There comes a point in all our lives when we are completely lost. No matter what we do or how hard we try, nothing seems to work. There is confusion everywhere and it seems like there is no way around it. This happens to all of us at some point, and it’s during these times that we need some outside intervention to shake us up and get us out of our state. If you are ever faced with such a situation, read any these nine evergreen self-help books to get yourself back on track.

1. The Art of Non-Conformity, Chris Guillebeau

“As a general rule, if you don’t know what to do at any given day, spend at least some of your time helping someone else.”

In this book, the author challenges you to challenge the status quo and make your own decisions for life. He constantly emphasizes how dangerous it is to live the conventional life and urges you to build your own “army.” However, one thing Guillebeau has done exceptionally well is to pinpoint the two questions we should ask ourselves when we do anything: “Why should I do this?” And, “What will happen if I don’t?” Answering these will clarify many great responsibilities for you.

2. High Expectations Are the Key to Everything, Michael Bergdahl

“If you are going to compete and you hope to win, always go into the competition expecting to win and the outcome can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

If you are ever lost in life due to the high expectations of yourself and others, then this book has good news for you. The author says, “We are better people when we expect more of ourselves. And we help others become better when we expect more of them.” Think about it. The core idea of the book is to help you set higher expectations, dream big and make huge goals, because to reach to the top, you have to set high goals and expect more from yourself than anyone else.

3. Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.”

This book should be your top priority to find the answers to many questions in life. It has all the life lessons — from death, regret, and family, to emotions, fear, aging, money, love, marriage, culture, forgiveness, and many more. Morrie, the old professor with his great wisdom on life explains to Mitch, his lifelong student, about all life’s blissful and painful experiences when they meet every Tuesday.

4. Warrior of the Light, Paulo Coelho

“Warriors of light often ask themselves what they are doing here. Often they find their lives meaningful.”

You can’t go wrong if you consider this as the manual of your life. No matter which point of your life you may be stuck on, this book will clear all your doubts. Highly recommended for all the warriors of life.

5. Who Will Cry When You Die, Robin Sharma

“Get up early. There is something very special about the first few hours of morning.”

These wisdoms from “The Monk who sold his Ferrari” are the simple rules for reaching one’s true potential. These are the simple yet potent ideas for improving the quality of our life and how we can use simple daily rituals to stand apart from the crowd.

6. The Magic, Rhonda Byrne

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

This is the book you need in times of absolute crisis. Often we forget to be grateful when everything is going to plan, but we are lost when everything goes wrong. And the main thing this author reminds us of is to be grateful for what we have. Those who are grateful for something will gain even more, but those who are not will find they lose even that they already have.

7. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey

“Start with the end in mind.”

The above quote is just one of the seven habits described in the book but this habit alone is enough to take you from where you are to where you want to be. In life, at all stages, you’ll be lost, defeated and ridiculed. But when you have the end in mind, you will know that these stages are not permanent. These are just the tough times you have to pass in order to achieve the next milestone.

8. Choose Yourself, James Altucher

“Being honest at every level is really the most effective habit of all if you want to have massive success.”

Welcome to the “choose yourself era.” If you have ever stepped back because of fear of others or external validation, then this book will definitely help you take that first step forward before you even finish the final page. The author challenges authority at every stage and asks you to make your own path rather than depend on others for approval. He explains in great detail what it means to choose yourself: to not to keep waiting, fail fast, learn more, succeed like hell, break the rules and make it happen.

9. The Speed of Trust, Stephen R. Covey

“Once you create trust — genuine character and competence based trust — almost everything else falls into place.”

Covey places emphasis here on one quality that makes all the difference: trust. He writes that when you go to work, your first responsibility should be to build trust. In everything you do, from relationships to the professional sphere, trust has its effect. And if you have ever stepped back, this might be one of the reasons. Working on building trust can really open many doors for you.

Featured photo credit: On the road via picjumbo.com