Books can be a source of inspiration for our lives and careers. They can comfort us, offer practical advice, motivate us, and even strengthen our convictions.
As we know, the challenges that women face every day are not few. Reconciling personal, work and family life, and tackling gender inequality in the labor market are just some of them.
In this post, we separate inspirational books written by women, who share their personal experiences and show us how they overcame various obstacles.
The stories of overcoming narrated in the following books may seem impossible to achieve.
However, we must bear in mind that there are several ways for each person to change their destiny, whether professional or personal. And that depends a lot on each scenario.
Travel, change careers, . Trust me, there are many options. Although there is no single solution for everyone, inspiration never hurts, right?
The message of the books that we show you below has the potential to influence you to make positive changes and, perhaps, make a difference in your life. . Look at them!
1. The Year of Yes – Shonda Rhimes
Have you ever said no to something you wanted out of fear that it might not work out for you?
Shonda Rhimes, known worldwide as the creator of the series Grey’s Anatomy and of a few others, she says she only realized how often she turned down opportunities when her sister told her she never said yes to anything.
Considering the success she has achieved, we can think that the path she traveled was relatively simple.
The characters he created are brave people who don’t hesitate to say what they think and fight for what they want.
Who was going to tell us that the author was an introverted person who avoided appearing in public?
With honesty and good humor, Shonda tells us how she changed her journey by facing her fears and changing a simple attitude. That is why this is the first of our inspirational books.
“Dreams don’t come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen.”.
2. I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
You’ve probably already heard Malala’s story. She is a Pakistani activist who fights for women’s education. At age 15, she suffered an attack, she was shot in the head while fighting for the right of women to attend school in her country.
She not only survived, but also became world famous and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
You may be wondering: what do I have in common with a girl born in Pakistan with no access to education?
Malala taught us that there are no barriers that cannot be overcome when we have the power of will. And also, that we all have the opportunity to inspire people and change the community in which we live.
The truth is that our impact does not have to be as wide as yours, but we all have the opportunity to propose changes and transform our trajectory.
3. K’aslemalil LIVING. The walk of Rigoberta Menchú Tum in Time – Rigoberta Menchú
Latin America is a land where the indigenous influence is very noticeable and significant to this day.
This inspiring and autobiographical book by Rigoberta Menchú, a Guatemalan indigenous leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1992), tells us about the struggle that the author undertook during her life in favor of the original peoples and also shows us her feminine and intellectual side.
Rigoberta is a respected and admired voice for her history of tireless struggle and her work is an inspiration for women who fight for the right to live in peace.
4. My Story – Michelle Obama
one of the women in 2019 and known worldwide for having been the first African-American to become the first lady of the United States, tells us about her journey in this bestseller.
An honest, human and enjoyable book in which Michelle shares the difficulties she faced, such as racism and poverty. She also tells us how she has reconciled her career growth path with her role as a mother.
A very interesting fact is that Michelle tells us about her tutors and the people who inspired her, making clear the importance of the support of family and friends.
“… I hope everyone believes in their own story. I hope you can recognize that what you see as a weakness may actually be a strength. I hope they recognize the power of her voice.”
5. An education – Tara Westover
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela.
What happens if you do not have access to classes until the age of 17?
In his autobiographical book, An educationTara tells us about her childhood and adolescence in the mountains of the state of Idaho in the United States.
His father, very religious and obsessed with the end of the world, never allowed him to study or have contact with various things that, for most of us, are common, such as going to the doctor.
Defying the odds, Tara managed to not only start studying, but also make it to one of the best universities in the world, Cambridge, where she defended her Ph.D.
On his journey, he also talks about an important point: his doubts and the great difficulty of being afraid of endangering his relationship with his family by going out to find his dream.
6. Living life well – JK Rowling
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live as cautiously as if you were not even living – which is also a failure.”
Your book, Harry Potter, was rejected 12 times before getting a publisher. Would many people have given up in his place? Possibly.
In this inspiring book, we can read the author’s famous speech to Harvard graduates in 2008.
She tells the story of how she got through a tough time, with lessons on the importance of having friends and people who care about you at times like this. She also talks about the importance of imagination in helping us overcome barriers.
7. Daring: women who have dared – Guadalupe Loaeza
Guadalupe is a Mexican writer, born in Mexico City in 1946.
In Daring: women who have dared brings us the story of women who left their comfort zone in a patriarchal society.
The book is divided into two parts. The first brings together articles by the author, published over decades, around the figure of Elena Poniatowska, a French writer, journalist and activist based in Mexico during World War II. Guadalupe shows in her book several facets of Elena’s life, highlighting her work in favor of the less favored layers of Mexico.
The second part presents the story of several women who dared to change the course of their lives. Among them are Nahui Olin (Mexican muse, painter, poet), Elena Garro (Mexican screenwriter, journalist, playwright, short story writer and novelist), Rosario Castellanos (Mexican writer and diplomat), Elvia Carrillo Puerto (Mexican feminist leader, politician and suffragette ) and Benita Galeana (Mexican feminist writer, suffragist, trade unionist and activist).
8. Black Nude Raw – Mel Duarte
Mel Duarte is a Brazilian writer, slammer and cultural producer. Born in the city of São Paulo, she has been writing since she was 8 years old and uses poetry as a means of addressing issues related to her status as a black woman.
Raw Nude Black was published in Spain in 2018, by Ediciones Ambulantes. It is a book of poems that, according to the author herself, “tells the story of a black girl, from São Paulo, who recognized herself as a black woman and understood herself, and also understood the power that words have, from the moment when who begins to participate in cultural movements”.
This book, in some way, tells a bit of the story of Mel herself and her relationship with poetry. And it also serves for many black women to see themselves and think of themselves based on the poems presented.
overcoming barriers
How many times have we heard someone say “my dream is to do this or that”, but never does ?
We can say that this is a common feeling.
Making changes in your life that allow you to transform your journey and overcome this fear is difficult.
As we have mentioned, some of the main challenges that women face are: low valuation, salary inequality, gender stereotypes and triple shift.
Knowing them, can we say that inspiring books can help us overcome barriers or limiting beliefs like these? Of course yes.
But, as we have seen here, the first step is to take action and seek change. Setting goals and planning can help you keep your
With these tips and the great inspirational books we’ve suggested, all you have to do now is get on your way to success!
And you, can you suggest a book written by women that helped you find what you really wanted? Tell us!
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