdom that are referenced as essential advice for how to grow spirituality and mentally strong. Meditation practices are essential to building mindfulness.

Go Slowly, Breathe and Smile is a unique convergence of wisdom and art, a beautiful tribute from a dedicated student to her teacher. Absorb Thich Nhat Hanh’s words of wisdom and meditate on Rashani Réa’s inspirational collages, and allow these pages to illuminate your heart and mind, inspire mindfulness, and reduce stress levels.

Be sure and read Audrey Press CEO, Valarie Budayr’s, moving tribute to Thich Nhat Hanh on her sister site, Mongata.org HERE.