My Favorite Books for the Healing Journey (Without the Guru Hype)
When I started working on myself, I wasn’t looking for crystals or incense.
I was looking for a way to become my best possible self.
I knew I had more potential—but I wasn’t living it. I was overthinking everything, stuck in cycles I didn’t understand, and honestly, I felt alone. I tried podcasts. I tried meditation. Nothing stuck.
Then I found these books.
They didn’t just give me concepts.
They gave me tools, wake-up calls, and perspective shifts that helped me stop numbing out and start living fully.
This isn’t some list of guru-endorsed fluff. These are the exact books that helped me level up mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Let’s get into it.
1. No More Mr. Nice Guy by Dr. Robert Glover
The Book That Killed My People-Pleasing
I used to say yes when I wanted to say no. I avoided conflict. I needed people to like me.
This book showed me the real cost of that mindset—and how it was sabotaging my happiness, my relationships, and my self-worth.
Dr. Glover doesn’t waste time. He tells you the truth: if you keep trying to “earn” love by being perfect, you’ll never be free. He breaks down why men become “nice guys,” where those habits come from, and how to stop betraying yourself.
💥 After reading this:
I stopped apologizing for having needs
I built real confidence
I met and married my wife because I finally showed up as me
👉 Get No More Mr. Nice Guy on Amazon
▶️ Watch Dr. Glover on YouTube
🎁 BONUS: Buy through this link and email me your receipt—I’ll send you a guided meditation + mini-session to help you integrate the lessons.
2. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
How I Stopped Caring About the Wrong Stuff and Found Peace
This book is loud, sarcastic, and looks nothing like a spiritual guide. But don’t let that fool you.
Underneath the humor is a powerful message:
“You suffer because you give too many f*cks about the wrong things.”
This book taught me detachment. It taught me to stop trying to control everything and start aligning with what actually matters.
🔥 What changed for me:
I let go of perfectionism
I stopped chasing validation
I started trusting myself in hard decisions
It felt like someone finally handed me a sword and said, “Cut the noise.”
👉 Read The Subtle Art on Amazon
▶️ Watch Mark Manson on YouTube
3. Loving What Is by Byron Katie
The Tool That Helped Me Stop Overthinking and Start Healing
If your brain feels like a loop of “why did they do that?” or “what if I had said this instead?”—this book is your medicine.
Byron Katie gives you a practice called The Work, and it’s deceptively simple. You question the painful thoughts, turn them around, and suddenly the grip of suffering starts to loosen.
For me, this was shadow work in disguise. It showed me that many of the things I blamed others for were actually projections. And it gave me a way to unhook from those loops.
💡 What I gained:
Peace from thoughts that used to hijack my day
Clarity in conflict
A way to return to presence—fast
👉 Grab Loving What Is on Amazon
▶️ Watch Byron Katie on YouTube
4. Be Here Now by Ram Dass
The Spiritual Sketchbook That Guided Me Back to Myself
This isn’t just a book. It’s an experience. A psychedelic visual journey through one man’s spiritual awakening—and the cosmic truths he uncovered along the way.
Ram Dass taught me this:
A caterpillar doesn’t decide to become a butterfly.
It becomes one by being 100% a caterpillar.
That hit me hard. Because at the time, I was trying to “skip ahead” in my healing. This book helped me slow down and realize that growth doesn’t come from force. It comes from honesty.
🌱 Why it matters:
The art teaches when the words can’t
It’s a guide for when you feel lost
It reminded me that being human is the path
👉 Experience Be Here Now on Amazon
▶️ Watch Ram Dass talks on YouTube
5. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
The Book That Helped Me Meditate
Meditation used to confuse the hell out of me.
I didn’t know what I was “supposed to do.” This book gave me clarity.
Singer explains that you’re not your thoughts. You’re the one who hears them. That shift—right there—changed my entire practice.
This book is deep, but accessible. If you’ve ever felt like your mind is running the show, this will help you remember who you really are.
🧘♂️ What I learned:
A real understanding of presence
A practical approach to inner peace
How to watch thoughts without attaching to them
👉 Buy The Untethered Soul on Amazon
▶️ Watch Michael Singer interviews on YouTube
6. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The One That Started It All
This was my first spiritual book—and it cracked something open.
Tolle’s story of waking up in the middle of a depressive spiral and realizing he wasn’t his thoughts... it felt like he was describing me.
Some parts went over my head at first. But something deeper clicked.
His message?
All suffering comes from identifying with thoughts.
When you realize you are not those thoughts—you’re free.
🕊 How it helped me:
I stopped believing every thought
I found calm in chaos
I realized peace wasn’t out there—it was already in me
👉 Read The Power of Now on Amazon
▶️ Watch Eckhart Tolle on YouTube
🧭 Final Thoughts
Books are powerful—but they’re not magic.
The real transformation came when I combined these books with therapy, psychedelics, and the courage to finally open up.
But these books helped me understand what I was feeling. They gave me language, tools, and new ways of seeing the world.
So no, reading alone won’t change your life.
But reading + doing the work?
That’s how you change everything.
If you’re ready to walk this path, I’d love to help.
🛒 Buy a book → Send me your receipt
💌 Want beginner tools and guides? Join the mailing list using the box in the footer
🧘 Need help integrating the books or your plant medicine experiences? Book a session with me
You don’t need to do this alone. And you don’t need to get it perfect.
You just need to start.
