Today I have some amazing life-changing books that really helped me shift towards an abundant, relaxed mindset towards money, work and life (abundant in an ‘enough’ kind of way; not necessarily a millionaire).

If you prefer to watch, not read, there is a video below.

If you struggle with avoiding money or making practical decisions around money, have unpleasant feelings around money like guilt or anxiety, or scarcity or general blocks around money then hopefully reading  these books will help towards the transformation you need for a healthier money mindset and hopefully a prosperous life.

For me, books have been a major way of soaking in wisdom on this topic and so I want to share some favourites with you.

I am hyper-focused on the topic of money, having worked in financial services for over 20 years, including as a regulated financial adviser for more than a decade, so the topic is professionally and personally intriguing.

Starting my own business a few years ago, being self-generating with income rather than via an employer, has meant that I look at my own relationship with money and trust me when I say even ‘professionals’ like financial advisers have dysfunctional relationships with money & hurdles to overcome. I know I did.

These books will help you if you feel you might be either: under-earning or overspending, not organised with saving/investing or even knowing where it is, Or whatever the case may be. These are all more common than you think, so don’t worry if you find yourself in one of these camps.

It will take a lot more than just reading the books to shift deeply entrenched patterns and beliefs- but the books will help. 

I think a healthy dose of introspection, compassion, inner work & following other avenues that you are drawn to will help. So, let’s get to the books.

Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words by Peace Pilgrim  

An extremely, inspiring book to read. For me, this book is about abundance, trust in life and quite a radical faith that you are taken care of, no matter what. We assume that in order to have abundance, we need money but not Peace Pilgrim - her path was different. A pilgrim has no visible means of support, as she explained and so she didn’t have money nor accept money - no organisational backing, no church, nothing. All she owned was what she wore and a few things in her pocket and she never even asked. Food and shelter were given to her and if it wasn't given, she slept under trees and went hungry. 

 In 1953, at age 45, she began her first cross-country pilgrimage--a walk of peace throughout North America that she would continue for the next 28 years, until the end of her life. 

Peace Pilgrim took her own vow to keep ‘walking until given shelter and fasting until given food.’ and spreading everywhere she went the message of peace at all levels--world peace, peace among individuals, and inner peace. She was determined to--in her own words--'remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace.'

“No one is truly free who is still attached to material things, or to places, or to people.” - Peace Pilgrim

Through the example of her own life, this inspiring woman demonstrated the peace and contentment that can be ours when we are willing to let go of all our claims to money and keep only the possessions we need to live. 

I love her embodiment & congruence of actions in what she preached.

The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life by Lynne Twist

We attribute certain traits or qualities to money depending on our attitudes toward it. The book is very thought provoking in helping us examine our own relationship to money. Lynne was a professional fund-raiser and this experience has been her sort of education into money.

I also love that she talks about seeing money as a resource that flows, like water... it’s useful when it flows and is passed along...it can also be toxic when stagnant or standing - a bit like money. 

My big Oprah-esque Aha moment was reading the story about when Lynne meets Mother Theresa and gets annoyed because a wealthy looking couple interrupts their meeting. Mother Theresa’s reaction was not one of annoyance and what she explains to Lynne is that the strong, powerful and wealthy also need compassion.  

There are great chapters titled money is like water, collaboration creates prosperity, what you appreciate, appreciates - a great book to read. 

Money and the Meaning of Life by Jacob Needleman

Jacob Needleman is a philosopher and religious scholar, so the book offers a philosophical exploration into the nature of money. 

According to the author, money is not simply a resource that we spend and save; it has a profound influence on how we see ourselves and what we believe we can or cannot attain in life. 

“Life is not so much defined by the external situation as it is by the internal one.”

-- Jacob Needleman

Money exerts a deep emotional influence, a powerful influence both on the inside and how we act on the outside with money. This book explores how humans brought money into existence and how we became obsessed with money to the point that we scrutinize everything in terms of price rather than intrinsic value. I found the book quite deep and profound and really got into it. 

I really like his suggestion about money as an instrument for exercising sincerity, that we can act according to what we inwardly know is good.

Earn What You Deserve: How to Stop Under-earning and Start Thriving by Jerrold Mundis

This book is aimed at under-earners and under-earning can be unpleasant and embarrassing. Having high credit card debts on top can be very soul crushing. 

In this book, Jerrold Mundis, who was also a counsellor, once struggled with under-earning, he explains how to look at the root causes of under-earning - namely, your beliefs, your emotions around money and ways in which you perhaps self-sabotage by taking work that pays you less than what you need. 

The book encourages you to say yes to money coming in, asking for more money and making friends with money, letting money feel welcome and appreciated in your life. There are quite a few practical suggestions and exercises; it feels like a book written a long time ago, but I feel the messages are quite valid. The book was suggested to me by someone who attended my workshop and worked with debtors anonymous so thanks, Carolyn.

The Moneyless Manifesto: Live Well. Live Rich. Live Free. By Mark Boyle 

Mark Boyle is an Irish activist and writer with an economics background, best known for founding the online Freeconomy Community. 

Note: The Freeconomy Community was created to allow people to share, moving away from exchange economies towards a pay it forward philosophy.

The book is written from his real lived experience as Mark set a goal to live without money entirely for 12 months. After some preparatory purchases (including a solar panel and wood-burning stove), closing down his bank accounts, etc he began his first year of "money-less living" on Buy Nothing Day 2008. He managed to live money-less for nearly three years. 

I did find reading the book very inspiring because there isn’t one way to be with money that is right. You can have your way with money that meets your vision and values. I don’t think I would want to live without money. I mean I have a London-sized mortgage, which to have a mortgage in London itself I see as a form of privilege, and I like living here. However, i think we can definitely take many of his ideas about reducing our dependence on money,  learning to live well - moment by moment.

I also love Mark Boyle’s lived experience of the Gift Economy; it reminds me of what was normal in the villages of India where I grew up - where people shared food, resources and offered help when needed in a very matter-of-fact way. Through his book, he shows that less money can mean more freedom which itself is a wonderful refute of the commonly held belief that money buys us freedom.

The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford

I have found shadow work or reclaiming your identity very powerful in integrating disowned qualities of ourselves- like greedy parts, for example. So many of us are told not to be greedy and then, we can struggle to ask for enough - sometimes, this is more apparent in the spiritual community. This aspect of Jungian psychology is really very freeing when it comes to working on your relationship with money.

I found the book very powerful to do the inside work around money. We have to integrate our dark side - this is where all the unacceptable aspects of ourselves are stored and when we lock these parts away, unknowingly, we also lock away valuable treasures or our golden light.

It’s quite a popular book too - over 500 reviews on Amazon when i checked. The book  is an easy read, lots of stories and examples, written in a very relatable style. I would encourage you to do the exercises - shadow work is experiential, body work.

Happy reading!