When is the last time you took a really good look at what’s on the bookshelves and bookcases in your home? Do it now, and you may find some buried treasure!

I’m not talking about knickknacks or works of art you have on display that may indeed be quite valuable. I’m talking about actual books.

A coaching client of mine told me last week about a book she’s just started reading – one that she bought a long time ago but didn’t quite get through at that time. She pulled it off the shelf recently, and discovered that it is powerfully revealing and relevant to her life right now – much more so than it would have been back then.

The same thing happens to me every so often. I may be looking for a specific book, or just glancing absently at the books in my office while I’m concentrating on something else. A particular book will grab my attention, and when I pull it out and skim through it, I find that it provides exactly what I need to know or learn – right now! It doesn’t matter if it’s a book I’ve already read cover to cover and kept as a reference, or one that I started, but never finished, and meant to get back to someday.

Most of the books on my bookshelves are nonfiction – inspirational, self-improvement, memoir, and books about writing. I’m not sure if books of fiction would generate the same synchronicity that my client and I have experienced. Still, looking at the titles and types of books on your bookshelf can tell a lot about you – what you value, what you enjoy, perhaps the kind of life you’d like to live or experiences you’d like to have. This information and insight may be the gem of knowledge and wisdom that leads you to an exciting new journey, or – no pun intended – to a new chapter of your life.

It’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover. But the covers of the books you own may give you valuable knowledge and information — about yourself!