I think the only book I can recall having a direct impact on my conscious awareness was The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle[0].

The book is very easy to read and quite enjoyable with everything that it includes. I definitely recommend to check it out.

[0]: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenme...

Read: the power of now

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenme...

this question has been consuming more and more of my thoughts

The point of life is... living ! And you can only feel life in the present moment. In the now. Your toughts are the problem. Everything you think is a movie you're directing. The past and the future are your only movie. Life is in the now.

If you want to learn more about that, I'd suggest the book "the power of now" by Eckart Tolle [0]. Also youtube Sadhguru [1].

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenme...

[1] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYzLCs3zrQIBVHYA1sK2sw

This is a great comment. I live in Seattle, and I think the Seattle Freeze is largely a tragedy of groupthink. If you want to break out, there are a ton of opportunities to learn about this city and meet interesting people. Here are a couple networks that might help someone get started:

https://www.facebook.com/SeattleSocialCircle/ https://theevergrey.com/

Getting out of my loneliness was a struggle at first, but after putting in some effort, I now have a great friendships that will last a lifetime. Not only do I feel comfortable meeting new people, but I really enjoy the process as well. Here are some books that have helped me break out of my "freeze" depression:

https://www.amazon.com/Charisma-Myth-Science-Personal-Magnet...

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenme...

YMMV, but putting in the effort to understand and connect with new personalities has greatly improved my life.

This might not be a universal solution, but one interesting book that might help is "The Power of Now" http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment/... as it deals with mind's tendency to degrade into negative thoughts to the point where those negative thoughts and emotions are controlling. It's an older title that any library would have.

I really enjoyed 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle. If you have not read it yet, the book starts with Eckhart's "I" and "myself" realization... very powerful stuff imo.

It's in audio book format too.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenmen...