Most everyone has feelings of insecurity or complacency in life. Paralyzed by fear of the unknown or the difficulties of life, there are varying degrees of complacency based on the context of your current situations. You don't want to get out of bed, because you just don't have the willpower to put on pants and do the dirty dishes that are stacked like a Jenga tower in the sink, or you feel trapped in a dead end job with no visible prospects. Feeling "stuck" can feel like a never-ending cycle and it can become one. I read when I feel "stuck" because it helps me to put my life and choices in perspective. Here are five books that can pull me out of rut and motivate to put on pants to move on with my life.

5. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffery Zaslow

Randy Pausch, a computer science professor Carnegie Mellon, is dying of pancreatic cancer when the University invites him to give a "Last Lecture"--a tradition for professors that are retiring after a long career or stepping down for any reason. On September 18. 2007, Pausch delivered his lecture "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" to a packed auditorium. In the lecture, he details how he achieved his dreams, what he hopes for his children, and how everyone else can achieve their dreams as well. Here is a link to the lecture, "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." Pausch passed away surrounded by his family on July 25, 2008.

In his moving and humorous memoir, Pausch expands his lecture and details some of the best memories of his life and advice for his children. This book will provoke you to step outside yourself and your comfort zones to serve others and achieve your dreams. I wept, I laughed, and I read this book over and over when I feel gloomy.

“Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.”

4. The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan

Marina Keegan graduated from Yale University in 2012 with distinction of magna cum laude and a job waiting for her at The New Yorker. Her titular essay "The Opposite of Loneliness" became a viral sensation as it captured the attention of thousands around the country. Keegan passed away in a car accident just five days after graduation. Although she left this world so soon, her body of work--short stories and essays, was retrieved from the hard drive of her laptop, lives on in this book as a testament to her life's work. Some stories will make you laugh, while some personal essays will move you to tears. Keegan seems to reflect on the uncertainty of life that most millennials fear, but the achievement of Keegan's book is that it exudes a contagious hopefulness.

“We're so young. We can't, we MUST not loose this sense of possibility because in the end, it's all we have.”

3. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Originally published in 1984, Sandra Cisneros' classic House on Mango Street focuses on the perceptions of its protagonist, 13-year-old, Esperanza Cordero and the neighborhood that surrounds Mango Street. Cisneros constructs her narrative in a series of vignettes and explores the notion that one can grow in spite of their struggles and make their home a better place for everyone, just as Esperanza does for her friends and family that can't leave Mango Street.

“I want to be like the waves on the sea,
like the clouds in the wind, but I’m me.
One day I’ll jump out of my skin.
I’ll shake the sky like a thousand violins."

2. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is a novel that chronicles the relationship between Louisa Clark and Will Traynor. After loosing her job and without any prospects, Lou decides to become a caregiver for Will Traynor, a powerhouse business man who has become a quadriplegic after a motorcycle accident. Will and Lou challenge each other to move on with their lives and pursue opportunities during their precious time together. This novel will make you cheer and cry in the same breath. The film adaption of the novel starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, comes to theaters this June. See the trailer here.

“Push yourself. Don't Settle. Just live well. Just LIVE.”

1. Any of Robert Fulghum's essay collections

I have discussed Robert Fulghum's essay collection "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" in a previous article for the Odyssey, but all of his essay collections are motivational and force the reader to examine their life choices and observations on life. I recommend them all; it's impossible to make just one, because they build off one another. If you want to read about the invention and implications of the calculator, an examination of Fulghum's name and various occupation, and a reflection on the work and life of Mother Teresa, his essays are for you. If you want a reminder to look around and breathe deeply than Fulghum's work will suit you well. This man is a philosopher and true thinker.

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death” (from "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten").

I love reading, because I know I'm not alone and my mind expands. A good book is one that leads me to take action in some way or stays with me long after I've finished. These books have been a great comfort and motivator for me and I hope they treat you the same. Happy reading, everyone!