You’ve probably noticed, but I’m into personal development. I’m really, really into the “become the best version of, higher self, get your life together, girl stand up” genre of books.

We all have things that we want to work on or learn to embrace about ourselves, which is why I got into personal development in the first place.

Let’s get one thing straight: I think that there are misconceptions about personal development. That it’s for people who hate their lives and need to make major life changes or for people who have hit a breaking point.

One scene that comes to mind is from my favorite movie Bridget Jones’s Diary. After Bridget’s boyfriend/boss Daniel Cleaver cheats on her, Bridget decides she’s going to get her life together, throw out all of her, “What Men Want” books, and find a new job. Cue makeover montage.

This is an extreme example, but I think there’s a lot to be learned from ol Bridge. Not only does she stop focusing on all the things she thinks she should be and the parts of herself she doesn’t like, but she also begins to look inward at what a fun and beautiful person she is. Not to mention she finds someone who likes her, just as she is.

The lesson? Personal development should be looked at as a way to know yourself and fall in love with who you are. To learn to accept the parts that are funny, weird, and everything in between. Self-acceptance and growth are my goals when I look for self-help books to read, so here are my favorite ones I read in 2022.

Did I mention they were all written by women? 😉

You Are a Badass

By Jen Sincero

“Our thoughts become our words, our words become our beliefs, our beliefs become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our realities. “

You Are a Badass: At Making Money

By Jen Sincero

So nice I had to put Jen here twice.

“One of the biggest obstacles to making lots of money is not a lack of good ideas or opportunities or time, or that we’re too slovenly or stupid, it’s that we refuse to give ourselves permission to become rich.”

The Defining Decade: Why Your 20’s Matter

By Meg Jay, PhD

“In the twentysomething years, even a small shift can radically change where we end up in our thirties and beyond. The twenties are an up-in-the-air and turbulent time, but if we can figure out how to navigate, even a little bit at a time, we can get further, faster, than at any other stage in life.”

Why Men Love Bitches

By Sherry Argov

“The bitch is an empowered woman who derives tremendous strength from the ability to be an independent thinker, particularly in a world that still teaches women how to be self-abnegating. This woman doesn’t live someone else’s standards, only her own.”

Untamed

By Glennon Doyle

“When I was in my twenties, I believed that somewhere there existed a perfect human woman. She woke up beautiful, unbloated, clear-skinned, fluffy-haired, fearless, lucky in love, calm, and confident. Her life was…easy. She haunted me like a ghost. I tried so hard to be her.”

“I got free the moment I realized that my problem isn’t that I’m not a good enough human; my problem is that I’m not a good enough ghost. Since I don’t have to be a ghost, I don’t have a problem.”

So there you go! I hope that if you pick up any one of these books they help you on your journey of self love, discovery and acceptance.

-Allison