Motivational Books across Professions

Books are silent friends, teachers and even catalysts of human development and self-discovery. As conventional educational textbooks give people specialised knowledge and manuals instruct people in some skills, motivational literature performs a much more important function – that of awakening a person and altering his perception. Motivational literature is known to have a unique and everlasting power of changing one’s perspective of the world around him, providing him with the needed emotional fortitude in the face of any adversities and inspiring him in difficult times when everyday routines kill any inspiration. No matter how old a person is, regardless of his financial and professional situation, reading motivational literature gives a person the necessary mental clarity and moral strength to deal with all kinds of complexities of life. The hectic pace of our lives often leaves us exhausted, confused and discouraged, but reading motivational literature turns into a true guide under such circumstances.
For students and learners who are facing academic challenges, Carol S. Dweck’s renowned book ‘Mindset: The New Psychology of Success’ is a powerful tool to learn about life. In this book, the learner will be able to gain deep insight into the concept of the ‘growth mindset’ and understand that there is no such thing as being born with a certain level of intelligence and talents. Rather, intelligence and talents can be achieved by working really hard on oneself, making efforts and developing these characteristics throughout one’s whole life. What is more, the book teaches people to accept and deal with challenging situations, take lessons from criticism and consider every failure an essential step towards success. Moreover, shifting the focus of a student from proving his or her intelligence to continuous growth and learning helps to reduce the stress of exams considerably.

The teacher who is bombarded with administrative demands, changing curriculum, and fatigue can find inspiration in the wise teachings of Parker J. Palmer and his book ‘The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life’. Teaching is one of the toughest occupations, which requires a lot of emotional investment and leaves teachers feeling emotionally drained. This reflective book will reconnect teachers with their passion and remind them of the reasons they decided to become teachers in the first place. It highlights the crucial role of emotional engagement, encouraging teachers to establish relationships with students which are based not only on teaching techniques but also empathy and understanding. The book is meant to help teachers develop their personal identity and stay emotionally healthy, providing the necessary enthusiasm to make classes alive and inspiring every day. 
In the medical sphere, where emotional exhaustion and burnout are persistent occupational risks, one gets great consolation and clarity from Paul Kalanithi’s poignant book, ‘When Breath Becomes Air’. It is a book written by a talented neurosurgeon in the course of his own life-threatening terminal illness and brings great awareness of human vulnerability to the clinical picture of healthcare professionals, inspiring them to work with humans as a whole instead of just with their individual physical ailments. Being a soft yet powerful reminder of the sublime responsibility of the process of healing people and being of service to humanity, it gives insights into how to cope with death, loss, and extreme professional stress, thus helping medical practitioners to keep emotional balance. 
In order for corporate leaders, managers and entrepreneurs who operate in dynamic competitive environments to understand the key aspects of running a business and being a leader, Simon Sinek’s book, titled “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action”, is a valuable source of knowledge in terms of human and business principles. In the book, the author emphasises the importance of leadership with a purpose, where one should be able to present an underlying “why” as an idea which is the core of his work, cause or belief.
As life progresses into its more advanced phases, senior citizens and retirees can turn to ‘Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’ by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. Leaving behind years of professional activity could at times make one feel a sense of disorientation, but this book provides a way out for those older individuals who wish to find new meaning, happiness, and sense of purpose after leaving their professional lives. Based on practices of long-living societies in Japan, the book describes ways to develop daily habits in terms of both physical and mental well-being as well as social interaction.
Ultimately, motivational books are an avenue through which our empathy and emotional intelligence can increase throughout every stage of life. It helps us to gain a different perspective by allowing us to get inside the heads of great individuals who have succeeded in different walks of life, make note of their errors and emulate what made them succeed. Unlike digital media entertainment, reading requires a greater engagement of the human mind. Whether you are just beginning your professional journey, teaching other people in your classes, healing patients in the hospitals, running an organisation or are in your well-deserved retirement, there is always a book out there waiting to guide you.
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The writer is Assistant Professor of English at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Dhaka