They say that clothes don’t make the man…

But books might.

It seems to me that the books you read take up residence in your psyche, and camp out in your subconscious mind. You carry them with you as memories, either conscious on unconscious, and they color your perception of life, guide your decisions, and most certainly, influence your opinions.

It makes sense, then, that we should be incredibly careful of the kind of content that we choose to consume. If we become what we think about it (see: quantum physics), then we ought to fill our minds with inspirational fodder, and constantly seek growth and knowledge.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – so let us fill our bookshelves (be they digital or wooden) with books that make us better humans, and teach us new things. It’ll certainly pay in dividends.

I’m not saying that there’s no place for diversion, and, like… Jane Austen. Of course there is. Fun is an oft-forgotten principle of an “examined life.” However, we must be aware of the slippery slope of escapism. Be it Netflix, chick-lit, or Hallmark movies… a little dab’ll do ya.

One of the blog categories on Veggie Magnifique is “positive lifestyle,” and this one we really get behind.

During my holistic nutrition studies, we were taught about the difference between primary and secondary food. Primary food being that which nourishes you as a human, and secondary food, being what you eat. People tend to underestimate the power of the former, and yet it is vital to health and wellbeing.

Reading personal development books is total soul food of the primary sort because growth is one of the six core human needs. (Learn more about Tony Robbins’ six human needs.)

I know it can be intimidating to know what to read with all the books out there, so I thought that I would share my top faves to either get you started in the personal development/lifestyle design genre, or to start a conversation with you about your favorites.

Now, I realize you may or may not agree with my top five, and to this I say, “Awesome. Share your faves in the comments below” – because I’ll be reading ’em, quicker’n you can say “Bob’s your uncle.”

And remember…

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” – Anton Chekhov

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P.S. Don’t forget to check out our curated list of books, as well as products like cosmetics and mama/babystuff that we swear by!