Imagine spending an entire day at the beach, relaxing underneath an umbrella with a good book. That's what we call goals. And speaking of goals, some of the most inspiring celebrities wouldn't be where they are today without an inspiring read. Oprah Winfrey credits The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav for completely changing her way of thinking (and life) back in the '80s. And Halle Berry says she'll never forget the book her fifth grade teacher recommended to her: Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime by J. California Cooper.
It's time for us all to get inspired, too. Make sure you add all of the life-changing books below to your library this summer.
1.Oprah Winfrey: 'The Seat of the Soul' by Gary Zukav
"The number one principle that rules my life is intention," Winfrey told LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner in a 2015 interview. "And that is actually one of the reasons why I let the show (The Oprah Winfrey Show) go."
The book has gone on to inspire a lot of Winfrey's work over the years, including most notably inspiring her to leave her popular daytime talk show to create her own network OWN. In the preface of the book's most recent release, Winfrey admits, "Quite frankly, I don't believe I would ever have dreamed of creating such a network had I not read 'The Seat of the Soul.'"
Click here to shop The Seat of the Soul
*If you purchase books from these links, xoNecole might earn an affiliate commission.
Featured image by Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com
- 4 Personal Development Books Written For & By Black Women ... ›
- Best Books For Mental Wellness - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love ... ›
- Books That Changed Your Favorite Celebrity's Life - xoNecole ... ›
- Everything You Need To Know About Achieving Flawless Skin, As ... ›
- Charlamagne Tha God Skin, Bleaching - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Books That Changed Your Favorite Celebrity's Life - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›
- Oprah Winfrey Thinks Everyone Should Read This Book | Inc.com ›
- The one book that changed Oprah Winfrey's life and business ›
- Oprah's new book: 5 most insightful stories from 'The Path Made Clear' ›
- Oprah Reveals The Books That Changed Her Life ›
- Charlamagne: Only Idiots Think I Bleached My Skin - YouTube ›
- Charlamagne Talks to Dr. Oz About Those Skin Bleaching Rumors ... ›
- Charlamagne Finally Responds To Rumors He's Bleaching His Skin ... ›
RELATED
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
