I'd invite you to check out all of the following:
Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
This is an exhaustive read, though Tony’s writing style is great. I think he belabors some points – but that might have been necessary at the point in time that he wrote the book in 1991. The book is almost 600 pages long and includes chapters on how to “unleash your power”, taking control, which includes a “master system”, as well as a “7 days to shape your life” plan. The book was a difficult read for me and I am not even sure I finished it. Tony’s book was designed to help a person reach their peak potential. The problem I find is that so many people don’t care if they reach their peak potential. Though the book did reach the NY Times Bestseller list, I wonder how many people actually read it.
Stephen Covey wrote an acknowledgement in the front of the book, saying that Tony was at the forefront of cutting-edge findings and insights and that there was a growing consciousness in this generation. I find that statement interesting in that it was after Stephen Covey wrote his #1 best seller 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and I considered him to be a leader in the field of “taking control” of one’s own destiny and rising consciousness.
The book asks such questions as “what do you want?” and how you can systematically set out to achieve your goals. Sound familiar. That’s what The Secret does also, but The Secret goes about it just a little differently. Focus is another huge point to all of this. If you know what you want or conversely, what you do not want, then you can focus your mind, intend to do it, and it will happen because now all (or a large part anyway) of your awareness is going to be all about that particular goal and reaching it. Enlightenment comes after you realize that life happens to you, you do not happen to life.
Google this phrase sometime: "let go of ego" it’s amazing how many sites are out there about the ego and that if we can let go of it our bodies will heal themselves, we won’t be frustrated, angry or need to vent to our friends, gossip, etc. The book A New Earth is such a book. Eckart Tolle is espousing the need for all of us to get beyond, let go, of our ego. It is our ego that keeps us divided from God. When he starts to cross the line into religion and new age, that is where he loses a lot of Christians I think. If the book would concentrate (and it does really) on just the physiological aspect of ego he wouldn’t have all the people rallying against him and Oprah for starting a “new religion”. On their first web class Eckart said the last thing he wants to be is anyone’s guru.
In Praise of the Miracle of Intention – Defining Your Success by Pat Davis
This is an easy read, large print, small size paperback only 124 pages. Its focus is on helping those in the Network Marketing field (sales). With chapters on goals, dreams, attitude, personal growth, pride, reputation, expectations, and strategies based around affirmations, marketing, family, and teamwork the author once again drives home points about self-esteem, taking pride in one’s work/accomplishments, being focused and committed to one’s goals, etc. Written by a woman, there is some perspectives on how to balance home life and work, and highlighting how Network Marketing can help women especially, blend this income producing opportunity, without guilt, into their life without sacrificing their family (as some people have pointed out over the years, a working woman just cannot do – juggle a profession/career, children, husband, and home).
Your Erroneous Zones by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Another small paperback, but thick – about 300 pages and small type – is this book from Dr. Dyer (who almost everyone is familiar with from his books and PBS specials). While I did not find this an easy read, it was one of the best books I think I’ve ever read on the subject of negative thinking. In this journey Dr. Dyer helps a person to rid oneself of guilt, fear, and self-destructive patterns. Chapters are constructed around such topics as taking charge of yourself, putting yourself first, not approval seeking, letting go of the past, ridding oneself of guilt and worry (they are useless and wasteful emotions), exploring the unknown, breaking rules of convention, the trap of justice, how to stop procrastinating, being independent, letting go of anger, and provides a glimpse as to how a person whose freed themselves of their erroneous zones acts and feels.
When I Say No, I Feel Guilty by Manuel J. Smith
I read this small paperback many years ago, several times, studied it in fact, then I gave it away to a friend who desperately needed it. This is one of those books that every codependent receives when they go into recovery. It’s an older book, written in 1978, however, quite timeless. I looked it up on Amazon.com and it’s still in print and still relevant for people too, judging by all of the comments from readers of it. This is a book primarily about how to become assertive or more assertive and letting go of the guilt that usually accompanies our assertive moves, either during or shortly after. Some people actually cannot tell anyone, “No, I cannot do that for you” without feeling guilt! After I studied the book I went on to read “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” and found some similarities as this book could also benefit people who are undergoing marital counseling.
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray
I read this small paperback a couple of times at least. After my first marriage ended in divorce, I felt lost, like I’d done something wrong. I’d always prided myself on being able to communicate with my husband, with people in general for that matter, and couldn’t believe that he could just walk out and leave me and our two young children. We’d weathered other storms and stayed together. So, I reached for this in an effort to figure out what had happened. Unfortunately, I needed more than one book, and years later I ended up in counseling, to learn even more. Human beings in general, are very difficult to communicate to and with. The problems go well beyond the scope of this book but it is insightful since men and women’s intentions, how their brains work, etc is very different.
The Sacred Human by Jim Rosemergy
I’ve read this small paperback several times. It is all about human potential and how we are all made of “star stuff” in the image of our creator. It talks about how we have this unending capacity for love and compassion. It ushers in the new millennium where we all recognize and acutely aware of our sacred humanity and potential to be divine. The author says that most of us would like to know our sacred human but we don’t reach for it for fear of what we might find. That within each of us is this “we aren’t good enough” feeling so much so that we ignore or hide from our true self. I sense a great potential within me. Do you? This is what the book tries to reveal to us. This book calls us to honor the differences within our human family and understand that we are all one. When I read the word “honor” I immediately clicked back to when I read the first two of John Edward’s books about how our loved ones who’ve crossed over, want us to simply validate them. But I digress. The Sacred Human fits very nicely into any 12-step program you may be working also. In fact, I think that’s when I bought the book. This book will ask you to be gentle with yourself and others. It will ask you to love yourself, not try to fix others, accept the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others, place no demands on others etc. Failure is not the problem, because we all fail. Accept our past; we do not need to fix anything.
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
I wrote a comprehensive research paper on this book while I was initially reading it. And while the book covers a lot of ground, the main thing I got out of it (because Harv stresses this point time and time again) is that we all have within us a pre-programmed money blueprint. Harv says that depending upon how we were raised and what thoughts were programmed into us from family, usually our moms and dads, about money, that’s exactly how we treat money. For instance, if you grew up with your parents fighting about money you probably have a lack mentality where money is concerned. And they had money blueprints that didn’t match. To this day, you may work hard, save every dime and never take a vacation. (Vacation? What is that?! ha!) For me, I always heard my parents say, “where do you think money comes from, it doesn’t grow on trees you know”! Especially when I might want to buy something they would consider frivolous. My parents both worked full-time and my mom was a saver. Their money blueprints didn’t exactly match though as my dad could always gamble with his money and buy things he thought would make him a dollar someday (thus becoming a hoarder) while my mom was more practical only buying what we needed at the time. I grew up with a pretty stout responsibility towards frugality with money, and though I tried, I found it nearly impossible to save. I didn’t become a hoarder either though, and so I rarely stock up for anything – that is until hurricane season rolls around. The point is, do you live your life in fear of losing what money you have (fear or lack-based living), or with the understanding that everything you could ever want is really out there for you (love or abundance-based living)?
Many Lives – Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, MD
While I was walking my dogs the other evening a neighbor of mine (whom I never talk with about such things) popped out with a question for me. Do I tape Oprah? I told her, yes, sometimes, fearing I guess why she was asking. I have been hit so many times lately from Christian, well-meaning friends about this whole new Oprah religion that now I find I am threatened by the mere asking if I watch her! I didn’t realize it though until my neighbor asked me that innocuous question. Anyway, we started a little chat and by the time she was done with me – she had me ready to run out and buy this book. I haven’t read it yet but I checked Dr. Weiss out on Amazon.com and apparently he’s written many books dancing around the subject of reincarnation. I guess you could say he’s fascinated with the subject!
