7 Memoirs That Will Motivate You To Live Your Best Life

Charmaine Patterson

Aug 04, 2018 08:06 AM +0000

While novels take the cake for imagination, sensation, and drama, there's nothing like a great memoir or autobiography that gives an unexplainable inspiration and helps us believe anything is possible.

One of the things I've loved about reading biographies is that I feel like I've gotten to know one of my faves and her story. A lot of times we never know what someone went through before they got to the platform we see them on now. We know it's possible to go from foster care to hosting award shows, or from an overlooked Black girl to being the first African American FLOTUS. And while that's crazy motivating, to read that they experienced racism, disappointments, not being taken seriously, and being left out of countless men's clubs along the way, has me feeling like I have no excuse not to follow my dreams.

Check out our picks in autobiographies and memoirs below to spark inspiration in you to lead your best life:

I think we all knew this memoir would be an amazing one, but it certainly delivers when it comes to the expectations we had for it. Gabrielle Union has already been pretty open about her past traumas, including being sexually assaulted at gunpoint when she was just 19 and experiencing nearly 10 miscarriages since her marriage to husband Dwyane Wade. But We're Going To Need More Wine gives an even deeper look into her story, like her childhood days in Nebraska and her real reaction to meeting who is said to be her mini-me, actress Ryan Destiny. Gaby's realness shines through like none other in her biography as she shows us an even more vulnerable side to her. Most importantly, it inspires women to know that if she can make it through that, we can make it through anything; even if it calls for another glass of wine.
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Considering she's one of the most inspiring people in the entire world (yes, people, not just women), who wouldn't want to dig deep into her story? Her history-making moment as the first African American First Lady of the United States, as well as the way she's carried herself since leaving her position, has made her true goals for the last decade. And while it goes without saying that this wasn't an easy process, her book, Becoming, shows how she went from a girl in the South Side of Chicago to making her mark as FLOTUS. One of the best parts about this biography is that it reveals disappointments Michelle experienced that we never knew about. Talk about inspiration at its finest.
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Gabourey embodies all things self-confidence and self-love without any apologies, and I am here for it. But even though she has this intriguing confidence now, anyone who has followed her story knows that it wasn't always like this. She has suffered with depression, accepting her body image (you can almost feel her pain in the line where she says she wishes the world would see her the way she sees herself), broken friendships, and of course, social media trolls. And yet, she somehow manages to march to the beat of her own drum and inspires everyone who hears it; especially those who feel they don't fit in.
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Get ready to laugh, cry, and everything in between with Tiffany Haddish's memoir The Last Black Unicorn. The breakout comedienne and actress has never held back when it comes to sharing her days before she took Hollywood by storm. This book reveals Tiffany was in an abusive marriage, suffered abuse while growing up in foster care, and struggled to read beyond a ninth grade level. And to be honest, that only scratches the surface of what she's been through. Still, this is probably why she's one of the most successful yet down-to-earth actresses out there (and why she doesn't feel any shame spilling tea about other celebrities like Beyonce). Besides, she's not just a one trick pony. Homegirl isn't going anywhere anytime soon. So why not get motivated by her story?
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Don't sleep on Morgan, okay? She's one of the best gems out there, with such an amazing story to tell, and she's still in her 20s. Get to know her as she writes about "living at the intersection of Black, female, and feminist in (White) America," something we can all honestly relate to. Some of her most popular reads already include a range of topics, from dating men who claim they don't see color to the infamous Rachel Dolezal (are we still talking about her?). If that isn't enough, her book has already been marked one of the best of the year from heavy hitters like Vogue, Elle, Esquire, and The Huffington Post.
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Ah, Jenifer! Raise your hand if you already feel like she's your mother, grandmother, aunt, or long-lost sister. She has this ability to make you think you know her in real life, but she revealed parts of herself we never knew in her book - one of the biggest being her struggle with bipolar. Jenifer, who actually got her start on Broadway, addresses the good, bad, and ugly of Hollywood, and takes on what is often seen as a conversation people steer clear from with bravery and self-assuredness. She reminds her readers of the importance of mental health awareness, as well as the idea that we can live our lives in spite of it. However, that's not the only part of her story that will inspire you to live your best life and laugh through the pain.
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From Baby Boy to Empire, we all know Taraji P. Henson is a force to be reckoned with. Her roles alone have intrigued millions to want to know her backstory of how she became such a Hollywood powerhouse and phenomenal woman, all while being a single mother. She tells how her father was a Vietnam War veteran, her mother was abused in every sense of the word, and how all of that and more helped develop her into the amazing woman she is today, on and off camera. She has captured our attention as Yvette and Cookie, but Taraji has something to say too. And her words will inspire you to go for your dreams with no apologies.
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