Books to reflect on life: 2 true stories that inspire

What if, by reading someone else's story, you began to discover something about your own?

Some books come into our hands to entertain us. Others move us, make us think and stay with us long after we have turned the last page.

Sometimes a shared experience, a question or a reflection can help us look at our own life in a different way.

If you are looking for books to reflect on life, true stories that inspire, or reads that invite you to know yourself better, I want to share with you two books that are very special to me.

I am Jesica Oteruelo, writer and creator of Lavanda Zen Massage in Lanzarote.

Many of you know me through my massages, my bodywork and the way I understand well-being. Today I would like to share another part of me: my writing.

My books, Ascending Is Remembering and Remembering Is Being, were born from real experiences in my life: the paths I have walked, the people I have met, moments of love, difficult times, and everything that has led me to question the way I understand existence.

They are the first two books of an autobiographical trilogy, and I am currently writing the third.

They were not written to offer perfect formulas or universal answers.

They were born from life itself, in the hope that my experiences may inspire you to reflect on yours.

“You will travel through your story by way of mine.”

Why read inspiring books based on real experiences?

Because there is something deeply human about recognising ourselves in other people's stories.

We all go through changes, goodbyes, encounters, difficult decisions and moments when we feel we need to stop and understand where we are heading.

And although every story is different, the emotions we feel can bring us closer.

Inspiring books based on personal experiences let us discover other ways of looking at life. Not because someone has all the answers, but because their story can awaken questions we had not yet asked ourselves.

Perhaps you will find a reflection that connects with something you have lived through.

Perhaps you will discover a perspective that helps you understand something about your present.

Or perhaps you will simply enjoy a story written with sensitivity and honesty.

That is the intention behind my writing.

Ascending Is Remembering: a true story about life and the awakening of consciousness

What if awakening did not mean arriving somewhere, but beginning to see your life through different eyes?

Ascending Is Remembering is the first book of my trilogy and the beginning of a deeply personal path.

Through my own story I share experiences, lessons and reflections that gradually changed the way I relate to myself and to the world.

The book explores themes such as identity, vulnerability, love, separation, compassion and the awakening of consciousness.

Because life does not always unfold the way we expect.

Sometimes it surprises us. Other times it confronts us with our fears, our beliefs and our contradictions.

And in the middle of all that, we discover new ways of understanding ourselves.

This book is about that path.

Not about a perfect life, but about a real one.

Not about escaping our emotions, but about learning to observe them more honestly.

And not about finding one truth we should all follow, but about discovering what our own experiences mean.

As well as my story, at the end of each chapter you will find self-inquiry questions that invite you to pause and look at your own life.

Who is Ascending Is Remembering for?

For those who enjoy personal stories, are looking for reads about the meaning of life, or are curious about spiritual awakening and self-knowledge.

And for those who want to give themselves time to reflect, without hurrying and without needing immediate answers.

A true story. An invitation to look within.

Remembering Is Being: an inspiring read about beliefs, identity and personal transformation

Who are you when you begin to let go of everything you learned you were supposed to be?

As we move through life, we build an identity.

We learn how to relate to others, make decisions, respond to expectations and interpret our experiences through certain beliefs.

Some of them stay with us for years.

Until one day we begin to feel that something no longer fits.

Perhaps our relationships show us parts of ourselves we had never recognised.

Perhaps we keep repeating situations we do not understand.

Or perhaps we start to discover that some ideas we always thought were our own were learned a long time ago.

From that exploration came Remembering Is Being: Releasing What You Believed and Discovering What You Are.

This second book goes deeper into learned beliefs, the labels that condition us, the relationships that mirror us and how hard it is to let go of what is familiar.

Through personal experiences and reflections, I share a view of those inner processes that are often invisible to others but can profoundly change the way we live.

Because we do not always need to become someone new.

Sometimes the real discovery begins when we stop identifying with what no longer feels authentic.

Who is Remembering Is Being for?

For those who enjoy books that make them think, want to understand their personal patterns better, or are going through a time of questioning their old beliefs.

For those who feel the time has come to look at their own story from another perspective.

A read about what we learned to be, and what we can discover when we look beyond those beliefs.

Which book should you read first: Ascending Is Remembering or Remembering Is Being?

Although both books can be read on their own, they belong to the same trilogy and share the thread of my personal path.

Ascending Is Remembering is the starting point. An invitation to explore the human experience, the awakening of consciousness and the questions that come up when we begin to look inward.

Remembering Is Being goes deeper into identity, learned beliefs and the processes of transformation we go through over the course of our lives.

My recommendation is to start with the first and continue with the second, so you can follow the story as it unfolds.

And the journey continues.

I am currently working on the third book, which will complete this trilogy born from my own experiences.

Are the books available in English?

Yes. Both books are published in English: Ascending Is Remembering: A Journey Back to Yourself and Remembering Is Being: Releasing What You Believed and Discovering What You Are. The buttons on this page take you to the English editions on Amazon.

From Lavanda Zen Massage to writing: two ways to connect with yourself

For years my work has been dedicated to well-being, mindful massage and different practices that invite you to listen to your body and live with more presence.

In my work at Lavanda Zen Massage in Lanzarote, I share this philosophy through bodywork and personalised support.

Writing comes from that same sensitivity, though it speaks a different language.

A massage can give us a moment to stop and pay attention to our sensations.

A book can give us space to reflect, recognise emotions and see our story from a different perspective.

Both are part of how I understand life: learning to listen to ourselves, respecting our own processes and connecting with what we feel.

Behind my books is the same person many of you know from my massages.

A woman who has lived, searched, learned, made mistakes, started again and felt the wish to share her story.

You can read more about me in My Essence.

Two inspiring books to give, or to keep for yourself

If you are looking for books to reflect on life, reads about self-knowledge or personal stories that make you think, perhaps one of these two books will speak to you.

They can also be a special gift for someone who enjoys intimate stories and real experiences.

Because giving a book is not just giving pages.

Sometimes it is sharing a feeling, opening a conversation or inviting someone to enjoy a moment with themselves.

I don't know what you will find in my stories.

Every reader arrives with their own path, their memories, their questions and their way of understanding life.

But if any of my experiences sparks a reflection in you, these pages will already have created a special meeting between our stories.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know this other side of me.

Thank you for reading, for being curious and for letting my story meet yours.

Because perhaps, as you read my story, you will discover a new way of looking at yours.

With love,
Jesica Oteruelo López
Writer and creator of Lavanda Zen Massage
Lanzarote, Canary Islands