Great Books

All of the books below have dramatically changed my life. They are HIGHLY recommended. Change your thoughts, change your life.

This was the first book that really took hold of me and began a major shift in my thoughts. It was given to me by my grandmother. It is a little book with a big message. You are what you think. Written in 1902, it is still as relevant today as it was back then. From the book:

"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires – and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own."

I could not have read this book at a better time in my life. We were assigned to read it several years ago by my husband's employer and I was playing the blame game with certain people in my life. This book is like the friend you go to when you want to know the truth. It shook me upside down and emptied my pockets. It helps you realize that your perception of yourself and others keeps you in a box and it is only by examining and changing those perceptions that you can get out of the box. This leadership and self improvement book is written in a novel form.

Carol's book came on the heels of Leadership above. A lot in me rebelled at the words Carol wrote, but it had many wonderful ideas in it that I had not thought about before. If you have not done a lot of investigating other methods, you may find much in this book strange. I do not agree with all of it myself, but I loved this book and I am interested to reread it now that I have had more than a few years investigating similar material. I believe I was meant to read Carol's book because it led me to EFT; something I had seen before but not really done anything with. Her book really turned me on to it.

I cannot say enough about this book. I am listing these in the order they came into my life. When I read the Peacegiver, I immediately recognized the author. When I read the jacket, I found I was right. The author works for The Arbinger Institute, which is the publisher of Leadership and Self-Deception. This book is very similar to that in that there is a similar story with similar concepts taught. However it differs in that it is taught through parables and archetypes to point the reader to Christ. Powerful insights are given into a little remembered story and a well known story in the Old Testament. This book forces you to look at forgiveness in a totally different light.

If the word RICH creates an emotional reaction in you, then you need to read this book. It is a short and simple book, packed with wisdom. And although the book does focus on how to get rich in an exact science, it also includes within it the way to find richness in life, and isn't that what we all want? This little book is the secret behind The Secret, if you have seen that movie. If you haven't, do. This is the book that Rhonda Byrne was given by her daughter that changed her life. I have read and reread this book and continue to study it daily. Every time I read it, I find a new gem. This book is FREE!!!

If you are not ready for change, do NOT read this book! Once again, I get to shake up my beliefs about myself and others. This puts the responsibility for our thoughts and beliefs squarely where they belong; on our own shoulders. Byron Katie was a severely depressed woman who one day woke up with some questions in her mind that brought her straight out of depression and directly into peace. Loving What Is helps us see that any condition we are in, and our reaction to it, is an illusion. Our thoughts about the conditions are what bring us suffering, and if we can just see the circumstances for what they really are and what they can teach us and how they are reflections of our inner selves, we can have the peace we so earnestly desire. Typically, the upset we experience on a regular basis is not about the turmoil that we think is going on, it's our thoughts about the turmoil. Examine your thoughts, and you find the answers. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.

HO.LY. SMOKES. This is my newest life changing read. This book by the CEO of the Og Mandino Group and my new teacher and mentor, describes how we can use our furnace of adversity to creat a life of amazing joy and success. If you are an Og Mandino fan, Dave Blanchard uses Og's principles to explain how to connect with other, mentally create your dreams into physical creation. I am still reading this book, but just spent the weekend with Dave and 20 other like minded intentional creators and am stoked to bring these principles into the lives of others.