Books To Help You Get Through Setbacks

The Stories That Inspired Me

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I believe that every book we read has some impact on our character — no matter how imperceptible. Every time I open up my Goodreads account (a site for tracking and rating the books you read), I’m always shocked at how many stories that I’ve forgotten I’ve read. But when I stop to really think about them, and why I decided to pick up each title in the first place, I start to remember all the little pieces of wisdom I took away from each one. 

Certain books, though, I’ll never forget. And that’s because most of them are the stories that have gotten me through tough times.

When we’re struggling, although social support is profoundly important, sometimes we need an energy boost in a more solitary or private way. And for me, reading is the ultimate way to get that. 

In today’s post, I’m excited to share a few books that will hopefully help you or a friend through a hard time, too. (And, as a few folks have asked — I am not being sponsored! Though I’m flattered anyone thought that, and I would gladly sponsor these books if anyone did ever ask 😂)

#1: The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig

If you’ve ever gone through a tough time, Matt Haig is your guy. HUGE props to

Chris Anselmo

of

Hello, Adversity

(and a happy belated birthday!) for sharing The Midnight Library in his newsletter — that’s how I found out about the book, which I think about almost every week since I originally read it. 

The story is about a severely depressed woman who has the opportunity to visit all the alternate lives she wishes she could have had instead. I won’t give away the plot, but even hearing about the premise intrigued me immediately. So many of us spend time wishing life were different in some way — but almost never think about what those lives would actually be like, were we to inhabit them fully. 

The main character, Nora, explores a bunch of alternate paths: becoming a famous musician, making a move to Australia, dating someone she didn’t expect. It was fun to explore all those (fictional) possibilities — and helped me think through all the different paths I wish I could have taken, too.

Of course, on a logical level, I know it’s not good to just spend time wishing things were different. But reading this book finally made that lesson sink in for me, and helped me appreciate — and see the necessity of — some of the messy ways life can unfold.

#2: One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way, by Robert Maurer

This book actually did change my life — and I’m excited to share it, since it seems to be a lot less known than The Midnight Library. This very small book is about kaizen — a Japanese business philosophy of “continuous improvement,” and how it can be applied in any aspect of life. Essentially, the whole point is that a step forward — no matter how tiny — can kick off much larger success. For example, the book starts with the story of a woman who began her health journey by simply marching in place one minute a day while she watched TV. While it can seem silly to take such tiny actions, they actually help our brain bypass the fear response we often have when we tackle bigger projects. 

I have used these techniques countless times to help me get out of a rut. Especially as a perfectionist, sometimes it’s hard for me to not feel paralyzed by fear when I’m doing something new. But this book is so amazing because it reminds me that small changes matter — even if they seem literally infinitesimal. It’s also a refreshing change from all the slogans saying we need to take huge risks or make huge bets in order to move forward. (Plus, I’m half-Japanese, so this resonated with me even more!)

#3: Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

This is also a fairly common suggestion — for very good reason. If you haven’t read this one already, Man’s Search for Meaning is about the author’s experience in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Interestingly enough, he was a psychologist before the war, so he actually documented the conditions he found in the camps, and his views on why some people were able to live with more hope than others — despite being in some of the most vile conditions one could ever even conjure. He describes man’s ultimate freedom in life — to choose how we feel about our circumstances. 

This book is absolutely chilling in its truths and ridiculously inspiring at the same time. I’ll leave you with this quote about success he shares:

Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run—in the long-run, I say!—success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it.”

Helpful for perfectionists, no?

Thank you for reading — and stay tuned for our next interview!

I’m so curious to hear what you think – have you read these books? What books have changed your lives? Comment below!