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Seven Habbits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey I actually cried when I first read it… My key realisation first time round was that I'd been blaming others for my life not being what I wanted, instead of accepting the responsibility to make my life what I wanted myself. The 7 habits referred to are:
At the end of each chapter is a section called “application suggestions” to help you to start living the principles Covery has outlined. This is one of those books that always have a lesson when you pick them up, no matter whether new to personal development or working in the industry! If you'd like to know more, click here to go to Amazon where you can buy a copy. How to be a complete and utter failure in life, work and everything 39 1/2 steps to lasting underachievement This book has plenty of “quotes to avoid” and each chapter finishes with “action not to take”. There is also plenty of mention of his Uncle Richard, a stereotypical gruff Yorkshire man. To give you a feel for it, here's a footnote from the introduction: “ * It should take a bit longer than a few minutes to read this guide but hey, I know you've probably got the attention span of a goldfish. That's why I wouldn't suggest you must read every word, twice, rather than just flicking through, to gain maximum value.” Inspired? Think it might help you with your New Year's resolutions? To get your own copy you can order here. Think and Grow Rich You couldn't be more wrong. Yes, this book is most certainly a forerunner to much of the personal development material out there. For good reason… This little book not only says what to do but how to do it. It is jam packed with constructive advice and littered with examples of people who have successfully put these concepts to the test. You may well have come across some of its advice before. Did you however, actually put any of it into action? As somebody who hates knowing what's going to happen, I would never read the end of a book first (thank goodness, I got to watch The Sixth Sense at the cinema before anybody told me the twist!). This book is one exception; perhaps you should start at the end on page 228 with the “Fifty-five Famous Alibis by Old Man IF”. Here he lists all the excuses of people who do not succeed, such as: IF conditions around me were only different… Looking down this list I've heard many of them, from myself in the past and now, from prospective clients (my clients don't say them for long!). Recognising these first could perhaps make the difference in how you read the book and in taking the decision to do something, anything, to make the changes that you want in your life. Want a copy? You can purchase it from Amazon here . Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting The detail is about how to turn positive thinking into positive feelings so as to raise your confidence, your energy and start attracting the things you want in life. Lynn provides a four step process that you can do at any time to make this happen. When I thought about how I normally help others approach this, I feel I was 95 per cent there. Now, that last 5 per cent will make the difference in helping people to really understand what they need to feel in order for their life to work the way they want. For what some might term an ‘airy fairy' subject matter, Lynn 's style is very down to earth and practical. She has been there, wallowing in negativity, not just down in the doldrums but below them. She writes from a place of authenticity and - reassuringly - shares with us her vulnerability in not being perfect all of the time! Get your own copy here. The Celestine Prophecy This book is about how we relate to ourselves and to each other. What we have to learn from our families and our experiences. It's about learning to tap into our intuition and learning to really listen to it and then follow it. Having re-read it recently for this ezine I was struck by how profound some of the insights are and how I was able to re-apply them at a deeper level. So if you have already read The Celestine Prophesy, dust it off and have another read. If you haven't yet read it, then you're in for a real treat! Get your own copy here. Mind Reading: In The Meantime... In The Meantime, by Iyanla Vanzant, really helps to drive home that message in a gentle yet persuasive way. The messages in this book apply not just to romantic relationships as going through the process outlined will undoubtedly improve all your relationships whether personal or business. It highlights how we bring ourselves with us into every relationship and can learn lessons from every encounter, whether a fling or a 20-year marriage. So what do you do in the meantime while waiting for the love of your life? While waiting for your partner to become that prince or princess that you dream of? In the meantime helps you to explore just that, using the analogy of spring cleaning your ‘mental' house from the basement up to the attic. The one criticism I have is that this book doesn't always explain how to do what it recommends and I think it would benefit from some specific exercises for readers to do. (By the way, don't let the occasional mentions of God put you off if you're a non-believer – just replace that with ‘love' and you'll get great value from this book.) Get your own copy here. |