Happy #WorldBookDay!
One of the reasons I love my work as a wellness coach is
that personal development is such an integral part of my life and career. In
honor of #worldbookday, I have created my own list of personal development
books that have been life-changing for me. Here goes:
First, Manifest Your Destiny by Wayne Dyer. This was the
first personal development book I ever read, and it really came when I needed
it most. My mom had just died, and I was on the edge of despair. I needed some
support to allow me to grieve, but to keep me from falling in isolation and depression.
Dr. Dyer’s book helped me see that my view of the world was very a choice, and
it challenged me to look at old paradigms and to question whether they
supported me or just prolonged the pain.
Second, Quantum Success by Sandra Anne Taylor. In a world of
books that recommend that you feel good and avoid feeling bad, Sandra Anne
Taylor suggests that grief and sorrow need to be honored. If you push them
aside in an attempt to just “feel good” they can fester and manifest in all
kinds of emotional and physical symptoms. You don’t have to dwell in the
negative emotion, that’s not the point. The point is to honor your feelings,
process them, and move forward.
Third, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The Secret was
revolutionary for me, because it helped me see how my spiritual practices had
real-world effects. It also helped me to realize that my choices could be seen
in the world around me, and that even though we all share this big blue marble,
we live in different worlds by virtue of the fact that we have different
experiences. The good thing is that we get to change our world anytime we want.
When I put the lessons in The Secret into practice, my world did change. It
didn’t happen overnight. With consistent application of the principles of this
book, my entire life changed in two years. You may look at that and say, “Wow,
two years! That’s a long time,” but the time will pass anyway. Why not make
some changes for the better now so that your life in two years will be better?
Fourth, Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell. I grew up with a
perfectionist for a parent. Life isn’t easy living with a perfectionist,
especially when you’re young, because nothing you ever do is right. That is
debilitating to a child’s psyche. As an adult, I still feared making mistakes
and suffering from criticism. I didn’t realize that the worst criticism of all
was really coming from inside my own head. Maxwell’s book helped me realize
that mistakes are part of the process, and that failure must be embraced as
part of the learning experience.
Fifth, The Five Major Pieces of the Life Puzzle by Jim Rohn.
This book is amazing, because it is very practical. Jim Rohn lays down five
specific areas of life where most problems lie, and talks about dealing with
each one. Reading this book helped me see that the responsibility of my life
lay squarely on my shoulders, and if I wanted to change, I could begin by
examining one or more of these five areas, and then start making where I stood
to make those changes in myself. If you want real-world, practical, and
applicable, this is the book for you. It’s one of those books that everyone
should read at least once. I read it once a year.
Thanks for reading. I hope you’ll find this list inspiring,
and that you’ll examine your own library to see which books are your favorites.
Happy #WorldBookDay!
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