Most of my friends know I am a “bookoholic”. I have a serious addiction to learning and books are my drug of choice. So, I will tell you today (September 6, 2013) what I am reading
Shift Happens, by Robert Holden, is a wonderful book to help you start living an inspired life right now. He has more than fifty short chapters in this little book. He said that when his waiting list reached over 100 people, he decided to write this as a way of helping people until his time permitted a private appointment. I find each chapter is a real treat, starting with chapter one–Happiness is an inner light with no off switch. My book came with a CD of one of his presentations and I have played it again and again because he is funny and very brilliant. Holden started the Happiness Project in England in the 90s. His next book (I already have it on my I-Pad) is also marvelous. It is Loveability. I am eager for his promised daily meditation guide, Holy Shift, and will buy it the minute it is on the market.
Love 2.0, by Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D., is one of the best books on love I have ever read. She says love is a product of human evolution and that we are very literally made for love. Further, when we become attuned to our body’s definition of love, our cells get the message. On page 17, she says….in a nutshell, love is the momentary upwelling of three tightly interwoven events; first, a sharing of one or more positive emotions between you and another; second, a synchrony between your and the other person’s biochemistry and behaviors; and third, a reflected motive to invest in each other’s well-being that brings mutual care. Her shorthand for this trio (on page 17) is positivity resonance. Makes sense to me. Opportunities for love abound. When we seek out love and learn to love ourselves as well as others, unconditionally, it can elevate us, our communities, and our world far beyond what we can today envision. This is my hope for the “future that wants to emerge”. Joy, happiness, gratitude, forgiveness, are ingredients in the supreme emotion called love.
Instant Influence, by Michael V. Pantalon, Ph.D. is worth having if you are ever wanting to motivate people. And, who doesn’t want to do that every so often? A very practical method, based in the respect for each individual’s right of choice, Pantalon gives us a way to ask questions that are designed to bring action from within, not pressure from without. I have a desire to study this method with Dr. Pantalon so might just find the next possible workshop for doing that.
The Mystery Experience, by Tim Freke. I like this man from England. He is a stand up philosopher and is brilliant in his approach to spiritual awakening. I read his book, How Long Is Now?, and liked it. So, when my friend Flicka (yes, I have a friend by that name) told me that her husband Paul (whom I adore) was reading this, I got it and will look forward to discussing it with Flicka and Paul some day soon. Freke does a good job with depth exploration of science and spirituality. He explores new insight into what it means to be alive. Deep thinking and not a fast read for me, but worth the effort to do his exercises and plumb the depths of life as he describes the dream.
Strengths Based Leadership, by Tom Rath and Barry Conche. Tom Rath is my favorite author in the world of Strengths development. I use the strengths path in my work, which is mostly about helping people grow in a positive way. In this new book, you can find the four domains and see how your own top five themes (Strengths as defined from The Clifton StrengthsFinder) may suggest why you are good with strategic thinking, relationship building, influencing others, or executing plans and ideas. I have had some wonderful A-ha’s from some of the workshops where we use this book.
The Honeymoon Effect, by Bruce Lipton. You are in for a treat, especially if you are stretching into deep meaning of life and relationships. Not only is it about our one to one love relationships, it is full of hope for the journey of our species on this planet. Bruce Lipton’s books are great and I learned a lot about the new field of epigenetics when I read The Biology of Belief. In this new book, he is candid about his own personal relationships and the back of the book tells a really positive, hopeful story of his marriage.