Starting with the Dalai Lama, the Watkins Spiritual 100 list is a whos who of spiritual leadership today. WhyToRead has been reviewing a top book by each leader. This list, 3rd in our series, starts with Number 15 – Arianna Huffington; best known for Huffington Post.
Read these spiritual leadership books by a leader who has made a unique and spiritual contribution to our world. Celebrate the positive and give yourself a lift. We guarantee you will feel uplifted and positive after reading these. And as always reading widely, including other faiths is a key benefit of reading.
15. Thrive – Arianna Huffington
A memoir from one of the most influential women in the world, Thrive is an inspiring and insightful book to read, especially for the modern women trying to strike a work-life balance. Huffington speaks candidly about her own challenges in managing a successful career and family demands. More than just a personal account of her success, she also addresses important issues, such as how business culture should change to promote greater women’s contribution to the economy. You may question her inclusion in a Spiritual Leadership list; but you will not question her honest and moving message.
16. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert
If you have always felt that yearn within of wanting to live a fulfilling creative life, Big Magic is a must read. For those who enjoyed Gilbert’s bestseller, Eat, Love, Pray, this book is can be considered its self-help version cousin. The main takeaway from Big Magic is that whatever no matter how old you are and whatever the circumstances are, it is never too late to cast aside self-doubts and create the life you’ve always wanted. (And we just love the cover on this book).
17. Be Here Now – Ram Dass
Dass, a recognized spiritual leader, encourages the reader to question themselves and rethink the important issues in life, such as family, lifestyle and adversities. This book has been described as life changing for some and overly simplistic by others. Regardless of whichever opinion spectrum you may fall on, there is benefit to be occasionally reminded about the importance of self-awareness.
18. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable about Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny – Robin Sharma
Rarely is there a self-help book so engaging and enlightening as Sharma’s discipline and character development guide. Rather than the run-of-the-mill concept of telling readers what to do to better themselves, this book is contracted in a fable format. It follows the story of a high-profile lawyer who had it all, but gave everything up in search of spiritual growth. This an interesting guide to self-growth with a powerful message that may end up changing your perception of life.
19. Celebrating Silence – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Whatever challenges you may be facing in life, it always helps to take a look at things from the spiritual angle. As Celebrating Silence shows will prove, there are profound and simple meanings to life’s ups and downs that we face each day. If only we can take a moment to understand what we are going through, we may get a clearer direction to go forward. Spiritual Leadership comes in all types, with Sri Sri an unusual and outspoken person.
20. A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam – Karen Armstrong
As the title suggests, Armstrong’s book is a comprehensive historical view of the three major monotheistic faiths. The book shows that the idea of God is indeed an evolving one – something which may not sit well with fundamentalists. Eye-opening and thought provoking, Armstrong’s book has to be approach with an open mind as it may challenge some of our deep-seated ideas about the three faiths. Spiritual Leadership comes in all types, and Armstrong is a provocative, and original thinker on the role of religion in the modern world. She believes we should help make religion a force for harmony.
Read Spiritual Leaders 1-7 and 8-14 too.