Seeking inner peace is choosing to be in a state of conscious calmness despite life’s unavoidable stressors. It focuses on honing your beliefs and knowing how to aid your mental strength. But that’s much easier said than done, especially when you’re balancing multiple ventures both personally and professionally.

When in a state of overwhelm, consider that reading is a natural stress reliever, relaxing your muscles and slowing down your heart rate while you’re visiting fictional worlds. It increases your emotional intelligence, helps you expand your mind, and opens you up to new forms of awareness.

Furthermore, the type of literature you consume and the characters you become invested in through storytelling play a role in how you perceive your life and its peaceful pursuits with gratitude. Let’s explore seven profound fiction books to help you find the peace of mind you’re seeking.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Santiago is a young shepherd from Spain on a journey to find a treasure in Egypt where he experiences challenges along the way and learns great lessons about love, self-purpose, and the ability to see past fear to uncover his wildest dreams. While on his adventure, Santiago meets many influential people who teach him about the things that should matter most in life and how to understand the importance of the quest within. It’s a story with profound insight and inspiration to compel you to listen to your inner voice.

 

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Eddie dies and goes to Heaven where he is given the chance to interact with five people from his life who impacted him. The story is a reflection of life, death, and how the perspective of both will support one’s journey toward personal fulfillment and peace. “If there’s a book that speaks to the essence of seeking harmony in life, it is The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” says George Tsagas, Owner & Founder of eMathZone. Each person Eddie meets teaches him about everlasting connection and sacrifice, releasing anger and regret, and the power of love.

 

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

April Sawiski leaves her motorhome and her father on a venture to seek her own identity and life after years of feeling alone without a true home. What was supposed to be a rest stop turns into a place of solace for April where she finally finds people who feel like family. It is a redemption story that speaks to the power of resilience, forging your own path, and embracing self-acceptance.

 

The Shack by William P. Young

Mack loses his young daughter tragically, giving up on all faith in God and diminishing his family and his will. When taking some time to himself, he is visited by the presence of the Holy Trinity, who all help him toward understanding God’s love and relationship with humans. Tim White, Founder of Milepro, “The Shack is about forgiveness, hope, letting go, and it is just one of those books that can change your life.” In following Mack’s grief journey, readers uncover the beauty of healing to experience love and faith again.

 

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

When young Ursa shows up at Jo’s cabin, she’s unsure of what to make of the girl who claims to be sent by the stars to uncover five miracles. But she lets her stay, growing a deep attachment to the mysterious girl who provides more questions than answers. Jo and her friend Gabriel learn more about Ursa’s truth through her miracles. In that time, hearts are mended, love is restored, and compassion is ever-looming in the most poignant and beautiful ways to extend messages of hope and the reclaiming of one’s peace.

 

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Santiago is an old fisherman who proves to readers why determination will lead them to the path of peace and contentment. Hemingway’s book reminds you that life is a blessing, and having the courage to keep going with integrity will always make for a rewarding journey. It’s a novella with prominent themes of perseverance, resisting defeat, exhibiting bravery, and the bliss that can be found through it all.

 

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

Jones knows how to notice all the little things that can make a big difference, and he knows just how to show up in people’s lives at the right times to fill them up with all the insight they didn’t know they needed. It’s a story about perspective, and about finding new ways to view the world and the people in it to better appreciate your life. Andrew’s book shows us that no matter what happens in our lives we have the power to choose how we perceive it, how we react to it, and the way we let it control who we become. It’s about restoring meaning to one’s life to feel at ease.

 

Summary

Reading inspiring fiction can help you circulate new hope and viewpoints in your life, providing you with reflections and insight toward the person you want to be and the type of peace you want to practice as you achieve your goals. Through the actions, conflicts, challenges, and triumphs of the characters in the stories you read, you are given a front seat that lets you grow your capacity for empathy and understanding of your contribution to the world.